ATLANTA (Oct. 8, 2018) – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta announced today it will begin construction on an aquatic therapy pool for Children's Scottish Rite Hospital this month, with completion slated for early 2019.
The pool will provide aquatic therapy for various rehabilitation programs at Children’s, including inpatient, day, outpatient and sports. Evidence has shown this type of therapy can improve function, endurance, strength, balance, mechanical stability, flexibility and gait, as well as provide pain relief for patients with musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions.
“Our team has wanted to provide aquatic rehabilitation to patients at Children’s for a long time because of the great benefits it has been proven to provide,” said Susannah Kidwell, MS, CCC-SLP, Director of Rehabilitation at Children’s. “This therapy pool will help us accomplish that goal and enable us to care for an even wider scope of patients who are fighting various diagnoses and obstacles.”
The aquatic therapy pool will accommodate up to two patients at a time, with a minimum of one therapist per patient to provide skilled care for varying patient needs. Features include adjustable depth, rotating floor with variable speed for treadmill capability, underwater cameras, and external screens for monitoring and biofeedback.
“We are so excited to provide this new form of care for our patients during their rehabilitation journey,” said Jessa K. Fagan, MS, CCC-SLP, Manager of Rehabilitation at Children’s. “Providing this service is just one more way Children’s continues to strive for the best for its patients.”
This new patient care service is made possible by funding from Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals partners. The planning and construction team for the project includes Adams Management Services Corporation, Batson-Cook Company, HKS Inc. and HydroWorx International Inc.