Rehabilitation Services

Aloha, welcome to East Hawaii Health Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy 

Hilo Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Services staff is committed to promoting functional independence using a hands-on approach to help expedite the recovery process. Our physical, occupational and speech therapists are highly trained, experienced and dedicated to ensuring patients reach their goals and maximum functional potential. Our patients are involved in their treatment every step of the way.

We work closely with your physicians to develop the most effective care plan for each and every patient. Our therapists educate patients, residents and families on the best and safest methods. Our therapists provide a complete evaluation and develop individualized treatment plan to meet each patient’s specific recovery needs and goals. We work with you to help relieve pain, improve strength, and regain your range of motion, coordination and balance. We care for you with compassion, respecting and supporting your desire to return to the activities in life that are important.

Physical Therapy

Our Physical Therapists focus on improving coordination, balance, strength, endurance and joint flexibility to achieve the highest levels of functional mobility and greater independence. We develop a specialized treatment plan to help individuals restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities through a variety of physical therapy interventions.

Occupational Therapy

Our Occupational Therapists help individuals of all ages regain, develop, or master everyday skills in order to live independent, productive and satisfying lives. We focus on physical and cognitive capabilities such as balance, strength, perception and cognition which are needed in activities of daily living. We assess individuals in order to develop their Activities of Daily Living. Our first goal for an individual with physical disabilities is to help the individual learn how to perform daily routines such as dressing, grooming, bathing and eating safely on their own. Once those skills are mastered, the occupational therapist assists in developing a program tailored to help individuals perform tasks such as participating in education, caring for a home and family, and other routine leisure activities.

Speech-Language Pathology

Our speech-language pathologists hold a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Each works to prevent, assess, diagnose, and provide evidence-based treatment for disorders of speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication, and swallowing in adults.

Physical Therapy:

• •Joint Mobilization
• •Therapeutic Exercises
• •Orthopedic Rehabilitation
• •Wound Prevention
• •Gait/Transfer Training
• •Range-Of-Motion and Strengthening Exercises

Occupational Therapy:

• •Home Living Skills
• •Hand Rehabilitation Activities of Daily Living
• •Cognitive Perceptual Retraining
• •Transfer and Mobility Retraining
• •Energy Conservation Technique
• •Upper Extremity Therapeutic Exercises
• •Fabrication of Splints, Slings and Orthopedic Device
• •Utilization of Adaptive Equipment

Speech-Language Pathology:

• •Comprehensive cognitive, speech, and language evaluations and intervention
• •Perceptual voice evaluations and voice therapy (behavioral/traditional voice therapy, speaking valve or voice prosthesis, LSVT, SPEAKOUT!)
• •Dysphagia services: Modified Barium Swallow Studies, Clinical Swallow Evaluations, Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), and evidence-based swallowing therapy
• •Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
• •Family and caregiver education and training
• •Home exercise program development