Rehabilitation

This service provides an evaluation and treatment of a variety of musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiopulmonary diagnoses to patients of all ages.

KRHC Physical Therapists 

• Shane Meschke, PT, RRT, ATC

• Brice Boeckholt, PT, DPT

• Chris Kern, PT, DPT

Modalities available in physical therapy include:

• Electrical Stimulation
• Phonophoresis/Ultrasound
• Iontophoresis
• Anodyne Light Therapy
• Thermal – Stim Probe
• Vasopneumatic Compression (Game Ready)
• Cervical Traction
• Kinesiotaping
• Hold/Cold Therapy

Additional services

• Manual Therapy
• Massage
• Bracing
• Therapeutic Exercise
• Gait Training
• LSVT Big (Parkinson’s Treatment)
• Balance Training/Neuromuscular Re-Education
• Impact Testing (Concussions)
• Sports Medicine Services

Work Conditioning Services

• Plan individualized Work Conditioning
• Flexibility Exercises
• Strengthening Exercises
• Cardiovascular Fitness
• Job Simulation
• Education

Referrals and appointments

Most insurance companies require a physician referral for reimbursement, but patients may also see a physical therapist without a referral. Call KRHC physical therapy at 515-295-4672 for more information.

Department Hours

Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Treatment for hospital inpatients is available as needed on Saturdays and Sundays.

This department works with people of all ages who because of physical, developmental, social or emotional problem need specialized assistance to lead productive lives. Occupational therapists at KRHC work with a wide range of patients, helping people of all ages get back to the tasks of daily living and doing the things they want to do. Occupational Therapy services are available to inpatients, outpatients or in the person’s home or assisted living facility.

KRHC Occupational Therapy Team

• Kim Dahlhauser, OT
• Ben Kraus, OT
• Sara Horstmann, OT
• Rebecca Beenken, OT
• Felicia Koenecke, OT Assistant
• Abby Wickre, SLP
• Nikki Kuecker, SLP

Referrals and Appointments

A physician referral is required for occupational therapy services. Referrals and appointments can be made by calling the Occupational Therapy department at 515-295-4615.

Services Provided

• Teaching daily living skills to the person and caregivers and/or compensatory techniques to help overcome limitations so a person may participate as fully as possible in skills they need for living (self-care, work and leisure activities).
• Evaluating the need for and teaching use of adaptive equipment to accomplish daily living skills. Examples: learning to use a sock aid, reacher, dressing stick, transfer board, adapted eating utensils, computer trackball, etc.
• Hand and upper extremity rehabilitation. Treatment to regain functional use of hands and arms. Treatment may include range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, coordination and dexterity activities, neuromotor re-education, and modalities to decrease pain, stiffness, and swelling.
• Splinting and Braces. For immobilization, positioning or stretching of the upper extremity.
• Home safety evaluations. Making the person’s home a safer environment and recommending special equipment that would improve a person’s independence within their home, given their disability and individual needs.
• Instruction in work simplification/energy conservation techniques, joint protection, proper body mechanics, and ergonomics.
• Evaluating and recommending modifications to seating/positioning. Recommending or designing special seats, arms supports, and head rests for wheelchairs or for other types of seating that a person uses throughout their day.
• Perceptual/Sensory evaluation and training. Enhancing sensory perception or making modifications due to a sensory loss such as lack of feeling in a hand, visual deficits or hearing deficits.
• Cognitive evaluation and training. Providing the person or caregivers with strategies to help overcome memory and creative deficits. Cognitive assessment helps identify the level of care needed for a person to live independently and safely.
• Vestibular Rehabilitation. Treatment involves exercises to improve or completely resolve problems involving dizziness and balancing deficits.
• Lymphedema and Venous Insufficiency Treatment. Reducing body fluid, most often from the arms and legs, through manual lymphatic drainage, compression therapy, remedial exercise and patient exercise. The goal is for the patient or their caregiver to learn how to self-manage or prevent edema (swelling) through home exercises and the wearing of compression garments.

Office Hours

Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information about KRHC Occupational Therapy please call 515-295-4615.

Kossuth Regional Health Center proudly offers Speech Therapy services provided by dedicated Speech-Language Pathologists, Nicole Kuecker, M.A., CCC-SLP and Abby Wickre, M.A., CCC-SLP. 

The team works to prevent, assess, diagnose and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults. Speech therapy helps people develop skills like comprehension, clarity, voice, fluency and sound production. Speech Therapy can also treat childhood speech disorders or adult speech impairments caused by stroke, brain injury or other conditions.

There are a number of speech therapy techniques that can be used to treat a condition. Treatment varies significantly for each person, depending on the type of speech disorder the patient may have. With early intervention, speech therapy can improve communication and boost self-confidence.

Treatment includes:

• Early intervention of speech and language problems
• Language delays/disorders
• Stuttering/Disfluency
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Speech Sound Disorder
• Post-Stroke Speech/Swallowing

A physician referral is required for speech therapy services. Referrals and appointments can be made by calling the Occupational Therapy department at 515-295-4615.

This helps patients with lung disease such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma.

Pulmonary rehab can help patients with lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. The program includes education about lung disease, along with exercise training which can decrease shortness of breath, increase strength and endurance and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Program includes:

• Structured exercise (1 hour sessions)
• Health education
• Behavior modification
• Nutritional Counseling
• Learning of breathing techniques
• Monitoring vital signs
• Respiratory assessment

Is Pulmonary Rehab right for you?

Pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended for patients with lung disease who experience shortness of breath frequently and are not able to perform daily activities despite daily use of medication. Many patients in the rehabilitation program have a diagnosis of:

• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema
• Asthma
• COPD
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Long-term COVID-19

Program Benefits:

• Improve lung function
• Reduce symptom severity
• Gain a support system
• Meet others with your condition
• Learn how to manage symptoms
• Improve quality of life

Services

• Phase I, II, III and Maintenance Pulmonary Rehabilitation program
• Oximetry
• Aerosol Treatments
• Pulmonary Function Testing (with and without Bronchodilator)
• Blood Gas
• Flutter valve Therapy
• Incentive Spirometry

 Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Physical Therapy Department. 

Referral from a physician is required.

For more information, call 515-295-4672.

This is a program of education, exercise, and cardiac monitoring for patients after a heart event.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at KRHC combines education, exercise and cardiac monitoring to improve individuals’ heart health and well-being. Let us help you on the road to recovery by building an exercise program fit for you and your specific needs. 

This program benefits anyone who has experienced:

• Heart attack
• Stent placement
• Valve replacement
• Balloon Angioplasty
• Open heart surgery
• Congestive heart failure
• Bypass surgery
• Angina

Program includes:

• Health assessment
• Physical activity
• Counseling and support
• Education
• Medication management

Program Benefits:

• Grow your support system
• Strengthen your heart and body
• Build healthier habits
• Reduce stress
• Improve mood
• Relieve symptoms of heart problems
• Increase energy and strength in daily activities
• Prevent future illness and death from heart disease

Monday, Wednesday, Fridays in the Physical Therapy Department

Physician referral is required.

Call 515 -295-4672 to learn more about the program!

This program assists children in their specific area of need whether it be: cognitive, physical, social and/or motor ability, with the goal of improving everyday skills.

The early years of a child’s life are extremely important. During these years social, cognitive, and physical development take place. Unfortunately, not all children develop these skills at the same rate.

The occupational therapy team at KRHC is proud to offer a Pediatric Therapy Program designed to help children improve function and promote development to be more independent at home, school and in the community. Kossuth Regional Health Center’s Pediatric Therapy Services offers individual sessions with licensed therapists to help children establish a strong foundation for future learning.

This program is designed for children from infancy to age 21 who have special healthcare needs or movement difficulties, using play, activities, and special techniques to develop these skills. This program is beneficial for any child experiencing delays of varying degrees in all domains of development.

Our therapists work collaboratively to provide quality, caring services to children with rehabilitation needs in our region. Therapy includes assessment, treatment, and home programming. The team also encourages families to play an active role in their child’s development during and after the program.

Our goal of therapy is to help infants, children, and teens to:

• Make a full recovery or return to their previous level of function or
• Learn to work within their functional limitations to become as independent as possible in age appropriate, everyday activities.
• To enhance the quality of a child’s life by improving their ability to communicate with their family and peers.
• Gather input from parent/caregivers.
• Select goals based on assessment, caregiver input and functional necessity.
• Provide strategies to help the child be able to engage in everyday activities.
• Use purposeful activity and age-appropriate play to minimize the effects of disease, injury, congenital deficits, and developmental delays while maximizing age-appropriate motor skills.
• Develop a treatment program specifically for each child using fun and stimulating activities in a 1-on-1 session.
• Help with environment changes that may be limiting the child’s ability to participate in family, learning, and community activities.
• Assess need for adaptive techniques or assistive technology and supports for success.

All children are different and develop skill sets at their own pace. However, if you think your child may be struggling, the Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy Departments at KRHC are here to help.

Referral from a healthcare provider is required for these services.  

This test allows us to evaluate how well your heart performs under physical stress. During the test, you may walk on a treadmill or use a stationary bike while your heart rate, rhythm, and blood pressure are monitored. This helps your doctor assess your heart’s response to increased workload, identify any potential issues such as blocked arteries, and evaluate overall cardiovascular fitness. 

Our dedicated respiratory therapists are passionate about helping patients with breathing difficulties or respiratory conditions. Therapists will assess, treat, and educate you on managing issues such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and other lung-related disorders. Therapists use various techniques and equipment to improve lung function and enhance overall respiratory health. Our goal is to promote better breathing, increase physical endurance, and improve quality of life.