Rehabilitation services

Occupational therapy (OT)

Department consists of Occupational Therapists (OT), Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA), and Rehabilitation Secretary/Aides. Staff evaluate, treat disabilities, injuries and disease through use of a wide range of modalities, exercise, and activities according to the prescription of a physician.

Speech therapy (ST)

Department consists of Speech Language Pathologists, and Rehabilitation Secretary/Aides. Staff evaluate, treat disabilities, injuries and disease through use of a wide range of exercise, and activities according to the prescription of a physician. They perform swallowing studies with Imaging staff, charting and preparation of patient/resident progress notes.

Whether for pain relief, restoration after surgery or injury, or to learn to deal with new limitations, our physical therapy department has given countless patients a boost. Our staff evaluates and treats many conditions, through massage, exercise, and a variety of water, light and electrical therapies. Ask your doctor if physical therapy would be helpful for you.

How to get started:

1. Consult your health professional for a medical referral to receive physical therapy services.
2. Call for an appointment at 218-643-0345 to meet with one of our physical therapists to review the services and establish a plan of treatment. 
3. Participate in physical therapy sessions.

Aquatic Therapy - performing exercises in water - is an ideal solution for patients who have difficulty with balance, limited weight bearing ability or weakness.

Water supports the body, reduces joint stress, and provides both resistance and assistance to movement. With aquatic therapy or aquatic rehabilitation, patients can improve mobility, strength, and function quite rapidly during the healing process. Though aquatic therapy is not recommended for people with certain medical conditions, the vast majority of patients can participate.

How to get started

1. Consult your health professional for medical referral to participate in the Medical Wellness Center.
2. Call for an appointment at 218-643-0345 to meet with a Medical Wellness staff person to review the services and establish a plan on a goal sheet to achieve your personal Medical Wellness goals that will be monitored by staff over a three-month period of time.  Your goal results can be sent to your physician.  Your physician will help determine whether this program is right for you in meeting your personal Medical Wellness goals (ie, improving strength, weight management, flexibility, etc. and the maintenance of those set goals).
3. Participate in the Medical Wellness Services - exercise on a variety of machines & equipment, monthly reviews, discussions and answers to health related questions.

Cardiac Rehabilitation is an outpatient service to prepare the patient and his/her family who has coronary heart disease or problem for lifestyle changes that may reduce the risks and further complications of coronary heart disease. It helps the patient return to the level of physical and mental activity compatible with the functional capacity of their heart. It benefits anyone who has diagnosed coronary disease; this includes those patient with angina, a recent myocardial infarction, heart surgery, and balloon angioplasty.  This is accomplished with personal risk factor assessment and modification. An individual exercise plan for safely achieving optimal cardiovascular fitness combined with cardiac-oriented education is employed.

The education covers such topics as diet changes, stress management, and the importance of exercise. A Cardiac Rehabilitation Registered Nurse develops and supervises an individual exercise plan to be used in the Cardiac Rehabilitation program that is followed at St. Francis and at the patients home. Cardiac oriented education includes diet changes, stress management risk factor analysis, and the importance of exercise; supervision of exercise which utilizes heart rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen saturation monitoring; and stress testing.