The day treatment program: meeting rehabilitation needs for SCI in the changing climate of health care reform.

Life expectancy for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) is somewhat below normal but continues to increase (Devivo & Stover, 1994). Therefore, rehabilitation nurses must develop a way to provide interventions over an entire lifespan for the person with SCI. One setting in which to implement care is the day treatment program, and rehabilitation nurses can be a part of this new care delivery model (Stevens, 1994). Because of increasing regulations with reimbursement and the need for early discharge planning, the Rehabilitation Nursing Department at Spain Rehabilitation Center developed a day treatment program. Patients now have the opportunity to continue their rehabilitation program and become more functional if maximum potential is not reached during their inpatient rehabilitation stay. A nurse serves as the case manager to plan, coordinate, and monitor patient programs and patient care. The expectation of this author is that nurses may facilitate comparable programs in the agencies where they practice.