PUBS Newsletters: KKI Clinical Connection v2

Clinical Connection

News, Updates, and Support for Healthcare Professionals

Dear Colleague,

At Kennedy Krieger Institute, we are committed to providing specialized medical and therapeutic care for children and young adults with disorders and injuries of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system. Our medical staff of hundreds of clinicians, representing more than 75 specialty clinics and programs, and a staff of 2,500 dedicated employees provide your patients and families unique access to the latest in research and treatment for neurorehabilitation, behavioral disorders, and other developmental disorders.

To ensure your patients receive the best care possible, we take a team approach, bringing together physicians, psychologists, therapists, and other clinicians to address all of a patient’s needs. Our staff works closely with you, and your patients and families, to develop comprehensive and individualized treatment plans.

We offer care in a variety of settings, including a specialty pediatric hospital and outpatient centers that see more than 20,000 patients each year, day treatment services, and home- and communitybased programs. We now have outpatient locations in Odenton and Columbia, Md., in addition to our Baltimore locations, offering added convenience for your patients and families.

With this newsletter, we’ve included a copy of Potential magazine, which contains inspiring stories, news, and research updates for your patients. We appreciate your trust in referring patients to Kennedy Krieger, and we value your input as partners in their care.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about any of our patient care programs, please call our Physician Referral Line at 443-923-9403 or email us at FindASpecialist@KennedyKrieger.org.

Sincerely,

Gary W. Goldstein, MD President and CEO

iNSiDe tHiS iSSUe:

• Robotics: The Future of Rehabilitation

• Piecing Together Puzzling Neurological Disorders

• How to Refer a Patient to Kennedy Krieger

To support the needs of physicians and healthcare professionals, our care management team is available to provide information on appropriate clinical programs, handle referrals, obtain consultations with Institute specialists, and schedule appointments for patients and families.

Call 443-923-9403 to reach our Physician Referral Line or visit KennedyKrieger.org/Referrals for information and resources for physicians and healthcare professionals.

For general information, call 1-888-554-2080 or visit KennedyKrieger.org

OUR CULtURe OF CaRe Kennedy Krieger Institute recognizes and respects the rights of patients and their families and treats them with courtesy and dignity. Kennedy Krieger Institute provides care that preserves cultural, psychosocial, spiritual, and personal values, beliefs, and preferences. Care is free from discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression including transgender. We encourage patients and families to become active partners in their care by asking questions, seeking resources, and advocating for the services and support they need.

Clinical Connection News,

RObOtiCS: tHe FUtURe OF ReHabiLitatiON

Kennedy Krieger offers patients the latest rehabilitation technologies and equipment, including robotic-assisted devices to improve function, reduce muscle atrophy, and stimulate nerves. Recent advances in understanding of the connections between adaptive neuroplasticity and functional recovery have led to accelerated development of robotic devices that improve rehabilitation outcomes. Robotic devices are used for both occupational and physical therapy, giving our therapists more tools than ever before to help patients build function and independence in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

The benefits of robotic therapy are significant. These sophisticated devices, which are programmed for each patient, allow our specially trained therapists to guide the user through repeated, precise movements, and provide real-time feedback for patients, and objective measures relating to position. Robotic rehabilitation equipment available at Kennedy Krieger includes the following:

• The MediTouch 3D Tutor™ consists of a wearable wireless motion feedback device and dedicated physical therapy rehabilitation software for functional rehabilitation of the upper and lower extremities. Quantitative bio-mechanical data allows for objective evaluation and physical therapy treatment follow-up.

• The G-EO System™ allows patients with lower extremity weakness or paralysis to experience mobility and independence in daily living by performing realistic simulations of activities such as over-ground walking and going up and down stairs. When using the G-EO, therapists are able to provide real-time adjustments in a safe and controlled environment to maximize the benefits of the equipment for each individual.

• The MediTouch HandTutor™ is a glove and software system that provides hand biofeedback. Challenging games and biofeedback provide patients with the motivation to continue intensive, repetitive fine motor finger and wrist exercises.

• Armeo®Boom and Armeo®Spring therapeutic technologies combine selfdirected movement exercises with Augmented Performance Feedback designed to increase range of motion, strength, and endurance, and facilitate self-initiated movement.

• The MediTouch LegTutor™ system consists of a leg brace and dedicated rehabilitation software, with exercises designed as challenging games suitable for a wide variety of neurological and orthopedic injuries and disorders.

• The Myomo EMG triggered elbow extension assist orthosis enables patients to initiate and control movement of a partially paralyzed arm using their own muscle signals through both elbow flexion/extension and grasping function.

• The RT600 upright FES elliptical sends electrical currents to a patient’s arms or legs, signaling limbs to contract and perform a maneuver that would otherwise be impossible, such as pedaling a bike.

• The Ekso™ exoskeleton is a powered lower limb orthosis that enables people with lower extremity weakness or paralysis to return to standing and walking. In addition, this battery-powered bionic device can be used to supplement our gait training therapies. The device sends real-time patient performance data to the therapist’s mobile device, so adjustments can be made to create the best program for success.

To learn more about how rehabilitation therapy and robotics can benefit your patients, or to schedule a visit to our Baltimore locations to see these exciting technologies in person and speak with our therapists, please visit Rehabilitation.KennedyKrieger.org

The Neurology and Neurogenetics Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute provides diagnostic services, therapeutic interventions, and genetic counseling for a broad spectrum of disorders affecting the brain and central nervous system. Patients are referred from around the country and around the world, and we often see puzzling or unusual cases that have previously defied diagnosis. We combine decades of experience in childhood neurological disorders with advanced genomics technology to develop personalized treatment plans for patients.

In our interdisciplinary clinic, teams consisting of neurologists, epileptologists, sleep disorder specialists, neurodevelopmental disorders specialists, genetic counselors, rehabilitation physicians, and physical, occupational, and speech therapists work together to offer accurate diagnoses and advanced treatments. For some children, treatments can be tailored to the gene affecting their disorder, such as Sturge-Weber syndrome, Rett syndrome, fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis,

mitochondrial disorders, and leukodystrophies. Although many of the disorders we manage cannot yet be cured, certain interventions can improve the lives of patients and their families.

For more information or to make a referral, contact our physician referral line at 443-923-9403 or email FindaSpecialist@KennedyKrieger.org.

Kennedy Krieger is dedicated to developing and maintaining strong working relationships with referring healthcare professionals, and to making the referral process as efficient as possible for you and your staff. We also recognize the importance of your relationship with your patients and families, and we honor that by providing the best possible care and keeping you informed about their care.

How to Request Outpatient appointments

Kennedy Krieger Institute offers patient care in more than 60 specialty clinics and programs. To refer a patient for outpatient care, please use one of the following options:

• Online – Complete the Online Request for an Appointment form on the KennedyKrieger.org website by clicking the “Appointments” button in the upper right corner of any page.

• Email – Send an email to our physician referral address at FindASpecialist@KennedyKrieger.org

• Phone – Call our Physician Referral Line at 443-923-9403.

Referrals to inpatient Programs

Referrals to one of our inpatient pediatric programs can be made by calling 443-923-9403 or emailing FindASpecialist@KennedyKrieger.org. Our inpatient programs include the following:

• Feeding Disorders Unit

• Neurobehavioral Unit (NBU)

• Rehabilitation Unit – Brain Injury, Pain Rehabilitation, Post-Orthopedic or Brain Surgery, and Spinal Cord Injury