Opened in 1978 at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville, TN, Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center is East Tennessee's recognized leader in rehabilitating stroke, spinal cord, and brain injury (BI) patients.

A CARF accredited 73-bed facility, Patricia Neal offers a comprehensive, team approach to care. Physical, occupational, recreational, behavioral medicine, and speech language therapists work with physiatrists to develop individual plans of care designed to return patients to a normal lifestyle as quickly as possible. In addition, rehabilitation nurses collaborate with specialists to teach self-care techniques and provide education to help patients reach optimal functionality.

Patients in the Brain Injury Program commonly experience one of the following situations:

• A traumatic event like a violent blow to the head from a motor vehicle accident, fall, or assault
• Non-traumatic injury related to lack of oxygen (anoxia) to the brain possibly from carbon monoxide poisoning, drowning, respiratory or heart failure 
• An illness resulting in encephalitis

The Brain Injury Program of PNRC is dedicated to providing services to persons with brain injury with associated impairments and disabilities to help them regain the greatest amount of independence and enjoy the highest quality of life. Services will include appropriate intervention along a continuum of care that best fits the needs of the patient from inpatient to outpatient care with coordination of available community services.

Patients and families are a vital part of the rehabilitation team and must participate equally with the interdisciplinary team in developing an individualized treatment plan. Progress towards defined goals is reviewed in a patient team conference weekly. All patients are under the constant care of trained staff with brain injury knowledge and a physiatrist who, with the case manager, will coordinate the highly skilled team of professionals.

The environment is designed to facilitate cognitive, physical, educational, psychosocial, and behavioral needs of the BI survivor. Patients in the BI Program are treated with the latest state-of-the-art methods and equipment. Professional staff members in the BI Program are continually updating treatment skills and techniques to incorporate into the most modern treatment for those with brain injury.

Before a rehabilitation program is determined, a comprehensive assessment establishes a baseline of physical, social, cognitive, and behavioral functioning. The initial assessment is performed by a clinical team lead by a physician who works with the patient and family to determine the best plan of treatment.

For more information, visit: www.patneal.org.