An acute care hospital provides short-term treatment for patients with acute illnesses, injuries, or who are recovering from surgery. Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in acute care hospitals treat a variety of patients, including those recovering from strokes, injuries, or surgeries. They help patients regain mobility and strength so they can transition to the next level of care. While salaries vary by state and experience, on average physical therapist assistants in acute care hospitals earn between $33,000 to $51,000 annually.

1. Acute Care Hospitals
By: Emily Carda
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2. What is an Acute Care Hospital?
• It is a hospital that provides short-term care
for patients that have an acute illness, injury
or are recovering from surgery.
• Acute Care Hospitals may also be known as an
emergency room.
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3. Who does an acute care hospital
serve?
• Acute care hospitals care for people of all ages
• Patients that are in the Acute Care Hospital
may have suffered from a stroke, respiratory
or cardiac failure, head or spinal cord injuries,
orthopedic injuries or many other injuries or
diseases that affect ones ability to move.
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4. Types of Patients seen by PTs and PTAs
in an Acute Care Hospital
• Most patients seen by the PTs or PTA’s in the
Acute Care Hospital are:
• General Medical and Surgical patients
• Total Joint Replacement
• Pre and Post surgical care patients
• Pediatric Care
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5. Examples of skills performed by a PTA
• Bed mobility- positioning, rolling, moving into
sitting
• Transfers
• Ambulation (crutch/gait training or other assistive
devices)
• Balance and coordination
• Lower extremity strengthening
• Gross motor skills/development
• Range of motion for all extremities
• Wound care/whirlpool
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6. Length of stay in acute care
• The patients are usually in a Acute Care
Hospitals for about 10 days, but many patients
stay longer it just depending on what is wrong
with the patient or what the facility will allow.
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7. Percentage of PTAs in the Acute Care
Hospital Settings
• 12.1% of PTAs are involved in the Acute Care
Hospital setting.
• In the Acute Care Hospital PTs and PTAs group
together to form a plan to help the patient
develop strength to the next level of care.
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8. Income for PTA’s in Acute Care
• For most PTA salaries in an Acute Care
Hospital are greatly based on what state you
are in, the hospital itself and how much
experience you have had. The average salary
for Acute Care is anywhere from $33,000 to
$51,000.
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9. Skills for being a PT or a PTA in a Acute
Care Hospital
• When being in an Acute Care Hospital PTs and PTAs
must have a widespread of knowledge and be able
to multitask and be flexible.
Listed below are something a PT and PTA should understand
while being in an Acute Care facility.
 All kinds of lines
 Tubes
 Drains
 Monitors
 Safety Precautions
 Interpret Vital Signs
 The roles of the other health care staff
This is just to name a few 9

10. Acute Care Hospitals
10 States with the most Acute Care Hospitals 10 States with the fewest Acute Care Hospitals
1. Texas- 369 1. Vermont-7
2. California- 359 2. Delaware- 8
3. Florida- 214 3. Rhode Island- 12
4. New York- 212 4. New Hampshire- 14
5. Pennsylvania- 180 5. North Dakota- 14
6. Ohio-153 6. Alaska- 15
7. Illinois-144 7. Hawaii- 15
8. Tennessee- 122 8. Wyoming- 15
9. Michigan- 116 9. Montana- 19
10. Georgia- 115 10. Idaho- 20
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11. Statistics for PTAs
• In 2006 Physical Therapist Assistants and
Aides held 107,000 jobs.
– 60,000 job belonged to Physical Therapist
Assistants
– 46,000 belonged to Physical Therapist Aides
• About 71% of jobs were either held in offices of
Physical Therapist or in Hospitals.
• The outlook for jobs for Physical Therapist
Assistance and Aids is suppose to grow 29% over
the next decade
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12. Site Sources
Acute Care Hospital Information:
• http://www.ehow.com/about_5195079_definition-hospital-acute-
care.html
• http://www.phillyrehab.com/longterm/ltac.html#3
• http://www.tuhc.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID={A24
8A869-F424-4AB3-A6F6-EA113C127711}
• http://www.apta.org/AM/PrinterTemplate.cfm?Section=Home&TE
MPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=30260
Statistic Site
• http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos167.htm#earnings
Hospital Statistic Site
http://www.hospitalreviewmagazine.com/news-and-analysis/current-
statistics-and-lists/10-states-with-the-fewest-acute-care-
hospitals.html
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