By LINDA CHION KENNEY
St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview reports the addition of a designated sensory room in the pediatric emergency center and the opening of an outpatient pelvic floor therapy program, which includes a focus on expectant mothers.
Moreover, two specialist doctors have joined the BayCare Medical Group neurology practice adjacent to the full-service hospital.
Meghan Humbert, DO, specializes in neurology.
Gabriel Swords, MD, specializes in neurology.
New to the practice are Meghan Humbert, DO, fluent in Spanish, who has clinical interests in electrophysiologic diagnostics, general neurology and headache medicine. She reportedly incorporates advanced diagnoses and therapeutics to develop a comprehensive plan of medications and therapies.
Also newly on board is Gabriel Swords, MD, who reportedly diagnoses and treats conditions and diseases involving the brain, spinal cord and associated nerves of the nervous system, taking into account a patient’s health, including cardiovascular fitness, nutrition, mental health and social/spiritual support.
Offering a controlled and immersive sensory experience, the new room in the pediatric emergency center, announced in late September, is designed to promote a calming environment to lessen overstimulation. According to hospital officials, the room aims to address the needs of pediatric emergency room patients with varying cognitive conditions, disabilities and sensory processing needs, such as autism spectrum disorder.
St. Joseph’s Hospital-South photos
Sensory strings, held by child life specialist Danielle Palomo, are designed to help calm nerves and relax muscles while covering a child’s body, hands or face.
At the ready to help reduce a child’s fear, anxiety and pain are child life specialists Danielle Palomo and Margaret Armstrong who work alongside doctors and nurses. The specialists help explain diagnoses in a manner kids can understand.
They use play, visual and touch tools and items to calm and distract young patients and their family members.
“The environment in the sensory room is meant to help children feel more in control, comfortable and calm through self-regulating their nervous systems,” Palomo said. With a sense of calm and feeling safe and relaxed in their environment, “children are better able to process new information and their surroundings,” she added.
Physical therapist Emilee Poirier holds a pelvic model.
By physician referral, patients for the pelvic floor therapy program, announced in late August, receive one-on-one individualized evaluations and treatment sessions with a pelvic rehabilitation certified practitioner.
This is for patients with bladder and bowel dysfunction; pain with intercourse; incontinence; constipation; urinary problems; pain in the abdomen, pelvic and tailbone area; and those who have had gynecological surgery or hysterectomies.
The therapy is useful as well during and after pregnancy.
The pelvic floor refers to the muscles and tissues supporting organs in the pelvis, including the bladder, large intestine and internal reproductive organs.
“We use combinations of pelvic alignment, manual techniques, therapeutic exercise and neuromuscular redaction to improve symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and get patients back to highest quality of life,” said Emilee Poirier, a certified rehabilitation practitioner, who provides for patients individualized outpatient services, as well as individualized home exercise programs. Treatment sessions take 45 minutes; the initial evaluation can take up to 90 minutes.
Moreover, Poirier leads free virtual classes for expectant mothers as they prepare for delivery. Entitled “Pelvic Floor Therapy for Expectant Mothers,” the class is open to any expectant mother, regardless of where she intends to deliver.
“This program is designed for patient convenience,” said Zachary Alfonso, the hospital’s rehabilitation services supervisor. “This is an integrated approach providing learning to mothers through virtual classes, post-delivery consultation and outpatient therapy all at one place.”
In addition to pelvic floor therapy at the Riverview hospital, BayCare offers the services at three additional locations in Hillsborough County, two locations in Pinellas County and one location in Polk County.
Emilee Poirier, next to a rehabilitation treatment table in a St. Joseph’s Hospital-South rehabilitation room, where she provides pelvic floor therapy
“Our growing community has been in need of these services for quite some time,” said Terrance Edwards, BayCare’s manager of rehabilitation services, who added that Poirier’s work is fortunate, as pelvic floor therapy “is a highly specialized service and one that is challenging to find.”
St. Joseph’s Hospital-South, at 6901 Simmons Loop, offers outpatient, imaging, lab, intensive care and surgical services, and a 24-bed maternity unit. The neurology practice, in the BayCare Outpatient Medical Group, is at 10141 Big Bend Road.
For the hospital, call 813-302-8000. For the medical group, call 813-397-1270, or visit
https://baycare.org/locations/hospitals/st-josephs-hospital-south/patients-and-visitors/.
