Why choose UCSF?
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals have a long history of caring for children whose conditions affect function and daily life. Our inpatient pediatric rehabilitation program, one of the longest running in the western U.S., supports some of the highest patient volumes in Northern California and is certified by California Children’s Services. Because it's based in a children’s hospital, patients have 24/7 access to every type of pediatric specialist they might need.
Rehab care is led by pediatric physiatrists, experts in physical and rehabilitation medicine. They work closely with a team of nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, Child Life specialists, music and art therapists, social workers, neuropsychologists, nutritionists, special education teachers and case managers to create individualized therapy plans for each patient. That collaboration allows us to coordinate medical, therapeutic and support services.
Mission Bay inpatient program
The inpatient program at Mission Bay provides evaluations and short-term rehab care for patients who are already in the hospital for another reason. Pediatric physiatrists will oversee a care plan for your child that may include referrals for any of the following:
- Physical therapy. Our physical therapists help to improve movement and mobility, gross motor skills, balance, coordination, strength and overall function using various exercise and therapeutic play regimens.
- Occupational therapy. Our occupational therapists help develop and improve skills for completing daily living activities such as grooming, getting dressed and eating, as well as the fine motor skills used for hands-on activities during play and at school.
- Speech therapy. Our speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat children who have problems with verbal expression and understanding, cognition, voice, memory and swallowing. They also assess and treat patients who may need alternative modes of communication or augmentative communication devices.
- The Orthothics and Prosthetics Department for custom braces or other adaptive equipment.
- Neuropsychology support as needed.
On leaving the hospital, your child may be referred to our outpatient clinic to continue their rehab care.
Oakland inpatient program
The Acute Rehabilitation Unit (ARU) in Oakland provides a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program by a dedicated team of rehabilitation specialists. We provide intensive rehab therapy for children and adolescents from 9 months to 20 years old who have experienced a sudden change in function due to conditions such as:
- Brain and spinal cord tumors and injuries
- Neuroimmunological conditions, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and transverse myelitis
- Polytrauma
- Severe deconditioning and immobility from prolonged critical illness
- Stroke
- Complex post-surgical needs from procedures including amputations, selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), complex lower limb reconstruction and single-event multilevel (SEML) surgery
The ARU is designed to support patients and families for long-term stays. It features private patient rooms, including ventilator-capable beds, playrooms and family lounges. There is a dedicated pediatric rehabilitation gym, a kitchen for practicing activities of daily living (ADL) and the latest in technology-assisted therapy tools.
ARU patients receive:
- Advanced rehabilitation technology, including the Tyromotion suite, EksoNR and ZeroG body-weight systems
- Individualized, goal-driven therapy plans led by pediatric physiatrists, consisting of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, neuropsychology support and orthotics and prosthetics support as needed
- Therapy up to six days a week to support steady progress with active family involvement, including regular updates and discharge planning
- Educational instruction through the inhouse UCSF School Program
- Re-entry planning for return-to-school and place of employment
- Coordinated transitions to outpatient therapy and community-based services
Our goal is to minimize the impact of a child's disability and maximize participation in daily activities and play. We work closely with families to design care plans that reflect each child's age, baseline level of function and medical, psychological and cultural needs. Children in our program achieve measurable gains in mobility, communication, and daily living skills, helping them become more independent and better able to return home, to school and to community life with confidence.
