US-based UR Medicine has inaugurated an advanced 11-bed Acute Brain Injury NeuroRehabilitation Unit at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York.

It is designed to serve adult and paediatric patients recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and other acute acquired brain injuries.

Built at a cost of $7m, this unit is led by board-certified physicians and a multidisciplinary care team specialising in brain injury rehabilitation medicine.

The multidisciplinary care team includes rehabilitation nurses, physical and occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, recreational therapists, care managers, dietitians, and psychologists.

Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Medicine division chief Heather Ma said: “The unit is physically designed to appropriately manage patients with cognitive and behavioural deficits and accounts for the clinical, physical, cognitive, communication, and nutritional conditions necessary to create an optimal environment for the brain to heal.

“The staff are uniquely qualified to guide recovery, help patients improve or maintain function, and improve overall health and quality of life after an acute brain injury.”

The secure unit provides private rooms and is equipped with safety features for patients facing cognitive and behavioural challenges.

Patients are transitioned into the community through referrals to local resources, which includes UR Medicine’s outpatient therapy programmes.

The new unit complements the existing 20-bed Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, increasing the hospital's total capacity to 31 acute inpatient rehabilitation beds.

Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation chair Rajeev Patel said: “This new unit strengthens our ability to provide integrated and coordinated care for cognitively impaired brain injury patients.

“Keeping these patients here at Strong Memorial allows easier coordination of care with their acute care physicians who, in many cases, are only a floor away.

“Our unique service line model allows for our brain injury rehabilitation medicine physicians to provide continuity of care from acute floor consultation, admission and medical management on our new brain injury unit, and follow-up in the outpatient clinic setting after discharge.”