Specialized Care for Special Patients
For patients with complex medical needs who do not require intensive nursing care, St. Luke's SubAcute care provides highly skilled and compassionate medical, nursing and rehabilitative care in a non-acute setting.
St. Luke's is a leader in SubAcute care. In 1992 St. Luke's established the first (and only) comprehensive hospital-based SubAcute program in San Francisco.
Today, St. Luke's has a 60-bed SubAcute unit. An interdisciplinary team helps each patient achieve maximum function and independence.
SubAcute Care Program
St. Luke's Hospital
3555 Cesar Chavez Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: (415) 641-6788
Email: Emelia Maninang, RN
- Why SubAcute Care?
- Appropriate patients
- Specialized Treatment & Levels of Care
- Family Support
- Working with Payers
- Professional Treatment Team
Why SubAcute Care?
Subacute care provides highly skilled medical, nursing and rehabilitative care in a non-acute care setting for patients with complex medical needs. Subacute care is multidisciplinary, comprehensive, and goal-oriented.
Because patients at the subacute level do not require complex diagnostic services or routine invasive procedures commonly provided in acute care settings, quality outcomes can be achieved at a fraction of the cost of a medical/surgical unit.
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Appropriate patients
Patients appropriate for subacute care may include:
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• CVA (cerebral vascular accident)
• Neuro-muscular diseases which includes: Multiple sclerosis; Muscular dystrophy: ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease); Guillian-Barré Syndrome
• Multiple organ failure/Comatose patients
• Pulmonary Rehab services, including ventilator patients and tracheostomies
• MRSA/HIV-AIDS/C-DIFF/VRE
• Complex Wound management
• TPN; Tube feedings
• Ostomy management
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Specialized Treatment & Levels of Care
Patients are personally assessed by the professional team upon admission. Staff continually re-assesses patients to determine their potential for rehabilitation or discharge.
Care and treatment may include:
• Ventilator management and weaning. St. Luke's has developed an innovative, effective ventilator weaning program.
• Tracheostomy care
• Wound care management
• Pain management
• IV therapy/TPN
• Tube feedings
• MRSA/VRE/C-DIFF
• Hemodialysis (negotiated for the insured patient)
• Rehabilitation (physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, respiratory therapy, respiratory services)
• Nursing Services
• Art and recreation therapy, including pet therapies and therapeutic outings
• Case Management service
• Social Worker service
• Religious/Spiritual service
• Food and Nutrition service
• Pharmacy service
• Medical specialty services
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Family Support
"We do our best to provide comfort and support to the entire family."
--The SubAcute Care Program Team
We recognize that family support promotes recovery and contributes to improved patient outcomes.
• Family members and loved ones participate in care conferences and quality of life decisions.
• SubAcute staff provides expertise in managing the patient’s medical condition and provides education and training to the family and patient, as necessary.
• The SubAcute Social Worker assists families with personal and financial issues and provides emotional support.
• Our chaplaincy program provides spiritual support to patients and their families.
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Working with Payers
St. Luke's maintains a strong relationship with payers, including timely reports and conferences with case managers. Our goal is to maintain effective, efficient care, and to assist in utilization management.
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Professional Treatment Team
Our highly qualified professional team includes:
• Medical director
• Program staff physicians
• Pulmonologist/Internists
• Nursing Services Manager
• Nursing Clinical Coordinator
• RN Admissions Case Manager
• Nursing staff (RN, LVN, C N A)
• Registered Respiratory Therapist
• Registered physical therapist
• Registered occupational therapist
• Licensed speech pathologist
• Creative arts and recreation therapist
• Social worker
• Registered Pharmacists
• Registered Dietician
• Licensed therapy assistants
Photo Credit: Maxine Bauer Photography
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