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Rehabilitation Services

A career as a Rehabilitation professional at The University of Michigan Health System offers the incredible opportunity to improve quality of life for our patients, and restore their independence. It also allows you to utilize advanced therapy techniques and the latest research and treatment tools to accommodate patient populations of all age groups and activity levels – all with the support and resources of a world-class academic medical center.

Members of our team thrive in a challenging environment that features clinical ladder program, numerous continuing education opportunities, and our unique MedSport program that allows employees to focus on outpatient orthopedic sports injuries and conditions.

Join the talented Rehabilitation Services professionals who embody The Michigan Difference, in areas of practice that include:

Orthotics and Prosthetics
Provide a range of mechanical, prosthetic, implant or other structural/corrective devices to a diverse patient population, empowering them to recover from or effectively manage a variety of conditions.

Certified Orthotists
Use your knowledge, education and creativity in the design, fabrication, development and fitting of orthotic devices for patients with congenital deformities and other disabling conditions of the limbs and spine. ABC-Certified Orthotists at UMHS also perform patient assessment, formulation, implementation and follow-up of the treatment plan, practice management, promotion of competency and enhancement of professional practice.

Certified Orthotic Assistants
Assist Certified Orthotists in the design, preparation and fitting of orthoses, as well as soft goods and other off-the-shelf devices as required, in relation to disease and functional muscle loss. This includes providing assistance with patient assessment and instruction, physician consultation, and orthotic product design measurement and specification.

Certified Orthotic Fitters
Use your knowledge, education, and creativity, in the measurements and fitting of soft goods, stockings, and other off-the-shelf orthoses that require minimal adjustments. ABC-Certified Orthotic Fitters at UMHS also perform the repair of off-the-shelf orthoses as needed, assist in preliminary and final patient fittings, and provide patient instructions on the proper use and care of orthotic devices.

Certified Pedorthists
Use your knowledge, education and creativity in the design, fabrication, development and fitting of orthoses and shoes from the ankle to the toe, including some prosthesis as required, for patients with congenital deformities and disabling conditions of the foot. ABC-Certified Pedorthists at UMHS also perform patient assessment, take molds or CAD scans for foot shapes, implementation and follow-up of the treatment plan, practice management, promotion of competency and enhancement of professional practice.

Certified Prosthetists
Use your knowledge, education and creativity in the design, fabrication, development and fitting of prosthetic devices for patients with amputations and congenital deformities of the body. ABC-Certified Prosthetists at UMHS also perform immediate post-operative fittings of temporary prostheses in the operating rooms; mold, CAD scan to determine the measurements of the deformity or the amputated limb; and facilitate patient assessment, formulation, implementation and follow-up of the treatment plan.

Certified Prosthetists/Orthotists
Use your knowledge, education and creativity in the design, fabrication, development and fitting of orthotic and prosthetic devices for patients who possess congenital deformities, amputations and/or disabling conditions of the limbs and spine. ABC-Certified Prosthetists/Orthotists at UMHS may also perform patient assessment, including examining affected areas for protrusions, contusions and other factors affecting the fitting of the orthoses or prosthesis while determining the type, design and specifications of the device to be fabricated.

Certified Orthotic and/or Prosthetic Technicians
Use your knowledge, education and creativity to fabricate and repair orthotic and prosthetic devices from measurements and specifications provided by Orthotists, Prosthetists, Orthotists/Prosthetists, and Pedorhists. ABC-Certified and eligible Orthotic and/or Prosthetic technicians at UMHS fabricate and repair devices using a variety of tools and machinery and assist in measuring and making casts of modifying existing orthoses/prostheses to meet individual patient requirements.

Occupational/Physical Therapy
Our goal is to be the first place patients and families want to call for any questions or assistance related to pain, dysfunction or disability.
Many of the nation’s most well-known and accomplished rehabilitation professionals manage and staff our innovative clinical programs, which are designed to help individuals with disabilities become healthier, stronger and more independent. Occupational Therapy provides services to children and adults whose ability to cope with the tasks of daily living is threatened or impaired by developmental deficits, physical injury, illness, psychological or social disability, or the aging process. Treatment may include assessment and training in activities of daily living; hand function skills; prosthetics; environmental alterations; positioning techniques; visual, perceptual and cognitive skills; orthotics training; use of adaptive equipment; and involvement in leisure and recreational activities.

Physical Therapy provides services to children and adults; evaluating and treating disability and disease, including acute conditions (such as fractures, burns, wounds, cardiac and pulmonary diseases, back/spinal injuries and trauma) and chronic conditions (such as vascular diseases, amputations, neurological deficits, orthopedic and musculoskeletal disabilities). Treatment may include therapeutic exercise, mobility training, airway clearance techniques, and the use of assistive devices, heat, cold, light, water and sound.

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants
Work under the direction of occupational therapists to treat patients suffering from mental, physical, emotional or developmental impairments. Assistance generally provided includes: scheduling patient treatments, and consulting with the supervising occupational therapist and other staff to coordinate the total treatment program.

Occupational Therapists
Work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling condition, with the goal of help patients to improve their ability to perform in living and working environments. UMHS Occupational Therapists are given the opportunity to work with a vast patient population, from general orthopedics (including spine and extremity) to patients with various neurological conditions. Working with the latest treatment modalities and advanced therapy techniques, the therapists have the chance to become more versatile in their positions and are also encouraged to enhance their professional skills.

Physical Therapy Assistants
Work under the direct supervision of physical therapists to provide physical rehabilitation to injured or diseased patients. Assistance generally includes: scheduling patient treatments, assisting in determining appropriate equipment, and consulting with the physical therapist and other staff to coordinate the total treatment program.

Physical Therapists
Utilize research and proven techniques to help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. UMHS Physical Therapists are given the opportunity to work with a vast patient population, ranging from general surgery to oncology. Working with the latest treatment modalities and advanced therapy techniques, the therapists have the chance to become more versatile in their positions and are also encouraged to enhance their professional skills.

Therapeutic Recreation Specialists
Combine treatment, education and recreation services to help people with illnesses, disabilities and other conditions to develop and use their leisure in ways that enhance their health, functional abilities, independence and quality of life (NTRS, 2001). In the department of PM&R at UMHS Therapeutic Recreation provides services to the following: rehabilitation, cardiology, oncology and acute medical units with both adult and pediatric patients. Our therapists are active members of their respective treatment teams and are certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification.

MedSport Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Services
Consists of highly-trained professionals working within the University of Michigan Health System’s world-class Sports Medicine program.

Physical Therapists
Provide therapy services in a team approach for musculoskeletal injuries and conditions while ensuring professional standards of clinical performance. Physical Therapists develop focused and individually designed treatment plans based on the patient’s functional goals, and utilize independent clinical decision making on a daily basis to progress patients and modify treatment depending upon the patient’s needs and medical status. Our professionals are problem-solvers with the flexibility to adjust to changing conditions such as post-operative complications, changes in functional status, and have the opportunity to implement the use of new technology. UMHS Physical Therapists work in a complex, fast-paced environment with many clinically challenging cases. Therapists have the chance to become more versatile in their positions and are also encouraged to enhance their professional skills.

Certified Athletic Trainers
Work in a fast-paced environment, in a team approach and under the supervision of licensed physical therapists and sports medicine trained physicians. They are responsible for providing rehabilitation services for musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, while ensuring professional standards of clinical performance. Additionally our athletic trainers provide support to our Orthopaedic surgeons for clinical services, as well as in our outreach programs to area high schools, universities, and for special event coverage. Our athletic trainers assess, treat, and work to rehabilitate athletic related injuries under the advice, consent, and prescription of a physician in the outreach setting. UMHS offers Athletic Trainers an opportunity to work in a complex, fast-paced environment with many clinically challenging cases. Athletic Trainers have the chance to become more versatile in their positions and are also encouraged to enhance their professional skills in both traditional and nontraditional settings.

Speech-Language Pathologists
Assess and treat children and adults with communication and swallowing disorders. Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) at the University of Michigan Health System are an integral part of many interdisciplinary patient care teams, both inpatient and outpatient. The SLP evaluates, treats and educates patients and families about communication and swallowing impairments.

Clinical functions include assessment and treatment of adults with complex neurogenic diseases, head/neck cancer and use of alternate communication systems and devices. Speech-Language Pathologists also evaluate swallowing impairment; participating in video-fluoroscopic swallowing studies or endoscopic assessments of swallowing. SLPs may also participate in intra/extra-operative language mapping.

Pediatric assessment and treatment includes participation in autism assessment clinics, working with an interdisciplinary team in the area of feeding and swallowing assessment; and stroke and head injury rehabilitation; and providing long-term follow-up of infants and children following tracheostomy. UMHS offers SLPs an opportunity to work in a complex, fast-paced environment with many clinically challenging cases.

Each member of the Speech-Language Pathology team within the University of Michigan Health System is eligible for and/or maintains the American Speech Language Hearing Association’s Certificate of Clinical Competence.