Sinai Hospital of Baltimore announces opening of new neurological rehabilitation center

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore announces the opening of the new Louis and Phyllis Friedman Neurological Rehabilitation Center. The 20-bed center located on the fifth floor of the hospital's South Tower provides specialized rehabilitation services to adults who have sustained a brain injury, stroke or other neurological disorder and is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the state.

The center offers a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to treatment, featuring the latest technology; a team of more than 40 doctors, nurses and therapists; and an emphasis on family-centered care. Highlights include:

• A dedicated nine-bed brain injury unit with the highest number of certified brain injury specialists in Maryland
• A state-of-the-art gym filled with the most advanced technology to assist patients in their daily therapy, including a ZeroG gait and balance training system, an advanced tool that enables therapists to safely treat patients through a wide range of activities, and the latest generation of training devices for visual perception
• A simulated community called "Greater Heights" that helps facilitate patients' integration into their own community following discharge, featuring grocery store and bus stop settings and an ATM
• A fully equipped home transition apartment that allows patients to replicate the activities they will be doing at home
• Specially designed, private patient rooms that can be adjusted to a person's particular therapy needs to help control levels of stimulation

"Our patients are now able to receive treatment for neurological disorders, from the ER to the ICU and from acute neurological care to rehabilitation, all within the same building," said Scott E. Brown, M.D., chief of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Sinai Hospital. "This is unique to Maryland and possibly the region."

The center cost $7.7 million to construct and equip and was built with the help of a $2 million grant from the state of Maryland as well as a lead gift from Louis and Phyllis Friedman. Government support and private philanthropy account for 47 percent of the project cost to date.