Miami's Plaza Health Network uses Biodex Balance & Mobility Systems to Enhance SNF Resident Care, Increase Medicare Referrals

“At Hebrew Homes, the Biodex Balance and Mobility Systems have proven valuable tools in generating referrals from local hospital discharge planners and doctors, as well as rehabilitating our chronic residents,” explains Herman Epstein, Director of Business Development.

The Hebrew Homes Plaza Health Network is a state-of-the-art network of eight not-for-profit 501(c)3 rehabilitation and skilled nursing centers located in neighborhoods throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida. Each of the network’s centers has a Biodex Balance System and a Biodex Gait Trainer. Five facilities with therapy departments are also equipped with Biodex Unweighing Systems _ a complete “Biodex Balance and Mobility” assessment and rehabilitation package.

“We’ve found the Biodex Balance and Mobility Systems to be valuable marketing as well as clinical assets,” explains Epstein. “Properly promoted to area hospital discharge planners, physicians and the community, they’ve helped Hebrew Homes to be the leading providers of Medicare-paid short-term inpatient rehabilitation in our area.”

The Hebrew Homes Network gets its name from its Jewish founders who opened its first Miami facility in 1954. Today, its residents reflect the ethnicity and race of the region’s population: about 70% Hispanic and 20% African American.

In the experience of Hebrew Homes, a patient referred for 30 days of post-arthroplasty rehab generates about $15,000 in gross Medicare revenue, Epstein reports. “After three or four such patients, a Biodex Balance System is essentially ‘free,’” Epstein says.

“The Biodex system enables us to provide referring orthopedists with an objective assessment of their patient’s precise balance issues upon admission to a Hebrew Home.” Over the succeeding weeks, as Hebrew Homes therapists follow surgeon orders in increasing weight bearing on the operated limb, and challenging patient balance, the Biodex system generates progress reports that enable Hebrew Homes to provide surgeons with similarly objective evidence of their patients’ progress.

“The surgeons love this kind of care, and make their preferences known to both patients and discharge planners,” Epstein claims.“We regularly get referrals from as far away as Broward County, explained by ‘The doctor wants the patient rehabilitated on your equipment.’”

According to Epstein, the Biodex Balance and Mobility system can have a significant impact on a skilled nursing service’s bottom line. “It helps us achieve higher RUG (Resource Utilization Groups) scores, and thus higher average per day Medicare rates.”

Because Jackson Plaza is one of the five Hebrew Homes facilities with Biodex Gait Trainers and Unweighing Systems, therapist Roosevelt Moore and the nurses attempt to identify bed and wheelchair-bound residents whose quality of life might be improved with aggressive use of these optional instruments.

“We have one 300-pound resident who’d been bedridden for two years, and was afraid even to try to stand. Finally, we were able, with use of the Biodex Unweighing System, to give her the confidence to attempt steps over ground. As soon as she can safely stand on her own, we expect to begin training her on the Balance System, and then on the Gait Trainer. She’s now motivated to lose weight – “I’m going to walk again!” she tells us.

Hebrew Homes reports several examples of residents who went from wheelchair to walkers following a course of unweighing, gait training and balance rehabilitation with its Biodex Balance & Mobility package –including one former wheelchair-bound resident who needs to be reminded to use her walker when navigating the facility.

“Only perhaps 10 or 20% of our wheelchair residents can achieve that degree of mobility, even with a significant training effort,” Moore reports, “but I believe such mobility training pays dividends to both residents and facilities, even if it results just improved strength and balance in transfers from bed and chair, in showering, and other activities of daily living. Such residents require fewer aides, and have increased confidence that improves their outlook and cooperation, and certainly their quality of life.”

Jackson Plaza Nursing and Rehabilitation Center - Miami Beach, FL