Summa Health Outpatient Therapy has multiple locations within the community to conveniently serve your physical, occupational and speech therapy needs.  

Therapy Locations

Please bring your doctor’s order or referral, insurance information, photo ID and medications list with you. If you have a co-pay, you will be asked to make a payment at the time of your visit.

Plan to wear loose-fitting clothing and shoes with a rubber sole. You may want to wear shorts if you are being seen for a hip or knee injury. If you are coming for aquatic therapy, bring a swimsuit, towel and aquatic or rubber soled shoes. Our facilities have private rooms for you to change clothes.

Most of our outpatient sites away from the main hospital campuses offer free, close and convenient parking on a first-come first-served basis, in addition to handicapped parking spaces.

Our professional and compassionate therapy team looks forward to meeting you. The initial appointment can take 45-60 minutes and follow-up visits are typically 25-45 minutes. Ohio-licensed therapists will review the physician order or referral and any special instructions that may accompany this prescription. They will complete a thorough assessment and devise an individual, customized treatment plan to help you achieve your goals. Your physician will also receive a copy of the plan. To be successful in therapy, attendance is required and compliance with home exercises may also be a part of your care.

Summa Health Outpatient Therapy follows CDC guidelines and Summa recommendations. For instance, facial coverings are required at all times for patients and visitors while in the facility. Handwashing is encouraged and sanitizer is available for use. The therapy areas are cleaned regularly following recommended infection control practices and therapy staff wear appropriate personal protective equipment (e.g. masks, eye coverings) to ensure safety. Social distancing also is encouraged and signage is present to assist with compliance. 

Please immediately contact emergency personnel (911) to summon medical attention promptly.

We understand emergencies come up. If you need to cancel, please call your appointment location as soon as possible so that we can reschedule your visit and keep you on the pathway to recovery.

Summa Health accepts most major insurance plans. As a courtesy, we will contact your insurance company to determine therapy benefits. We also will present you with a Clear Quote, which estimates the pricing for the potential treatments/therapy procedures that may be part of your care. We encourage you to check with your insurance company to ensure you have received your maximum benefits and understand the terms of your plan. -If you have a co-pay or other out-of-pocket payment, we will ask you to make the payment at the time each appointment is completed. Summa Health’s Patient Financial Advocates can assist you with payment plans or alternative arrangements should you qualify and wish to take advantage of these offerings.

We accept checks, credit cards and debit cards at all locations.

Insurance Information

Summa Health provides a secure and confidential method for you to pay your bill online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.

Pay My Bill

While your doctor receives a copy of the therapy evaluation and plan of care, please inform the therapist when your follow-up physician appointment will be, so he/she can send an updated note or progress report. The therapist also may call your physician for clarifying treatment orders or any concerns that arise.

A copy of your therapy notes may be requested at the end of your treatment series. There may be a per page cost associated with the copying of your records.

A consent for treatment signed by a parent or guardian is required for the initial evaluation. Minor patients may attend subsequent visits unaccompanied by a parent/guardian. You will be asked to sign a new consent form at the beginning of each new calendar month that you receive outpatient therapy visits.

To learn how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information, see our Notice of Privacy Practices.

Notice of Privacy Practices

Please speak with the receptionist in our therapy office who will be happy to guide you through this short process.

To review the Summa Health Patient Financial Bill of Rights, download the PDF below.

Patient Financial Bill Of Rights

 

Please speak directly to your therapist or onsite supervisor who can readily receive and address your compliment or concern. We aim to provide the highest quality compassionate care and you may receive a survey asking you to rate our team. We want to be sure any issues are addressed to your satisfaction so that we can receive high scores. 

The Summa Health Service Excellence department also is available to receive and share compliments with the care team or address any concerns or suggestions you may have. To reach the Service Excellence department, call 330.375.6765.

To make a financial donation for the ongoing training of the therapy team, please contact the Summa Foundation office at 330.375.3159.

Our acute care rehabilitation team specializes in providing physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology to patients who are admitted to Summa Health System – Akron Campus, Barberton Campus or St. Thomas Campus. Audiology services are provided at Summa Health System – Akron Campus to babies who receive hearing screens as required by the state of Ohio.

Physicians who feel patients are not at baseline and can benefit from a therapy assessment/treatment will place an order in the medical record for a therapy consult.

Therapy consults are typically provided within a day or two of order placement. Occasionally further testing or procedures may delay the start of therapy.

During your hospital stay (and after your stay through outpatient therapy), our team helps with:

• Analyzing and assessing basic mobility and function like walking, speaking/swallowing, dressing, getting out of bed or standing up from a chair.
• Answering questions about functional activities such as carrying, reaching or walking.
• Working with the medical team on post-discharge care recommendations based on each patient’s diagnosis and situation.
• Providing education on adapting home or work spaces that help support your return to work, leisure and daily activities.
• Evaluating for possible equipment needs such as a cane, walker or reacher.
• Providing education on precautions, safe mobility and same-day going-home instructions for those receiving a joint replacement.

Based on your therapy assessment, the team will make a recommendation for the frequency of therapy care needed during your stay. This can vary depending on diagnosis and situation. Some patients are discharged after the first visit, while others may be seen two or more times during their length of admission.

Occasionally, therapists may be called to see a patient in the Emergency Department or Post Anesthesia Care Unit, depending on the pending patient discharge plan. However, most therapy is done on the unit the patient is assigned to and typically in the patient’s room or hallway. Most of the services are provided at the patient bedside.

The therapy team will review your current functional and mobility status and make recommendations for post-discharge care and location based on your presentation on the day of the consult. The therapy team will also provide education on safety and equipment you may require after you leave the hospital. You may be given a home exercise program or instructions on how to access Outpatient Therapy (OP) services after your hospital stay.

You may perform exercises, walk, work on balance, complete stairs, and work on basic tasks like feeding, swallowing, or dressing. Some patients may receive supportive braces, splinting (hand) or other equipment needed to improve stability of an injured or post-surgical area.

Many Summa Health speech therapists hold bachelor or higher degrees, and are licensed in Ohio. Our physical and occupational therapists have graduated from a four-year or more accredited university. They have taken a board exam and received a license in the state of Ohio. Many hold doctorates in therapy. 

Physical or occupational therapist assistants may also be involved in your treatment plan of care. The assistants have graduated from an accredited two-year program and all hold current valid licenses in the state of Ohio.

In order to remain up to date on therapy innovations, therapists continue to receive annual training by attending seminars, performing competencies or taking online courses.

Patients will be asked to identify a goal they would like to accomplish during their stay with the help of therapy. Participation in therapy is helpful in assisting patients with achieving the goal or planning for their next phase of care upon discharge.

The physician and nursing team is able to view the treatment plan and recommendations electronically in the medical chart. Additionally, therapists converse within the interdisciplinary medical team throughout the day providing any updates as needed.

The care team may recommend continued physical, occupational or speech therapy as an outpatient after you have been discharged. Patients often choose to pursue outpatient therapy at one of our convenient Summa Health Outpatient Therapy locations.

Therapy Locations

Please speak directly to your therapist or onsite supervisor who can readily receive and address your compliment or concern. We aim to provide the highest quality compassionate care and you may receive a survey asking you to rate our team. We want to be sure any issues are addressed to your satisfaction so that we can receive high scores. 

The Summa Health Service Excellence department also is available to receive and share compliments with the care team or address any concerns or suggestions you may have. To reach the Service Excellence department, call 330.375.6765.