Downriver Health Care Centers

Residents of the Downriver communities have access to a wide range of clinical services. In this section we’ll discuss some of the area’s larger names in health care, along with the various medical resources, facilities, and resources they provide. While we won’t list medical providers in each city, we encourage residents in the communities of Allen Park, Brownstown Township, Ecorse, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Huron Charter Township, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, New Boston, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven, and Wyandotte to take advantage of services available at the following health care centers.

1. Oakwood Healthcare
  • Allen Park Oakwood Facilities
    • Oakwood Care Connection provides private nursing services for the individuals that require assistance with completing daily activities in their homes. Oakwood Care Connection has a staff of clinical nurses, social workers, physical therapists, and occupational therapists that perform various tasks for patients, some of which include social work, companionship, transportation, physical and occupational therapy, and chore assistance.
    • Oakwood Home Care Services provides Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy Services to patients in their own homes.
    • Oakwood Home Medical / Chartwell provides a range of home medical equipment devices to patients. Staff from Oakwood Home Medical / Chartwell work with clients, caregivers, insurance companies, referral sources, and primary care physicians to determine the most effective and cost-efficient home medical equipment setups for each individual patient.
  • Romulus Oakwood Facilities: Oakwood Midwest Health Center – Romulus offers outpatient physical therapy in order to ensure that patients have care as close to home as possible.
  • Southgate Oakwood Facilities: Oakwood Healthcare Center –Southgate offers services and programs including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, OB/Gyn, Pediatrics, access to physical therapy services, Imaging (ultrasound and PET-CT), and more.
  • Michigan's Downriver Cerebral Palsy Resources - Health Care CentersTaylor Oakwood Facilities
    • Oakwood Hospital – Taylor (formerly known as Oakwood Heritage Hospital) offers Behavioral Medicine, Imaging, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Mental Health, Occupational Therapy, Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery, Pain Management, Physical Therapy, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation, Speech Therapy, Trauma, and a number of other clinical services.
    • Oakwood Midwest Health Center – Taylor offers internal medicine services, OB/Gyn, and pediatric services.
    • Oakwood Heritage Hospital Rehabilitation Therapy takes care of many outpatient therapy needs that come from the Oakwood Hospital – Taylor. Services include outpatient Occupational, Physical and Speech-Language Therapy.
    • The Oakwood Taylor Teen Health Centers provide a range of school-based and school-linked programs that offer teen counseling, family planning, health education, and healthcare. The Oakwood Taylor Teen Health Centers extend services to adolescents ages 10 through 21, and special education services through age 26.
  • Trenton Oakwood Facilities
    • Oakwood Hospital – Southshore provides clinical services including Imaging, Inpatient Occupational Therapy, Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedics, In- and Out-Patient Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Labor & Delivery, a Mother-Baby Unit, and Orthopedic & Rehabilitation Services.
    • Oakwood Physical Medicine and Rehab – Trenton offers Audiology, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy.
    • Oakwood Southshore Surgery Center –Trenton provides services including General Medicine, OB/Gyn, Orthopedic, Plastic Surgery, Pain Medicine, and others.
2. Henry Ford Health System
  • Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital provides services including, but not limited to, Behavioral Medicine, Home Care, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonary Support, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Women’s Health (including Labor & Delivery and a Special Care Nursery), and more. Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital was recently ranked in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for quality by Healthgrades.
  • Henry Ford Medical Center – Brownstown provides Pediatrics, Imaging and Radiology, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and more.
  • Henry Ford Medical Center – Woodhaven provides Orthopedics, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pharmacy, X-Rays and more.
  • Henry Ford Medical Center – Taylor offers diagnostic Radiology and Imaging, Epilepsy Clinic, Gynecology, Neurology, Pediatric Neurology, Pediatrics, Pulmonary, Ultrasound, X-Ray, Women’s Health, and more.
    • Henry Ford Epilepsy Clinic and Pediatric Neurology Department: Since seizures and epilepsy are both common side effects of cerebral palsy and other birth injuries, Henry Ford Medical Center – Taylor’s Epilepsy Clinic and Pediatric Neurology Department are great resources for children and families in the Downriver area. The Epilepsy Clinic provides cutting edge epilepsy research, care, imaging technology, and detection to patients and is recognized as a Level 4 epilepsy center. The Department of Pediatric Neurology provides family-centered care for pediatric patients with neurological problems such as epilepsy and seizures, movement disorders, developmental delays, learning problems, developmental dyspraxia, neuromuscular disorders, and more.
3. Select Medical
  • Specialty Select Hospital – Downriver: Typical patients at Select Specialty Hospital Downriver have endured critical care in the past and now require continued care for their residual weaknesses and medical needs. All Specialty Select Hospitals are designed to provide personalized, acute care for patients with longer recovery times. Clinical services include Pulmonary/Ventilator Weaning, Wound Care, Medically-Complex Treatment (including surgical recovery, post-trauma, sepsis, multi-system complications, and more), Neuro and Post-Trauma (including anoxic brain injury, neuro-trauma, seizures, and paraplegia), and Infectious Disease (such as bacterial and viral infection, sepsis, post-surgical wound infection, and more). Select Specialty Hospital – Downriver is located in Wyandotte.
  • NovaCare Rehabilitation, the branch of Select Medical that provides rehabilitation services, has two putpatient physical therapy clinics in Taylor. To read more about their specific services, please scroll down and consult our Physical Therapy section.
4. Vibra Healthcare

Vibra Hospital of Southeastern Michigan is based in Lincoln Park and has a smaller campus in Taylor. Some of the most common diagnoses at Vibra include strokes, medically-complex conditions, neurological disorders, pulmonary impairments or respiratory failures, and post-surgical complications. To ensure comprehensive and personalized treatment for each patient, Vibra employs internal medicine physicians, physiatrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, dieticians, and many others.

5. Detroit Medical Center

The Detroit Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) has two physical therapy outpatient facilities in the Downriver area. The DMC RIM at Trenton Athletic Club offers physical therapy services, and the DMC RIM Romulus Center offers physical therapy, pool therapy (aquatic therapy), sports medicine, and orthopedic therapy.

5. Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders (M.I.N.D.)

Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders (MIND) is Michigan’s largest private neurological practice, specializing in disorders and injuries of the brain, spine, and nervous system. From the MIND center in Garden City, medical professionals provide clinical and rehabilitative services for patients with conditions such as movement disorders, epilepsy and seizures, spinal disorders, cerebral palsy, neurological conditions, spasticity, and other conditions caused by intracranial hemorrhages, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), nuchal cords, and other birth injuries. Some specific services, programs, and procedures offered through Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders include electrodiagnostic services, pain management, Botox injection (for movement disorders), deep brain stimulation, research, and imaging. Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders has other locations in Farmington Hills and Madison Heights, Michigan.

Cerebral Palsy Resources

Care, Finance, and Insurance Resources
  • The Downriver area’s major health care providers offer financial assistance to in-need, low-income, or uninsured patients and families. To learn more about each health care system’s specific financial aid programs, follow the links below:
  • The Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency’s Stability & Life Skills resource page provides a number of financial tips and informational resources about financial planning, preparation, and aid around Wayne County and the Downriver area. The Basic Needs resource page lists financial resources, call lines for general assistance, information on the Affordable Care Act, and more. Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency is based out of Wyandotte, Michigan.

Lifestyle Resources

1. Educational Resources
  • The Oakwood Taylor Teen Health Centers, which we discussed in the section on health care, provide educational programs and resources to differently-abled teens regarding teen health, family planning, and counseling.
  • The Lincoln Center, located in Wyandotte, provides special education services to students with moderate cognitive impairments, autism spectrum disorders, and emotional impairments. The Lincoln Center is overseen by Wyandotte Public Schools but extends services to children from 17 different downriver communities.
    • The Moderate Cognitive Impairment (MoCI) Program accepts children ages 3-14 years and focuses on language and communication skills, social skills, academics, recreational activities, work behavior skills, daily living activities, and community-based instruction.
    • The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Program works with children ages 3-26 and focuses primarily on sensory intervention techniques, language skills, communication, personal care, academics, recreational activities, social skills, vocational and work behavior aptitudes, adult daily living skills, positive behavior supports, and transition planning.
    • The Cognitive Impairment & Emotional Impairment (Dual-Diagnosed/DD) Program accepts students ages 5-26 and focuses on language and communication, academics, personal care and health, recreation, social skills, vocational and work behavior skills, adult daily living techniques, community-based instruction, transition planning, and positive behavior supports.
  • The Guidance Center provides Head Start Programs in Belleville, Flat Rock, Huron, Lincoln Park, River Rouge, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, and Woodhaven. Additionally, Lathers Early Childhood Center in Garden City offers a Head Start Program unaffiliated with the Guidance Center.
  • The Great Start Readiness Program, a high quality preschool program specifically designed to promote learning preparation in children at risk for low educational obtainment or development, has four program locations Downriver: Sunnyside Children’s Center in Huron, Walter White Elementary in River Rouge, Erving Elementary in Woodhaven, and Yake Elementary in Woodhaven.
  • Downriver Public Schools Special Education Services: The various public school districts in the Downriver area all accommodate the educational needs of special education students. Each district provides adequate facilities, technologies, and methods as mandated by state and federal regulations. We’ve listed the Downriver public school districts below, and we encourage you to research the special education offerings in your community:
    • Allen Park Public Schools
    • Ecorse Public Schools
    • Flat Rock Community Schools
    • Garden City Public Schools
    • Gibraltar School District
    • Grosse Ile Township Schools
    • Huron School District
    • Lincoln Park Public Schools
    • Melvindale – Northern Allen Public Park Schools
    • River Rouge School District
    • Riverview Community School District
    • Romulus Community Schools
    • Southgate Community School District
    • Taylor School District
    • Trenton Public Schools
    • Woodhaven-Brownstown School District
    • Wyandotte Public Schools
 2. Care
  • Henry Ford Wyandotte’s At Home Care offers extended care, home health care, hospice, home health products, self-health, home infusion, and e-home care for patients that require specialized continual care in their own homes.
  • The Penrickton Center for Blind Children, a non-profit residential care agency in Taylor, serves blind, multi-disabled children ages 1 through 5. Services include day care programs of different durations, consultation and referral, active learning, community education and volunteer work, various forms of therapy, social work, and recreation.
3. Employment

The Employment and Training Program is a Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency program that aims to improve job readiness and skill level among vulnerable members of the community. The program provides employment counselors, employment support groups, career coaching, resume development and interview techniques, a work experience program, computer training, support services, and the Community Educational Program.

4. Housing
  • Wayne Supportive Housing: The Out Wayne County Homeless Services Coalition provides permanent, independent, and affordable supportive housing to families or individuals with low to moderate income, identified special needs, or those in danger of losing housing. The program is based out of Wyandotte and serves all of the Downriver communities.
  • Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency provides a number of guidelines and resources for Homeownership Skills and Programs. To read more about this resource, visit the Community Action Agency webpage here.
  • The Downriver Community Conference offers resources, financial assistance, and information on weatherization and energy assistance for low-income residents in the Downriver area. Services include insulation, smoke detector installation, weather-stripping, appliance testing, and more.
5. Transportation
  • Downriver Community Conference Transportation provides transportation services for residents with disabilities, senior status, low income, or other mobility limitations.
  • SMART Community Transit provides accessible transportation to Allen Park, Ecorse, Garden City, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton and Wyandotte. To learn more information about SMART’s ADA Services, visit this online resource.
6. Adaptive Equipment
  • Oakwood Healthcare: Oakwood Home Medical Equipment provides patients with a range of oxygen devices, therapy technologies, ambulatory aids, bathroom safety equipment, wheelchairs, general supplies, hospital beds, lift chairs, and more. The Oakwood Home Medical Equipment program provides shipping, delivery and set-up training equipment repair and maintenance, technical support, and emergency services to patrons. Additionally, Oakwood Dearborn and Southgate provide telephone devices for the deaf.
  • Henry Ford Health System offers Health Products and Equipment loan services through their hospital in Wyandotte. Equipment offerings include bathroom and home safety aids, assistive technologies, home care, medical supplies, and everything in between.
7. Accessible Playgrounds

Disabled and handicapped children from the Downriver area can enjoy the Play 4 All accessible playground in Soroptimist Park at 35700 John St., Wayne, MI 48184.

Organizations, Support, and Awareness Information

1. Foundations and Charities
  • Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency encourages donators, volunteers, and advocates to assist the agency in carrying out its mission. To learn more about involvement and donations, visit their “Help Us” webpage here.
  • Oakwood Healthcare has set up the Oakwood Foundation in order to secure the financial and medical resources necessary to support quality staff, services, and teaching. To learn about the many programs, events, funds, and scholarships associated with the foundation, visit their webpage here.
  • The Guidance Center accepts and encourages charitable donations through the Budd Lynch Endowment Fund for Children and through their department of Communications and Philanthropy.
2. Community and Disability Organizations
  • The Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, located in Wyandotte, provides services to low- and moderate-income individuals and families throughout the Downriver area. Programs and services include Basic Needs, Stability & Life Skills, Community & Economic Development Programs, and Youth & Family Educational Services. Wayne Metro CAA programs can be particularly beneficial to individuals or families in the process of understanding the necessities of daily life with a developmental disability or birth injury.
  • The Arc Downriver, located in Wyandotte, is the Downriver chapter of the Arc of the United States. The Arc Downriver provides services including recreational programs, Special Olympics, dances, Social Services assistance, family support and guidance, family activities, guardianship information, referral services, and notary services.
  • The Guidance Center is an agency that aims to support and enhance the lives of children and families experiencing mental health difficulties or other challenges in metro Detroit. The Guidance Center operates programs and services in 23 locations and has expertise in early childhood education, health and wellness, mentoring, workforce development, and more. Core services and programs include free pre-Kindergarten for low income families, Adult Services, the Center for Excellence, Children and Youth Services, Early Childhood, and the Developmental Disabilities Program. The Guidance Center has core locations in Southgate, Lincoln Park, and River Rouge.
 3. Parent and Family Resources
  • The Guidance Center’s Parents as Teachers Program provides parent education tips to parents of children ages birth to five. Through home visits, parent educators provide tips to promote child learning, manage challenging behaviors or disabilities, and encourage healthy family relationships. The Parent Infant Program is another prevention and intervention program aimed at promoting healthy family relationships for families with babies or toddlers. Parents of children with a range of conditions, including developmental disabilities or abnormalities, receive free service.
  • The Oakwood Center for Exceptional Families (CEF) sponsors a range of support groups for the various friends, family members, and loved ones of children with disabilities. Some support services include family supports, recreational nights, parties, seminars, advocacy programs, and more.
    • The Exceptional Families Sibshop, a support group for the brothers and sisters of children with developmental disabilities, is dedicated to providing an open space to address the needs, concerns, and feelings associated with having a sibling with special medical needs. To join or learn more about the group, call (313) 294-1531.
  • Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital offers a support group called Heart to Heart for families and loved ones grieving the loss or injury of a newborn.

Treatment and Therapy Resources

1. Interdisciplinary Therapy
  • The Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital Rehabilitation Program provides personalized therapy plans and coordinated care for patients with complex and prolonged rehabilitation needs. Comprehensive in- and outpatient therapy regimens blend physical, occupational, and speech-language therapies with specialty programs like massage therapy or Tai Chi. The Downriver outpatient rehabilitation center provides services for a range of disorders, owns advanced diagnostic technology, and offers specific neurological rehabilitation programs.
  • Vibra Hospital of Southeastern Michigan provides in- and outpatient physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy services for patients that suffer from medically complex orthopedic, neurological, stroke, trauma, cardiac, and respiratory conditions.
2. Physical Therapy
  1. Select Medical has two physical therapy outpatient centers in Taylor under the name NovaCare Rehabilitation. NovaCare Rehabilitation Taylor-Eureka Road offers physical therapy services including functional restoration, pain management, injury prevention training, work conditioning, and much more. The other Taylor location, NovaCare Rehabilitation Taylor, offers physical therapy services including ergonomic and injury prevention training, work conditioning, and more.
  2. The DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan has two outpatient physical therapy facilities located in the Downriver area—one at the Trenton Athletic Club and the other at the DMC RIM Romulus Center.
  3. Oakwood Healthcare offers physical therapy services at the Oakwood Heritage Hospital in Taylor, the Oakwood Hospital – Southshore in Trenton, the Midwest Health Center in Romulus, the Oakwood Physical Medicine and Rehab – Trenton facility, and through Allen Park’s Oakwood Care Connection.
3. Recreational Therapy

The Downriver communities are home to a rich variety of recreational therapies and adaptive activities. In this section, we’ll discuss the various community centers, medical facilities, and fitness areas available to handicapped and disabled individuals of all ages. While we won’t list all of the available recreational therapy resources available in the Downriver area, we encourage residents to enjoy the resources provided in this section.

 Recreational Therapy: Animal Therapy

Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital’s Pet Therapy Program arranges meetings between patients and therapy pets at the hospital. Since 2012, trained and certified pet therapy animals have visited hospital patients in order to relieve patient stress and pain.

Recreational Therapy: Sports Therapy
  1. Arc Downriver coordinates sports opportunities for children and adults with developmental disabilities in the Downriver area. To inquire about current recreational activities and sports offerings, contact the Arc Downriver at (734) 283-0710.
  2. The Downriver Panthers, a Trenton-based adaptive sports team, is a recreational program available to Downriver residents with developmental disabilities. The program provides lessons, equipment, and facilities for adaptive basketball, table tennis, cycling, soccer, bowling, baseball, track & field, bocce ball, and swimming.
  3. The Trenton Department of Parks & Recreation AYSO V.I.P Soccer Program is a soccer league designed specifically for children and adults with special needs. For more information call (734) 479-2976.
Recreational Therapy: Aquatic Therapy
  1. The DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan offers aquatic therapy at its location at the Romulus Center.
  2. Team Rehab, a network of rehabilitation facilities in Southeastern Michigan, has locations in the Downriver communities of Taylor, Southgate, Woodhaven, and Allen Park. Therapists at Team Rehab provide aquatherapy for patients, particularly those whose impairments make land-based therapy painful.
  3. The Downriver Family YMCA provides adapted swim lessons and facilities for adults, children, and families with disabilities or other rehabilitation needs. The Downriver Family YMCA is located in Southgate.
Recreational Therapy: Art Therapy

The Arc Downriver, located in Wyandotte, offers arts programs to individuals of different abilities. The Arc Downriver offers arts services including classes, workshops, exhibitions, and other events. To learn more about current offerings, contact the Arc Downriver directly at (734) 283-0710 or visit their Wyandotte office at 1028 Oak Street.

Recreational Therapy: Play Therapy

Gymboree of Downriver offers classes in comprehensive early childhood development and learning for children of different abilities. Gymboree of Downriver is located in Riverview and offers services for children through the age of five. To learn more about offerings, call Gymboree of Downriver at (734) 479 0510.

Recreational Therapy: Special Needs Camps

The Special Needs Activities Program in Trenton is an annual six-week summer day camp for young people with cognitive impairments. The camp is reserved for participants between the ages of 10 and 25.

4. Occupational Therapy

Oakwood Healthcare provides a range of occupational therapy services in their various locations around the Downriver area. Personalized occupational therapy services are available at Oakwood Hospital – Taylor, Oakwood Hospital – Southshore, the Midwest Health Center – Romulus, Oakwood Care Connection in Allen park, and Oakwood Physical Medicine and Rehab – Trention.

5. Speech and Language Therapy

Oakwood Healthcare Speech-Language Pathology Services are available at Oakwood Hospital – Taylor, Oakwood Hospital – Southshore, and Oakwood Physical Medicine and Rehab – Trenton (this location also offers Audiology Services).

6. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

Oakwood Healthcare provides HBOT facilities and services at Oakwood Hospital – Taylor and Oakwood Hospital – Southshore.

7. Stem Cell Therapy

Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital collects cord blood donations. Donations are stored in the J.P. McCarthy Cord Stem Cell Bank and the cord blood bank laboratory is hosted by the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

8. Behavioral Therapy and Emotional Counseling
  • Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital Behavioral Services offers mental health services and programs to adult patients. Mental health and behavioral treatments take place in an inpatient adult psychiatric unit and patients participate in individual and group therapy, education programs, functional occupational and recreational therapy, and more.
  • Henry Ford Hospital Wyandotte organizes a number of support groups—some groups that may be beneficial to patients affected by delivery, birth trauma, cerebral palsy, or developmental delays include the Brain/Head Injury, Communication Recovery, and Depression groups.
  • The Guidance Center offers the following programs aimed at maintaining the mental, behavioral, and emotional well-being of children and adolescents:
    • CEF’s Children and Youth Services provide mental health services for children ages 5 to 17 with emotional or behavioral challenges—some services include assessment, psychiatric treatment, therapy and case management, support groups, and more. This department also provides the Juvenile Justice Program and Prevention and Diversion Services.
    • CEF’s Developmental Disabilities Program provides a number of programs and services—some behavioral—for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities. Behavioral and emotional services include psychological and psychiatric counseling, case management, therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis, and more.
    • The CEF’s Center for Early Childhood provides support resources to children through age 12. The Mental Health Program provides parent-child therapy, emotional support, developmental guidance, and advocacy for parents and children. To learn more about the other programs available through the Center for Early Childhood, visit their webpage here.

 Medical Resources

1. Diagnostic Testing

Henry Ford Medical Center – Taylor offers pediatric EEG testing and other imaging services in order to diagnose and detect pediatric epilepsy. The Henry Ford Epilepsy Clinic and Pediatric Neurology Department, which we discuss more in the section on health care centers, is a wonderful resource for children with seizure disorders or epilepsy as a result of birth injury.

2. Surgery

Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital offers neurosurgical services for patients with complex neurological illnesses, injuries, or conditions. Surgeons work to correct disorders of the brain, spine, muscles and nerves that affect motor skills, balance, coordination, speech, and cognition.

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