Center for Rehabilitation at Wilmington Hospital Expands to Meet Growing Demand for Care

Through innovation and teamwork, the Center for Rehabilitation at Wilmington Hospital has expanded its capacity, increasing from 26 beds to 30 beds to meet the growing demand for inpatient rehabilitation services. This expansion will enable the center to care for an additional 216 patients annually, significantly strengthening its ability to meet the needs of the community.

“As health care professionals, we’re always looking for ways to enhance the care we provide, and this expansion is a perfect example of how creativity and teamwork can increase access to care and achieve excellent patient outcomes,” said Jen Thomas, MBA, MS, FACHE, vice president of Rehabilitation Services. “By rethinking how we use our resources and reimagining the space within the center, we’ve been able to serve more patients while continuing to deliver the exceptional care we’re known for.”

For much of the past year, the center has been operating beyond full capacity, consistently providing exceptional care despite the surge in demand. Recognizing the pressing need to do more, the rehabilitation team collaborated to find creative and efficient solutions to add four more beds and create additional space for therapy. They reimagined existing layouts by reconfiguring a few private rooms into semiprivate rooms and repurposing unused space within the unit.

In response to the influx of patients, the team also embraced forward-thinking treatment strategies to ensure that every patient received the appropriate level of care. One key innovation involved taking advantage of the flexibility offered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which permits group therapy to supplement individual sessions.

While the team has primarily focused on individual therapy, they introduced group sessions, combining patients based on the type of therapy they need. This includes sessions in physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as a cooking class. This approach not only facilitated more efficient care but also ensured that patients meet their rehabilitation goals. With the expanded capacity, one of the key challenges was scaling up staffing to meet the increased demand. Throughout the year, the unit brought in additional caregivers, including per diem staff, contracted workers and new hires. “This capacity expansion is far more than just an increase in bed count — it is a testament to the power of collaboration and a shared commitment to improving operations, efficiencies and, ultimately, patient outcomes,” said Thomas. The adjustments made throughout the center have yielded multiple benefits for both patients and the organization:

• Expedited patient flow: The extra beds will expedite transfers from inpatient units, reduce length of stay and free up in-patient hospital space for more patients.
• Enhanced patient experience: Faster transitions to rehabilitation care ensure patients receive timely, appropriate treatment, leading to better outcomes.
• Reduced costs: The additional capacity will shorten inpatient hospital stays and reduce costs.

Thomas attributes the success of the expansion to the multidisciplinary caregiver team that worked collaboratively to make it happen. These include physicians, rehabilitation nurses and techs, physical, occupational and speech therapists, rehabilitation aides, as well as support services like patient escort, administrative staff, Food & Nutrition Services and Health Information Management.

“At its core, this expansion represents a collective effort to ensure that more patients can receive the high-quality care they need, when they need it most,” said Brad Sandella, D.O., physician lead of the Medical Subspecialties Service Line. “Through creative problem-solving and a strong spirit of teamwork, the Center for Rehabilitation has raised the bar in patient care, furthering its mission to provide exceptional services to our community. This expansion serves as a powerful reminder that even in times of rapid growth and increasing demand, collaboration and innovation remain the keys to sustaining excellence in health care.” For over 30 years, the dedicated team at the ChristianaCare Center for Rehabilitation at Wilmington Hospital has helped countless patients regain their independence and quality of life. As a CARF-accredited Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility, it offers specialized care for neurological disorders, stroke, brain injury and amputation patients. In 2024 and 2023, the Center for Rehabilitation has been recognized on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers, ranking ChristianaCare as the No.1 rehabilitation center in Delaware.