Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at Eastside Medical Center offer services concerned with restoration of function and prevention of disability following disease, injury, or loss of a body part. Exercise, heat and cold treatments, low-dose electrical stimulation, ultraviolet therapy and massage are used to improve circulation, strengthen muscles, encourage return of motion, and train or retrain an individual to perform activities of daily living.

Our highly trained staff of therapists and therapy technicians will work with patients and their families, being sensitive to the needs of those whose physical condition warrants rehabilitation or physical therapy. Our bright, clean environment and up-to-date equipment is encouraging to the patient who is anxious to partner with the staff to return to a better quality of health.

• Where: Come to Eastside Physicians Center, the Medical Office Building adjacent to the hospital, suite 150 on the ground floor.
• What to bring: Bring physician's written orders or referral with you. No therapy can be administered without the written orders or referral.
• How to prepare for therapy: Wear comfortable, well-fitting clothing that allows free movement of the body. If you are able to walk, wear comfortable, walking shoes and socks. You must have an appointment. Call 770-736-2280 to schedule an appointment or to get answers to your questions regarding therapy.

To learn more about rehabilitation and sports health, click here.

Hand Therapy

Hand Therapy is the rehabilitation service that serves to help restore full mobility and function to the hand, wrist and fingers following injury, surgery, structural deformity or disease.

The complex structure of the hand includes the 8 bones of the wrist, the 5 bones of the hand, called metacarpals, and the 14 bones of the fingers, called the phalanges.

Eastside Medical Center's Physical Therapy/Rehab Department has staff who are specially trained to administer hand therapy and treatment to patients with this need.

InPatient Rehabilitation Center

Special features include a completely furnished apartment, high-tech media theatre and entertainment room, barber shop/beauty salon, state-of-the-art Therapy/Recovery center, outdoor courtyard, and social events like cook-outs, BBQs and movie night.

Our Rehabilitation Staff consists of the following professionals:

• Dr. Sam Ghaffari, Medical Director 
• Rehabilitation Nurses
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech Therapists
• Physicial Therapists
• Case Managers/Social Workers
• Neuropsychologist

Our team of rehabilitation professional provides services to patients experiencing:

• Limitations in self-care
• Impaired mobility, balance, and coordination
• Limitations in strength and range of motion
• Cognitive and perceptual deficits
• Speech and communication problems
• Swallowing disorders

Common rehabilitation diagnoses are:

• Stroke
• Fracture of the femur
• Polyarthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative joint disease)
• Major multiple trauma
• Amputation
• Congenital deformity
• Brain and spinal cord injury
• Neurological disorders including multiple sclerosis, motor neuron diseases, polyneuropathy, Parkinson's disease, and muscular dystrophy

Visiting Hours
Monday through Friday 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Insurance Coverage
Medicare and most insurance carriers pay for the rehabilitative servies provided by Eastside's Inpatient Rehab Center. A representative from our center can answer any questions you and your family have about benefits and coverage.

Contact Information
Eastside Inpatient Rehab Center
Eastside Heritage Center
2160 Fountain Drive
Snellville, GA 30078
Phone: 770-985-3885
Fax:  770-985-3890

For admissions, pre-Screening, and new patient evaluations or any other questions, please call us at 770-985-3885. For Rehab Center tours or customer service, call Scott at 770-985-3894.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is the field of medicine that evaluates the self-care, work, play and leisure time task performance skills of well and disabled clients of all ages.

Occupational therapists plan and implement programs, social and interpersonal activities designed to restore, develop and maintain the client's ability to accomplish satisfactorily those daily tasks required for daily living.

To make an appointment for an occupational therapy visit, call the Outpatient Rehab number at 770-736-2280. You must have a physicians written order to make an appointment.

Respiratory Therapy

Respiratory Therapy at Eastside Medical Center is the department whose specialty is treating and diagnosing all types of diseases, disorders and problems with the lungs and respiratory system. The respiratory therapists and technicians:

• Respond to cardiac and respiratory arrest codes
• Perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
• Draw blood and perform analysis of arterial blood gases
• Perform pulmonary functions testing
• Administer aerosolized medications through various breathing treatments
• Education and training in breathing exercises and incentive spirometry
• Perform postural drainage and chest percussive therapy
• Set-up and monitor life support equipment

To learn more about chronic lung problems and lifestyle changes that may bring improvement, click here.

Speech Therapy

According to Webster, to communicate is to “have a meaningful relationship” or “to be connected.”  A person’s ability to communicate with others is part of who he or she is. When a stroke, acquired head injury, or other neurological disorder occurs; loss of communication can result.  Possible deficits can include speech and language problems, swallowing difficulties, and cognitive deficits.

Eastside Medical Center is dedicated to helping individuals re-establish communication relationships with their loved ones.  Licensed speech language pathology services are provided in the acute care, in-patient rehabilitation (September 2005), and outpatient rehabilitation settings.  A speech language pathologist (SLP) is trained to diagnose problems with speech, swallowing, language and cognition.  Following the assessment, the SLP establishes a plan of treatment, and provides education for the patient, family and health care providers.

You could benefit from Speech Language Pathology Services at Eastside Medical Center if you have any of the following:

• Stroke
• Brain tumor
• Difficulty swallowing
• Head Injury
• Vocal difficulty (problems with voice)
• Change in your ability to communicate

Services include individualized evaluation and treatment of

• Swallowing disorders
  • Bedside Swallowing Evaluation
  • Modified Barium Swallow Studies
• Aphasia/Language prpoblems in adults following a stroke
• Apraxia
• Cognitive disorders/difficulty with attention, memory, organization, reasoning and problem solving
• Dysarthria/slurred speech
• Voice Disorders

How is a speech, language, or swallowing problem diagnosed?
Diagnosis begins with a visit to your primary care doctor or other specialist.  A referral is made to the speech-language pathologist when a patient’s ability to communicate or swallow has changed. During your first visit, the speech-language pathologist will take a thorough history and conduct a battery of tests to establish a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan. To make your recovery as quick as possible, your progress and treatment plan will be continuously discussed with you, your referring physician, and/or your loved ones.

For more information on speech therapy services or to make an appointment, contact the Outpatient Rehab Center at (770) 736-2280. To learn more about speech and language therapy, visit the ASHA and GSHA websites.