Stroke Specialty Program

Roper Rehabilitation Hospital’s unique location within Roper Hospital provides our patients the advantage of access to advanced medical care 24/7. An added benefit of this location is the fact that Roper Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Care Center and was the first hospital in the Lowcountry to earn this accreditation.

Roper Rehabilitation Hospital is a part of the Roper St. Francis Healthcare continuum of care which also includes outpatient rehabilitation, home health and hospice.

Experienced staff and stroke recovery specialists

Roper Rehabilitation Hospital's comprehensive interdisciplinary team of stroke recovery specialists is committed to providing excellent, patient-centered care.

The medical director for the Stroke Specialty Care Program, Dr. Joseph Livesay, has more than 15 years of experience in working with stroke rehabilitation and is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Our interdisciplinary team members have specialized training in addressing the needs of the stroke population, including:

• Neurological clinical specialists (NCS)
• Certified stroke rehabilitation specialists (CSRS)
• Certified kinesiotape practitioner (CKTP)
• Certified driving rehabilitation specialist (CDRS)
• Certified brain injury specialists (CBIS)
• Certified rehabilitation registered nurses (CRRN)

Specialty equipment and resources

• Lite Gait© and Maxi-Sky© to assist with body weight supported gait training.
• Functional electrical stimulation devices, including:
  • Bioness L300 Plus
  • Bioness H200 Wireless
  • FES cycle
  • Xcite
• Dynavision
• An individualized stroke education handbook is issued to all patients upon admission to our rehabilitation hospital.
• Weekly stroke education classes are offered to each survivor and their family/caregiver.
• We offer a monthly stroke support group and monthly stroke newsletter. Current inpatient stroke survivors and their support systems as well as members of the community are invited.

Contact information

If you have questions about our stroke care program or you are a stroke survivor or caregiver and would like to receive our monthly stroke newsletter, please contact:

Katie Hall
Stroke Coordinator for Roper Rehabilitation Hospital
Kaitlyn.Hall@rsfh.com
(843) 720-8349

Outpatient Program
Emma Chambers, OTR/L, CCDT
Manager of Rehabilitation Services at Roper Hospital
Emma.Chambers@rsfh.com
(843) 724-2760

2023 Stroke Specialty Program Inpatient Demographics and Outcomes

• 188 patients with a diagnosis of stroke were cared for in our program.
• The average age of our patients treated following stroke was 69 years old.
• Ratio of male to female: 93 male 95 female.
• The average length of stay for our patients with a diagnosis of stroke was approximately 16.4 days compared to the Region which was 16.8 days.
• 84.6% of our stroke patients returned to the community instead of another level of care. Our rate is higher than the region at 75%.
• 2.7% of our patients had an unplanned transfer to an acute hospital. Our rate is lower than the Region which was 10.3%
• 12.8% of patients discharged to SNF as compared to 15.7% for the Region.
• 97% of patients with a diagnosis of stroke rated their quality of care as very good to excellent.
• 97% of patients with a diagnosis of stroke rated were satisfied to very satisfied with their goal attainment.
• Patients with a diagnosis of stroke received an average of over 3 hours of therapy 5 days per week.

2022 Stroke Specialty Program Outpatient Demographics and Outcomes

• 2 additional patients with a diagnosis of stroke were seen for intensive outpatient therapy.
• 6 patients returned to work or a vocational program.
• 14 patients returned to active retirement.
• 100% of patients surveyed rated the competence of the staff as excellent.
• 100% of patients surveyed rated care provided by staff as excellent.
• Patients received an average of 1-2 hours of therapy 3-4 times per week.
• Patients with a diagnosis of stroke received an average of 16 PT visits & 18 OT visits.