The inpatient rehabilitation team with Holy Cross Hospital President and CEO Dr. Patrick Taylor (second from the left) during the grand opening celebration of the hospital’s new Linda and Henry Haller Physical Therapy Center.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Holy Cross Hospital recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate a donation of $500,000 from the Haller Foundation, bestowed by Linda Haller, to renovate the hospital's intensive rehabilitation unit (IRU) with state-of-the-art equipment and technology.

The non-profit hospital’s new Linda and Henry Haller Physical Therapy Center is a 48-bed, in-patient unit that provides care for individuals recovering from serious conditions that affect their daily functioning and independence, such as stroke, brain dysfunction, neurological impairments including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal cord dysfunction, amputation, orthopedic disorders, cardiac and pulmonary disorders, and trauma, among other disabling impairments. Intensive therapy intervention is delivered seven days a week by a group of highly skilled therapists and board-certified physiatrists.

“We understand that all patients in our hospital want to recover quickly and safely, and to return to the comforts of their homes as soon as possible,” said Holy Cross President and CEO Patrick Taylor, M.D. “For patients who need extra help and rehabilitation before leaving, our team of therapists and physicians provide exceptional care tailored to individual therapy plans and patient goals. With her donation, Mrs. Haller has enabled us to complement our mission of patient-centered care with state-of-the-art equipment to help our patients return safely home in the shortest time-frame possible.”

The new rehabilitation equipment at the Linda and Henry Haller Physical Therapy Center includes:

• The ZeroG^® Gait and Balance System, which protects patients from falls while providing dynamic body-weight support as patients practice walking, balance tasks, sit-to-stand maneuvers and climbing stairs.

• LiteGait^®, a gait training device that simultaneously controls weight bearing, posture, and balance over a treadmill or over the ground.

• A standing frame, which provides alternative positioning to sitting in a wheelchair by supporting patients in the standing position. Standing frames offer several physical and/or psychological benefits for patients, ranging from maintaining bone density to preventing muscle atrophy and pressure ulcers caused by prolonged sitting.

• The SaeboVR, a virtual rehabilitation system focused on activities of daily living. The platform is designed to engage patients in both physical and cognitive challenges involving daily functional activities. In addition to interacting with meaningful every-day tasks, the SaeboVR uses a virtual assistant that appears on the screen to educate and facilitate performance by providing real-time feedback.

“We sincerely thank the Haller Foundation for so generously helping our patients in their journeys to recovery,” added Dr. Taylor.

For more information about the Linda and Henry Haller Physical Therapy Center, visit www.HolyCrossRehab.com