Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Opens State's Newest Pediatric Rehabilitation Center

BALTIMORE, MD (June 29) -Today, Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital (MWPH) announced the opening of its Ability Center – a more than 4,000 square foot facility dedicated to providing state-of-the-art pediatric rehabilitation services. The Ability Center brings together highly specialized, integrated programs with exceptional physicians and therapists to help children receive the treatments and therapies they need for rehabilitative care. The $4 million facility, which was entirely supported by philanthropy, extends MWPH’s mission of helping children reach their fullest potential and enhancing their overall quality of life.

Centrally located on the Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital campus, the new Ability Center combines excellence in care with family-centered convenience. Anchored by an open and airy gymnasium, the Center features six private treatment spaces where children can be evaluated and treated for concussion, developmental delays, sensory motor and fine motor skills, and other therapeutic needs. There is also a kitchen space to encourage children’s participation in daily activities. An interdisciplinary team of specialists will work together with the family to help maximize patients’ participation in play, sports, and family recreation.

“With the new Ability Center, our rehabilitation specialists can provide integral care in a timelier way,” said Julie Quinn, PT, MSEd, MWPH’s director of rehabilitation. “Once the evaluation is complete, patients can be scheduled to start outpatient therapy. Our team offers outpatient rehabilitation therapy appointments and day programs, both of which have a strong family education component to facilitate each child’s continued progress,” she said.

The new Ability Center was built to meet the growing demand for outpatient rehabilitation services in the region. The new space is expected to serve 1,200 new patients for an additional 15,000 visits in its first years. MWPH offers rehabilitation appointments at the new Ability Center in Baltimore City, as well as in the community in Harford and Prince George’s counties.

About the Ability Center

The Ability Center features a number of specialized spaces and state-of-the-art equipment:

• The Ability Center’s large, open gym space features a variety of technologically advanced equipment to optimize a young person's therapy session. A dynamic body support system, called the Vector, is a main feature of the gym. The system facilitates the ability to efficiently work with patients on walking, stepping up and down curbs, and negotiating ramps.
• Concussion evaluation occurs in the balance room equipped with a focus area to evaluate patients who have had a concussion or who have vestibular challenges.
• The orthopedic room houses specialized equipment to use in the Schroth method, a specialized physical therapy strategy for children who have scoliosis.
• The modality room is set up specifically for dry needling and electric stimulation, to help decrease pain and address neurological and orthopedic issues by improving circulation and speeding healing.
• The kitchen space encourages children to learn bimanual skills in a fun new way by maximizing their ability to participate in daily activities at home. From getting a snack on their own to helping bake a batch of cookies, the space trains or retrains patients on functional daily skills after a life-changing incident or accident.
• Among the specialized treatment rooms is a space dedicated to early development, providing a safe area for young children to practice crawling, pulling up to stand, and walking skills.
• Children who are working to improve language and/or the use of their hands' functionality to play or write can benefit from the various tabletop activities available in the communication/fine motor room.
• For children with sensory processing difficulties, the sensory motor room’s equipment includes sensory toys and a variety of suspension equipment – to meet age level and sensory needs.
• Another focal point of the Ability Gym is the Universal Exercise Unit ("Spider cage") where patients of all ages and with a variety of conditions can work on improving strength, stability and balance using a variety of bungee, belts, and pulley systems.

The Ability Center is open for outpatient appointments from 7 am to 7 pm, Monday-Friday.

To learn more about the Ability Center, click here.

About Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital

Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital has provided more than 100 years of family-focused, integrated care to children with serious, chronic, or complex medical needs. MWPH was founded in 1922 by Hortense Kahn Eliasberg who sought to open a home where children could safely recover from illness and surgery. Today, the hospital treats over 8,500 patients each year and provides nearly 60,000 outpatient visits to help children heal, grow, and learn the skills that lead to happier, more independent lives. The 102-bed hospital is a jointly owned affiliate of the University of Maryland Medical System and Johns Hopkins Medicine with locations in Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, in the community in Harford County, and via TeleHealth. For more information, please visit mwph.org.