posted
I was hoping someone might have an idea of where I could find some information.
My mother just had bilateral knee replacement surgery yesterday at Hackensack University Medical Center. She is going to be in a sub-acute orthopedic rehabilitation for the next two weeks, and we're trying to determine the best place for her to go.
Right now, we're trying to decide between Kessler West Orange and Kessler Saddle Brook.
From what I'm told, Saddle Brook specializes in Ortho, while West Orange specializes in spinal cord injuries - though both facilities handle both types of rehabilitation.
The hospital/doctor recommend Saddle Brook, but my parents have gotten the feeling that they've been "pushing" certain testing centers, doctors, etc that have been geographically close to them, potentially because of a professional relationship developed rather than quality of service.
Complicating matters is that Saddle Brook is 20 miles from my parents house, and West Orange is 1 mile from their house.
I'm trying to get some comparative reviews of the two facilities, but my Google-fu has come up empty.
Does anyone know of a forum I could ask my question on, or have any personal insight into the situation?
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
From what I can see online at the physician profile list, it does look like Saddle Brook has the concentration of orthopedic rehabilitation. That is where both the Senior Physiatrist (physiatrists are physicians specialized in rehabilitation medicine) and the Clinical Chief of Orthopedic Rehabilitation are officed. Wherever the top guns are, that is where you also tend to have the most support and other ancillary staff for that area of expertise.
It's always good to be an active and informed advocate for one's own healthcare, and that means asking questions and making your own decisions. However, I'll add to the above that already-developed professional relationships can be a very good reason to recommend a certain place for followup. Not because of anything unsavoury, but because one may know the other provider well enough to know that he/she follows through on commitments, is well-read on the latest updated information, gives good clear instructions, etc., as well as the increased likelihood of having smooth transfer of care back and forth.
Mind you, that isn't a reason not to recommend a clearly better place; however, if outcomes are comparable, I'd surely rather send someone to people whose work I know and who are more likely to keep me in the know if problems arise. All I'm saying is that sending people for followup to places one is already familiar with might not necessarily be a bad thing, just as it might not necessarily be a good thing.
And given the concentration of the top dogs in orthopedic rehab at Saddle Brook, there is a good case to be made that it's worth 19 extra miles. Of course, all I know about this place is what I have read at the website, and I know nothing about the details of the case, so I can't make a specific recommendation myself.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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