Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/273544
Vibra Healthcare, says Peter Dain, MD, internal medicine physician and Medical Director of Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts - Central Campus. "We manage cardiac patients, telemetry patients, those with severe valvular heart disease and those with acute complications of diabetes," he says. "We care for patients following liver or kidney transplants, as well as those recovering from cancer sur- gery and chemotherapy. We are especially proud of our wound care program; we were among the top-rated Kindred facilities, and we continue the same outstanding work under Vibra today." Effecting safe patient transitions to less restrictive settings forms an impor- tant part of an LTAC facility's mission. Paired with The Meadows of Central Massachusetts, Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts - Central Campus has an advantage in helping patients progress to skilled nursing care. "The Meadows is an integral part our process," Dr. Dain says. "Patients continue to receive physical and occupational therapy, and they see the same physicians as they did in the LTAC setting. Following a stay at The Meadows, many can return home or to long-term care." The Meadows achieved a Medicare 5-Star Rating during July and August of 2013, with high marks for other months as well. Based on health inspections, staff ratings and nine quality measures, a 5-Star Rating recognizes a culture of safety in nursing home facilities. Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts offers a full spectrum of care from LTAC to skilled nursing care all within the same campus. Providing integrated skilled nursing care for a patient includes medi- cal services, rehabilitation therapy and psychosocial support. In the LTAC setting, physicians and patients may spend several weeks together, Bruce M. Meth, MD, FACP, FCCP, Chief Medical Officer, Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts, notes. "We build relationships," Dr. Meth says. "We get to know our patients and their family members. We see them more frequently, over a longer period of time, than in the acute setting." These relationships continue even after patients return home. "When a patient uses a ventilator or has a tracheotomy, families require training to maintain the equipment and care for their loved one," Dr. Meth says. "We teach families when to call for help and how to ensure their loved one is comfortable." Families and physicians are only part of the picture, however. At Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts, mental health experts assist patients as they recover, while skilled nursing staff pay close atten- tion to patients' psychosocial well-being. Some patients experience difficulty adjusting to their loss of independence. Vibra Healthcare can assist their transition so their psychological reaction to that loss does not prevent their condition from PHOTOS BY: RYAN RICHARDSON COV ER FE AT UR E "Physicians who are not familiar with the chronically critically ill population may not realize that these patients have a real possibility for improvement. With the appropriate care, they can return to independent living in the community. At Vibra Healthcare, we have the ability to move patients throughout the continuum of care and give them the exact services they need to recover." — Peter Bagley, MD, Co-Medical Director of Vibra Hospital of Central Massachusetts Bruce Meth, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts – Springfield (board-certified in pulmonary/critical care) programs individualized to patients to help them thrive. "Many of our patients who have neuro- muscular or other degenerative diseases will always need mechanical assistance for breathing," he says. "We offer ventilator support in the community, teaching them to use their assistive devices and providing outpatient rehabilitation therapy." Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts - Central Campus and The Meadows of Central Massachusetts These facilities have continued their tradition of high-level patient care unin- terrupted since their 2013 transition to 8 | Greater Boston MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M