Meridian Health Pediatrics

Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)

Physical Therapy

Meridian Health Pediatrics is a Physical Therapy practice in Muncie, IN with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in reducing patient pain and increasing mobility lost due to injury or illness. Physical Therapists at Meridian Health Pediatrics perform exercise therapy, endurance exercises, and pain and mobility assessments. Physical Therapy is a medical specialty focused on reducing or eliminating patient pain and increasing mobility without surgery or medication. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Physical Therapy practices include loss of mobility due to traumatic or post-operative injury, chronic conditions like arthritis or spinal injury, congenital birth defects, athletic injury, or disorders like multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Physical Therapy practices include mobility and pain assessment, medical massage, physical exercise therapy, endurance training, and acupuncture.

Physical therapists (PTs) are licensed health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTs examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. In addition, PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles. PTs: 1.Diagnose and manage movement dysfunction and enhance physical and functional abilities. 2.Restore, maintain, and promote not only optimal physical function but optimal wellness and fitness and optimal quality of life as it relates to movement and health. 3.Prevent the onset, symptoms, and progression of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities that may result from diseases, disorders, conditions, or injuries. 4.Treat conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems. 5.Address the negative effects attributable to unique personal and environmental factors as they relate to human performance. 6.PTs provide care for people in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, schools, sports and fitness facilities, work settings, and nursing homes. State licensure is required in each state in which a PT practices.

Occupational Therapy

Meridian Health Pediatrics is an Occupational Therapy practice in Muncie, IN with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in holistically treating injured, ill, or disabled patients through therapeutic activities that help them develop, recover, improve, and maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. Occupational Therapists at Meridian Health Pediatrics perform rehabilitation of patients with mental, emotional, and physical disabilities by planning and administering medically prescribed occupational therapy. Occupational Therapy is physiological treatment of patients recuperating from physical or mental illness that encourages rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Occupational Therapy practices include work related upper extremity injuries, amputees and people with special prosthetics, stroke or heart attack victims, arthritis, multiple sclerosis or permanent disabilities patients, patients with head injuries and mental disabilities, severe burn and spinal cord trauma patients. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Occupational Therapy practices include individualized evaluation to determine the patient's goals; customized intervention to improve the patient's ability to perform daily activities, and outcome evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or intervention plan adjusted.

An occupational therapist is a person who has graduated from an entry-level occupational therapy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) or predecessor organizations, or approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), or an equivalent international occupational therapy education program; has successfully completed a period of supervised fieldwork experience required by the occupational therapy program; has passed a nationally recognized entry-level examination for occupational therapists, and fulfills state requirements for licensure, certification, or registration. An occupational therapist provides interventions based on evaluation and which emphasize the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (i.e., occupations) with individuals or groups for the purpose of facilitating participation in roles and situations and in home, school, workplace, community and other settings. Occupational therapy services are provided for the purpose of promoting health and wellness and are provided to those who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction. Occupational therapists address the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensory, and other aspects of occupational performance in a variety of contexts to support engagement in everyday life activities that affect health, well-being, and quality of life.

Speech-Language Pathology

Meridian Health Pediatrics is a Speech-Language Pathology practice in Muncie, IN with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in preventing, assessing, diagnosing, and treating speech, language, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders arising from illness, injury, deficiency, or congenital birth defect. Speech-Language Pathologists at Meridian Health Pediatrics perform testing, evaluation, and treatment of disorders relating to how patients form words, communicate, and process the speech of others. Speech-Language Pathology is a medical specialty that deals with disorders related to how patients form words, speak, and understand what others are saying to them. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Speech-Language Pathology practices include speech disorders like stuttering and dysarthia, language disorders like articulation and phonological processing disorders, social communication disorders, cognitive-communication disorders, voice disorders, and swallowing disorders that may arise from conditions like stroke, dementia, brain injury, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, autism, hearing loss, or congenital birth defects. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Speech-Language Pathology practices include speech and language assessment, hearing assessment, developing treatment plans based on assessment and test results, developing communications strategies for patients and caregivers, working with patients to achieve communication goals, and providing patient and parent education.

The speech-language pathologist is the professional who engages in clinical services, prevention, advocacy, education, administration, and research in the areas of communication and swallowing across the life span from infancy through geriatrics. Speech-language pathologists address typical and atypical impairments and disorders related to communication and swallowing in the areas of speech sound production, resonance, voice, fluency, language (comprehension and expression), cognition, and feeding and swallowing.

Pediatrics

Meridian Health Pediatrics is a Pediatrics practice in Muncie, IN with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in diagnosing, preventing, and treating childhood illnesses. Pediatricians at Meridian Health Pediatrics perform medical diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions affecting young people from infants to teenagers. Pediatrics is a medical specialty focusing on children's health. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Pediatrics practices include ear, sinus, and throat infections, food allergies and intolerances, urinary tract infections, skin infections, bronchitis, diarrhea, vomiting, pinkeye, and skin rashes. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Pediatrics practices include physical examinations, diagnosing childhood illnesses, administering vaccines, prescribing medication, providing education about childhood health, safety, and nutrition, and referring your child to specialists if necessary.

A pediatrician is concerned with the physical, emotional and social health of children from birth to young adulthood. Care encompasses a broad spectrum of health services ranging from preventive healthcare to the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. A pediatrician deals with biological, social and environmental influences on the developing child, and with the impact of disease and dysfunction on development.