A $6.2 million tech-forward rehab facility opened Thursday at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison, making it the only stroke and surgery recovery center of its kind in the region, according to Allegheny Health Network officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is equipment that few centers have,\u201d said Dr. Mark Rubino, the hospital\u2019s president.<\/p>\n
The innovation promotes both physical and mental healing, he said, readying patients to reembrace life.<\/p>\n
Therapy boards that test cognition and mobility sit alongside specialized treadmills equipped with harnesses to help maintain a patient\u2019s balance.<\/p>\n
A large room holds other futuristic-looking equipment, including virtual reality goggles to challenge a patient\u2019s balance and attention. Videos can simulate everyday functions, such as grocery shopping or laundry, which require patients to bend or reach.<\/p>\n
The expansion increases inpatient rehab space by 70%, from 17 to 29 beds, and establishes Allegheny Valley Hospital as the health network\u2019s central rehab hub for people recovering from injuries, surgery and serious illness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a critical investment for health and wellness in Allegheny County,\u201d county Executive Sara Innamorato said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of this technology restores confidence and allows people to move forward more quickly with their recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Innamorato joined state Sen. Lindsey Williams and Harrison Commissioner Justin Johnson for the celebratory opening.<\/p>\n
AHN Hospitals President Lou Baverso said the expansion will benefit an aging population and address rising rates of chronic conditions.<\/p>\n
Last year, more than 300 rehab patients were treated in Harrison.<\/p>\n
Hospitals across the U.S. are experiencing a shortage of rehab beds, according to UCLA Health research published in February in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Locally, Independence Health System closed its inpatient rehab at Latrobe Hospital in 2024.<\/p>\n
But Rubino said it\u2019s more than just adding beds.<\/p>\n
The increased capacity impacts clinical care by streamlining AHN\u2019s rehab program, sending patients to Harrison from Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, which closed its rehab unit Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The move brought an additional 40 employees to Allegheny Valley Hospital.<\/p>\n
Forbes, meanwhile, will convert its former rehab space into 20 new medical-surgical beds to meet the demand for acute care and improve patient flow in its emergency department.<\/p>\n
Rubino said AHN\u2019s regional approach helps keep patients in a community setting and allows families to more actively participate in their care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis recognizes that recovery is not only physical but emotional,\u201d said Williams, whose district covers Harrison.<\/p>\n
She was excited about the commitment to the Alle-Kiski Valley, saying it helps bring the local hospital to its full potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamilies are thankful for not forgetting us up here in Natrona Heights,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n
The AVH rehab center touts unique equipment designed for physical as well as psychological recovery, Rubino said.<\/p>\n
An example is that harness that supports a patient\u2019s weight while they learn to walk, which in turn promotes activity in an earlier stage of recovery and spurs confidence.<\/p>\n
Other equipment includes electrical stimulation for upper and lower extremities, cognitive and driving assessment tools, and innovative speech and swallowing therapies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great investment for the Alle-Kiski Valley,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThe community needs to be aware that this is not the same hospital they saw when they were young.\u201d<\/p>\n
AHN received $300,000 toward construction from the Alle-Kiski Medical Center Trust, a nonprofit focused on health care initiatives.<\/p>\n
Robin Bergstrom, former Harrison commissioner and current trust chair, said her board routinely debates the value of donation requests to determine whether they align with the Trust\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a unanimous yes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A $6.2 million tech-forward rehab facility opened Thursday at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison, making it the only…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":410488,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[97,252,253],"class_list":{"0":"post-410487","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-care","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-health-care","10":"tag-healthcare"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}