Acute Care Hospitals

By: Emily Carda

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What is an Acute Care Hospital?

• It is a hospital that provides short-term care for patients that have an acute illness, injury or are recovering from surgery.

• Acute Care Hospitals may also be known as an emergency room.

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Who does an acute care hospital serve?

• Acute care hospitals care for people of all ages

• Patients that are in the Acute Care Hospital may have suffered from a stroke, respiratory or cardiac failure, head or spinal cord injuries, orthopedic injuries or many other injuries or diseases that affect ones ability to move.

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Types of Patients seen by PTs and PTAs in an Acute Care Hospital

• Most patients seen by the PTs or PTA’s in the Acute Care Hospital are:

• General Medical and Surgical patients

• Total Joint Replacement

• Pre and Post surgical care patients

• Pediatric Care

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Examples of skills performed by a PTA

• Bed mobility- positioning, rolling, moving into sitting

• Transfers • Ambulation (crutch/gait training or other assistive

devices) • Balance and coordination • Lower extremity strengthening • Gross motor skills/development • Range of motion for all extremities • Wound care/whirlpool

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Length of stay in acute care

• The patients are usually in a Acute Care Hospitals for about 10 days, but many patients stay longer it just depending on what is wrong with the patient or what the facility will allow.

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Percentage of PTAs in the Acute Care Hospital Settings

• 12.1% of PTAs are involved in the Acute Care Hospital setting.

• In the Acute Care Hospital PTs and PTAs group together to form a plan to help the patient develop strength to the next level of care.

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Income for PTA’s in Acute Care

• For most PTA salaries in an Acute Care Hospital are greatly based on what state you are in, the hospital itself and how much experience you have had. The average salary for Acute Care is anywhere from $33,000 to $51,000.

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Skills for being a PT or a PTA in a Acute Care Hospital

• When being in an Acute Care Hospital PTs and PTAs must have a widespread of knowledge and be able to multitask and be flexible.

Listed below are something a PT and PTA should understand while being in an Acute Care facility.

All kinds of lines

Tubes

Drains

Monitors

Safety Precautions

Interpret Vital Signs

The roles of the other health care staff

This is just to name a few 9

Acute Care Hospitals

10 States with the most Acute Care Hospitals

1. Texas- 369

2. California- 359

3. Florida- 214

4. New York- 212

5. Pennsylvania- 180

6. Ohio-153

7. Illinois-144

8. Tennessee- 122

9. Michigan- 116

10. Georgia- 115

10 States with the fewest Acute Care Hospitals

1. Vermont-7

2. Delaware- 8

3. Rhode Island- 12

4. New Hampshire- 14

5. North Dakota- 14

6. Alaska- 15

7. Hawaii- 15

8. Wyoming- 15

9. Montana- 19

10. Idaho- 20

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Statistics for PTAs

• In 2006 Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides held 107,000 jobs.– 60,000 job belonged to Physical Therapist

Assistants

– 46,000 belonged to Physical Therapist Aides

• About 71% of jobs were either held in offices of Physical Therapist or in Hospitals.

• The outlook for jobs for Physical Therapist Assistance and Aids is suppose to grow 29% over the next decade

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Site SourcesAcute Care Hospital Information:• http://www.ehow.com/about_5195079_definition-hospital-acute-

care.html• http://www.phillyrehab.com/longterm/ltac.html#3• http://www.tuhc.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID=A24

8A869-F424-4AB3-A6F6-EA113C127711• http://www.apta.org/AM/PrinterTemplate.cfm?Section=Home&TE

MPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=30260

Statistic Site• http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos167.htm#earningsHospital Statistic Sitehttp://www.hospitalreviewmagazine.com/news-and-analysis/current-

statistics-and-lists/10-states-with-the-fewest-acute-care-hospitals.html

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