Respiratory Rehabilitation Unit (RRU)
Critical Services for Patients, a Valuable Resource for Referring Physicians:
The Respiratory Rehabilitation Unit (RRU) is a unique component of our overall rehabilitation program. The availability of this Rehabilitation Center allows for earliest possible treatment following a spinal cord injury, providing rehabilitation-focused care for medically complex patients including those who have just had or are about to have surgery.
The use of medical intensivists in the RRU, physicians who specialize in the care of critically ill or injured patients, is an approach that SCVMC helped pioneer and is a valuable complement to the work of the spine surgeon and neurosurgeon in the operating room. Although the RRU primarily treats individuals with spinal cord injury, patients with traumatic brain injury accompanied by respiratory concerns are also cared for in this distinctive medical setting.
The RRU is also equipped with a helipad and accepts patients from across Silicon Valley. Having the highest level of emergency response on the same campus as the Rehabilitation Center means that patients don’t have to be transferred to other facilities if the need for a higher level of care arises.
High Quadriplegic Program - A note to physicians:
The Respiratory Rehabilitation Unit provides around-the-clock respiratory management for ventilator dependent patients. Our specialization in invasive and non-invasive respiratory technology has resulted in an outstanding record of successful vent weaning and home discharge. In addition, our rate of pulmonary emboli occurrence is exceptionally low and therapeutic bronchoscopies average less than one per 100 patients.