Move Enhances Access to Patient Services in Same Building as Medical Imaging
Carthage Area Hospital on Monday, March 12, will open its new Carthage Therapy Services outpatient clinic at the main hospital campus, 1001 West St., Carthage, providing patients convenient, one-stop access to care.
The present Carthage Therapy Services outpatient clinic at 3 Bridge St. in the Carthage Professional Building will relocate from clinical space it has occupied since early 2008. The change brings the Carthage Therapy Services team to the hospital, under the same roof as the Medical Imaging team, which Therapy Services patients often access.
The move also represents adaptive reuse of updated space that previously housed the hospital’s Skilled Nursing Unit, which ended operations at the hospital in September after all residents were transferred to other North Country facilities.
“This investment puts our patients first while improving their access to a wider menu of care on the main hospital campus,” Carthage Area Hospital Chief Executive Officer Rich Duvall said. “Carthage Therapy Services patients can expect the same compassionate care from our highly qualified team of physical and occupational therapists, but in a larger facility that is conveniently located down the hall from our medical imaging team.”
Duvall added that the move makes strategic use of unused space in the hospital while also presenting an opportunity to evaluate clinic space at the Carthage Professional Building for future use.
“We are excited about this move, which will improve the delivery of care for Therapy Services patients,” said Cheryl Tousant, PT, DPT, GCS, Carthage Area Hospital director of Therapy Services. “We have taken positive, proactive steps to ensure it is the least disruptive as possible for our patients as we look forward to treating them in our new location.”
Carthage Therapy Services patients should take the second left off West Street and enter the hospital on the southeast side of the building through the old main entrance adjacent to the former Skilled Nursing Unit. Patient parking is available in the parking lot near that entrance.
Carthage Therapy Services patient appointment hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Friday; the reception staff begins taking patient calls at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday. To schedule an appointment, call
315-493-1340. The telephone number will not change once the clinic opens on the main campus.
About Carthage Therapy Services
Carthage Therapy Services provides outpatient and specialty physical and occupational therapy services by a team of licensed physical and occupational therapists.
Therapists strive to provide quality, compassionate and collaborative care in order to evaluate impairments and provide targeted interventions for all general physical and occupational therapy needs.
Carthage Therapy Services offers the following care: Education specific to diagnosis, treatment plan and preventive care; Therapeutic exercise and therapeutic activity; Home exercise prescription; Hands-on therapy; Pain-reducing modalities; Geriatrics: Balance and fall prevention; Osteoporosis strength and conditioning; Lymphedema; Hand therapy with a Board-Certified Hand Therapist; Sports injury rehabilitation; Pre-surgical and post-surgical conditioning and rehabilitation.
Dr. Cheryl Tousant, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Geriatric Specialist, is director of Therapy Services. She leads therapy specialists in an evidence-based practice approach to treatment, which incorporates cutting-edge assessments using standardized outcome-based measurements and functional interventions.
Physical therapy is a safe non-opioid alternative for managing pain. Physical therapists are health care professionals with doctoral-level training. Working with therapy specialists can aid in setting realistic expectations for recovery and help individuals return to their prior level of mobility and function.
Whether a patient is recuperating from surgery, recovering from a stroke, or returning back to work or a sport after an injury, physical and occupational therapy is fundamentally an important step. Therapy specialists can help patients who are at high risk for falls with balance exercises and maneuvers that help to restore vestibular function, especially when vertigo is a primary complaint or symptom.
About Carthage Area Hospital
Carthage Area Hospital was established as a not-for-profit rural community hospital in 1965. It operates today as a fully accredited 25-bed Critical Access Hospital, serving approximately 83,000 residents in Jefferson, northern Lewis and southern St. Lawrence counties. The hospital formed a clinical affiliation with Crouse Health, Syracuse, in 2017.
The hospital also operates a network of community-based clinics, including its Family Health Center, Pediatric Clinic and Women’s Way to Wellness and provides a range of specialty care, including general surgery, orthopedics, urology, neurosurgical care, physical therapy and behavioral health.