Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital

Certain conditions or injuries, such as stroke and brain injury, may require that you receive daily, round-the-clock rehabilitation care before you return home from a hospital stay. Specialists at Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital provide the care and resources you need to reach your treatment goals.

Conditions We Treat

Our rehabilitation experts work with adults who have a variety of diagnoses and treatment needs related to traumatic and nontraumatic brain injury, chronic neurological conditions, orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions, spinal cord injury, and stroke.

Experts in our Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program specialize in treating adults who have severe traumatic brain injuries caused by falls, car accidents, or self-inflicted gunshots. They also treat people with mild to moderate brain injuries and neurological conditions, including the following:

• concussions
• brain hemorrhage or hematoma
• brain infections and inflammation, also known as encephalitis and encephalopathy
• movement disorders, such as dystonia, chorea, Huntington’s disease, and ataxia
• hydrocephalus
• multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• traumatic brain injury

Our stroke rehabilitation specialists provide care for adults who have had all forms of stroke and require physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech–language pathology and swallowing therapy, and counseling as part of their recovery.

Our acute care pediatric rehabilitation services for children are provided through Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.

Rehabilitation Therapy Services

Our physiatrists—doctors who specialize in rehabilitation medicine—identify your specific medical needs and create an individualized rehabilitation plan with realistic treatment goals. They work together with physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech–language pathologists to help you achieve the best possible outcome.

Your rehabilitation team includes a primary registered nurse (RN), a patient care technician (PCT), and a nurse manager, who provide round-the-clock care and help you prepare for therapy sessions.

To begin a rehabilitation program, you must be physically able to complete more than three hours of therapy a day. All of our patients receive both physical and occupational therapy and care from social workers. Depending on your treatment plan, you may also receive speech–language pathology and swallowing therapy, vocational therapy, and care from neuropsychiatrists, neuro-ophthalmologists, nutritionists, and psychologists.

We use the latest rehabilitation technology as part of our therapy services, including the following:

• Lokomat, a robotic device that helps people with neurological difficulties resulting from traumatic brain injury or stroke learn natural walking patterns
• a zero-gravity overhead harness that helps people practice walking and balancing in a safe environment
• Armeo, a robotic device that helps people with shoulder weakness relearn arm movements
• virtual reality technology to help manage pain and anxiety

We also offer complementary programs designed to support emotional healing. You may receive recreation therapy, which uses art and music to alleviate stress; horticultural therapy; and pet therapy.

When you have completed inpatient care, your rehabilitation team determines whether you require outpatient care at one of our NYU Langone ambulatory care locations, require home care services, or require a referral to a subacute rehabilitation facility for additional inpatient services.

Contact Us

Maria-Cristina Tafurt, ABD, MA, OTR/L, FACHE, is the site director for rehabilitation therapy services at Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital. Rusk Rehabilitation also offers inpatient services at Rusk Rehabilitation at Tisch Hospital and Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn. Your social worker or case manager can help you determine which of the three inpatient sites is best suited to your care needs and request a referral. To inquire about inpatient admissions to Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, please call 212-263-6034.