Undeterred by COVID-19: NMCSD Rehabilitates Patients during Pandemic

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Cameron Pinske | 200727-N-MD713-1025 SAN DIEGO (July 27, 2020) Lt. j.g. Jesse Hughes, a physical therapist intern assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), assists a patient during a physical therapy session at NMCSD’s Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Chiropractic and Sports Medicine department July 27. NMCSD’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research. NMCSD employs more than 6,000 active duty military personnel, civilians, and contractors in the Southern California to provide patients with world-class care anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Cameron Pinske/Released)  

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

07.27.2020

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jacob L. Greenberg 

Naval Medical Center San Diego

SAN DIEGO – Naval Medical Center San Diego’s (NMCSD) Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Chiropractic and Sports Medicine department has remained opened during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and continues to rehabilitate patients daily.
By utilizing all of her department’s available resources, Lt. Cmdr. Rachel Condon, NMCSD’s Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Chiropractic and Sports Medicine department head, has maximized her department’s accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have this outdoor quad area with a climbing wall and other strengthening exercises,” said Condon. “We routinely bring out other exercise equipment so patients and therapists can work together while social-distancing.”
The outdoor quad was built in 2007 so the department could better rehabilitate amputees returning from combat zones in the Middle East. Now that that conflict has subsided, the department utilizes the space for all types of rehabilitation.
Adhering to social-distancing guidelines, Condon directed that providers working in the department have opposite schedules to ensure they minimize the total people in shared spaces at any given time. Approximately half of the department’s patient consultations are done via telehealth.
“The exercises that a rehabilitation patient does at home with our guidance is equally as important as the work that can be done at the clinic,” said Condon. “We’re the highest-consulted service at NMCSD. Musculoskeletal injuries don’t stop due to a pandemic.”
As a testament to NMCSD’s operational readiness during the pandemic, the entire department has remained opened.
“We’ve never closed our doors,” said Condon. “At the beginning of the pandemic, we reduced our services to only seeing acute injuries and post-operative patients in person, and all other injuries via telemedicine. We’ve also been able to bring patients into our clinics who are not progressing well with telemedicine.”
Condon’s department has gotten through their entire consultation backlog during the COVID-19 pandemic. They, as well as the outlying Naval Branch Health Clinics’ (NBHC) rehabilitation services, now operate on a same-day or next-day basis.
“Due to the lack of patient consultation backlog, we’ve begun seeing beneficiaries, veterans and dependents,” said Condon. “Our department used to refer approximately 150 patients per week to network care, but now, only about 40 will have to see outside therapists. Active duty patients don’t need a consultation from their primary care physician to see a physical or occupational therapist. They can now call the clinic directly to schedule an appointment.”
The Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Chiropractic and Sports Medicine department has allowed for quick access to departmental services and maximized outdoor spaces. Waiting areas and rehabilitation facilities are not crowded due to the speed of service and social-distancing. All of the approximately 120 staff, comprised of active duty Sailors and civilian employees at NMCSD and outlying NBHCs, are ready to help rehabilitate patients.
NMCSD’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training, and research. NMCSD employs more than 6,000 active duty military personnel, civilians, and contractors in Southern California to provide patients with world-class care anytime, anywhere.
Visit navy.mil/local/sd/ or facebook.com/NMCSD for more information.

• Date Taken: 07.27.2020
• Date Posted: 07.27.2020 16:28
• Story ID: 374683
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US