Group Therapy Improves Outcomes in Orthopedics Unit

The Shelby Baptist Medical Center new orthopedics unit takes a different approach to patients' recovery from total hip and knee replacement surgeries. "It's a typical nursing unit, but it has a 10-bed ortho component that incorporates a group therapy style rehab approach," says Evan Ray, director of ortho-neuro services. "So patients have the ability to go through rehabilitation exercises and physical therapy treatments in a group setting." Ray says patients do exercises as group instead of one on one with a physical therapist and that it's the peer pressure that which helps improve their outcomes. "Patients have an opportunity to get to know others who have undergone similar procedures. This can be a motivating factor to see your neighbor down the hall doing well with therapy — it makes you want to achieve the same results." Since the orthopedic unit opened last February, the medical center has seen the length of patients' stays decrease, while satisfaction among patients, physicians, and nursing staff has been very high. "Overall everyone seems to love the unit," Ray says, "and really enjoys being here, whether from a patient standpoint or employee standpoint.