Long-Term Acute Care
If your condition is medically complex, the Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse can help. This unit is a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH). Patients on this unit are often too ill to be transferred to a skilled nursing facility, acute rehabilitation hospital or their home after a hospital stay.
“Before my recovery at the Specialty Hospital, I figured that there would be no choice but for me to live the rest of my life in a nursing home. But here I am, back at home. I’m in good shape and home with the people I love. The Specialty Hospital gave me my life back.”
– Marianne Williams, Former Patient
What is a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital?
Long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) specialize in treating patients with serious medical conditions or injuries that often involves respiratory care. These patients often need ongoing care but no longer require intensive care or diagnostic procedures. Patients often come to an LTACH from intensive care units and require more care than a rehabilitation hospital, skilled nursing facility or home environment can offer.
Conditions & Treatments
We take your medical care seriously. Prior to admission, our physician lead team will work with the medical professionals caring for you and your insurance provider to determine if your medical needs meet the criteria for long-term acute care hospital level of care. Our clinical liaison(s) and a hospital discharge planner will work with you to coordinate your transition.
We treat a wide variety of conditions, including:
- Ventilator dependence/respiratory complications
- Wounds
- Pre and post-transplant surgery
- Head trauma or injury
- Cardiovascular disease
- Infections
- Spinal cord injury
- Cancer
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Stroke
As a patient, you will have access to a range of treatments to meet your complex medical needs, such as:
- Cardiac monitoring
- Complex wound management
- Infectious disease management
- Long-term IV antibiotics
- Nutritional support services
- Hemodialysis
- Bariatric care
“We develop individualized daily care plans that focus on recovering optimal health and quality of life, while developing personal and supportive relationships with patients and their families.”
– Geneveen Kluska, RN
Why the Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse?
Patients admitted at the Specialty Hospital come from all walks of life, and may be experiencing a wide variety of medical conditions. It is often a stressful and confusing time, as patients look ahead to the road to recovery, unsure of the path they will need to take to regain their health. The level of care and staff expertise we provide is the highest level available outside of an acute care hospital.
Our continuum of care ensures that your needs are managed around-the-clock by a team of medical professionals including:
- Internal medicine physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants
- Consulting physicians with a variety of specialties such as: pulmonology, nephrology, and infectious disease
- Nurses
- Respiratory therapists
- Case managers
- Dietitians
- Physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists
- Pharmacists
- Wound care specialists
We act as a bridge to other services and therapies, helping you improve strength and health as you prepare for the road ahead.
Why we are right for you
We recognize that your journey is challenging. At the Specialty Hospital, we are committed to helping you meet and overcome those challenges through state-of-the-art technology, our comprehensive Penn Medicine network of skilled physicians, and compassionate care.
To achieve this, we maintain high standards of both medical care and comfort, including:
- Spacious private rooms
- 18-bed unit
- In-depth pre-admission consultation to provide a seamless transition of care
- Around-the-clock on-site medical coverage
- Complex medical services and diagnostics
- Outstanding therapy for individualized medical rehabilitation
- Collaborative communication with your preferred physicians
- Daily physician-led multidisciplinary patient rounding
“We not only treat our patients, but we educate them too. It gives patients a greater feeling of independence when they understand how to exercise and get better on their own.”
– Jayea Watson, Physical Therapist
Accreditations
As part of the Penn Medicine continuum of care, the Specialty Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission, which is an acknowledgement of our commitment to meeting standards for safety, quality and value.
All Long-Term Acute Care Services & Programs
Request an Inpatient Tour
For more information about our inpatient rehabilitation or long-term acute care programs, or to request a tour of our facilities, please call 215-893-6570 or fill out the form below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital?
Patients admitted to the The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse are typically too ill to go to other levels of care, require a doctor’s care every day, or need rehabilitation at a slower pace. Long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) like the The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse also offer more intensive medical intervention, such as cardiac monitoring, administering multiple IVs and ventilator weaning.
Q. What to expect when you are admitted to a long-term acute care hospital?
At the The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse, we’re equipped to meet your unique needs and challenges. We are a state-of-the-art, long-term acute care hospital, driven by innovative medicine, such as portable ventilators and Penn E-lert, a tele-monitoring system that allows staff to access additional medical expertise as needed.
Highlights of key aspects of our services to you:
- A team of Penn Medicine physicians
- A unique, individualized plan of care developed and directed by a multidisciplinary physician-lead team within our trusted Penn Medicine network
- A multidisciplinary family meeting within 2 weeks of admission to understand your expectations and to connect you with the many staff members who will be involved in your care
- Integrated electronic medical records within the Penn Medicine network
Q. Can the The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse take patients with Medical Assistance?
Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (MAPA) and managed medical assistance plans do not recognize the long-term acute care (LTACH) level of care, which limits our ability to accept medical assistance as primary insurance. We do accept patients with MAPA or managed medical assistance as their secondary insurance on a case-by-case basis.
Q. What about other insurances?
The The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouseis an in-network provider for many insurance companies and most of the commercial payers in the area. We are happy to review your coverage and if needed negotiate with your insurance company, if we are not contracted.
Q. Does the The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse bill the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) benefit under Medicare?
No. The Specialty Hospital is licensed as a long-term acute care hospital and, therefore, the days are billed as hospital days.
Q. Are visitors allowed?
We understand how important it is to see friends and family during your stay. For more information about our visitation policy, please click here.
Q. Is parking available?
Yes. Convenient parking for Penn Medicine Rittenhouse is available at the parking garage located at 1740 South Street. We offer discounted rates with validation. We also have valet parking available from our 18th Street entrance.
Q. Is the The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse accessible by Public Transportation?
Yes. It is accessible by several public transportation routes:
- The SEPTA Broad Street subway line (orange line) stops four blocks east from the Specialty Hospital at the Lombard Street and South Street station
- The PATCO subway line from south Jersey stops at 16th & Locust Streets, just blocks from the Specialty Hospital.
- SEPTA bus route 40 stops at the Specialty Hospital, both east on South Street and west on Lombard Street
Q. Is the The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse a “rehabilitation” unit?
No. While the The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouseis not a rehabilitation unit, we incorporate physical, occupational and speech therapy into your plan of care as appropriate. Your care team will work with you to determine your individual goals and what role therapy may play in meeting them.
Q. Can patients stay permanently?
No. Patients admitted to the The Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouseare in a hospital level of care that averages 25 days. As a specialty hospital we are not able to provide long-term custodial care.
Q. What if the patient has a physician appointment outside of the hospital?
Our staff will make the necessary arrangements for those patients who need to be seen by a physician outside of the hospital, when required.