IMPORTANT UPDATES

Rehab patient boy smiling with nurse at rehab therapy

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta provides pediatric rehabilitation services to children and young adults with impairments due to accidents, illnesses, injuries, congenital defects, syndromes and other conditions, including:

  • Neurological illnesses and injuries, including brain and spinal cord trauma
  • Hearing loss
  • Voice disorders
  • Congenital heart defects (CHD) and acquired heart disease
  • Burns
  • Orthopedic injuries

Depending on your patient’s needs and the recommendations of our rehabilitation specialists, children from birth to age 21 can begin rehabilitation during any of the four treatment phases: acute, inpatient, day rehabilitation or outpatient rehabilitation.

Inpatient rehabilitation

Our Inpatient Rehabilitation Program addresses the needs of children and young adults after they’ve had a traumatic and life-changing injury or illness. To refer a patient for inpatient rehabilitation, contact one of our clinical evaluators.

When making a referral, have the following information available:

  • Patient’s name, date of birth, diagnosis and current medical status
  • Family contact and insurance information
  • Referring provider’s contact information

Day rehabilitation

Our Day Rehabilitation Program is a full-day therapy program for patients recovering from traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries, neurological diseases, debility, or other conditions. To refer a patient to our Day Rehabilitation Program, call 404-785-3300.

When making a referral, have the following information available:

  • Patient’s name, date of birth, diagnosis and current medical status
  • Family contact and insurance information
  • Referring provider’s contact information

Outpatient rehabilitation

Through our Outpatient Rehabilitation Program, we provide audiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services at three locations in metro Atlanta—Children’s at North Druid Hills, Medical Office Building at Scottish Rite Hospital and Children’s at Town Center Outpatient Care Center.

To make a referral, complete our rehabilitation prescription form and fax it to the number listed on the form for the service you are prescribing. Remember to include:

  • Patient name, gender and date of birth
  • Diagnosis
  • ICD-10 and treatment needed
  • Physician name, phone and fax

If you need assistance identifying the appropriate outpatient therapy resources for your patient, call our rehabilitation case management department at 404-785-8965. Note: Parents or legal guardians can call 404-785-7100 or complete our online appointment request form to make an appointment. Parents must know the medical diagnosis and services needed to schedule an appointment.

Physiatry

Call 404-785-DOCS (3627) to refer a patient to Children’s Physician Group–Physiatry. Our physiatry practice is located at the Center for Advanced Pediatrics.

Center for Advanced Technology and Robotic Rehabilitation

Our state-of-the-art center is designed to restore and improve body movement and function. To refer a patient, complete our referral form and fax it to 404-785-4388. Note: A specialist referral is required.

What documentation is needed to transfer a patient for inpatient rehabilitation?

To transfer a patient for inpatient rehabilitation, a complete copy of the patient’s chart should include:

  • Progress notes
  • MD orders
  • Flow sheets
  • Radiology notes, surgical reports, consults, MAR, CT films, MRI films, X-rays, discharge summary and transfer orders

How do I find out if a patient in my hospital is appropriate for inpatient rehabilitation?

Make a referral to one of our clinical evaluators by calling 404-785-2274 or completing our online referral form.

What if my patient is not appropriate for Children’s inpatient unit?

For a patient whose status does not require inpatient rehabilitation, we also have the Day Rehabilitation Program, which may be more appropriate for your patient.

What do I do if I have a patient who needs a speech evaluation?

If you have a patient who needs a speech evaluation and has not had or has not passed a hearing screening or test in the past six months, the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) requires one be performed prior to a speech evaluation. Include audiology on the order for your patient, and our scheduling department will schedule your patient appropriately.

Can you help me locate a rehabilitation provider for a patient in my community?

Children’s offers outpatient rehab services at Children’s at North Druid Hills, the Medical Office Building at Scottish Rite Hospital and Children’s at Town Center Outpatient Care Center. If you need assistance in finding a rehabilitation provider for a patient in another community, refer to the resources below:

I continue to get calls requesting that a prescription be faxed to one of your sites, but we already faxed it. What do I do?

If the patient is at the site awaiting an appointment, we do need you to resend the faxed order. If this is an ongoing problem, make a list of each patient’s name and date of birth. Then contact your physician liaison to inform him of the issue and provide the list of patients.

Cerebral Palsy

The Cerebral Palsy Clinical Screening Tool was developed for community physicians who see patients who have been diagnosed with or are showing signs of the disorder. It provides a pathway for our schedulers to get cerebral palsy patients to the appropriate specialist.

Download tool

Our clinical evaluators can help determine whether your patient is a good candidate for inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation.

Who are the clinical evaluators at Children’s?

Travia Collier
404-545-5351
travia.collier@choa.org

  • Georgia: Scottish Rite Hospital, Grady Healthcare System, Macon

Stacy Levine
404-202-9605
stacy.levine@choa.org

  • Georgia: Dekalb Medical Center, North Fulton, Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center, Wellstar Kennestone, Augusta, Savannah, other Georgia referrals
  • North Carolina: All referrals
  • South Carolina: All referrals, excluding Prisma Health
  • Tennessee: Johnson City (Niswonger Children’s Hospital)

Shelly Rich
404-545-5350
shelly.rich@choa.org

  • Alabama: All referrals
  • Tennessee: All referrals, excluding Niswonger Children’s Hospital

Tereen Tolles
404-202-5440
tereen.toles@choa.org

  • Georgia: Egleston Hospital, Emory Medical Center (main campus), Emory Midtown
  • South Carolina: Columbia (Prisma Health)