Health Care Centers: Pontiac, Waterford and Keego Harbor

1. St. Joseph Mercy Oakland

St. Joseph Mercy Oakland is a 443 bed community teaching hospital located in Pontiac, Michigan. While St. Joseph Mercy Oakland offers a number of specialty services and programs to patients with a range of clinical needs, we’ll only list those services of potential benefit to patients affected by pregnancy and delivery, traumatic birth, birth injuries, cerebral palsy, infant brain damage, developmental disabilities, and related conditions. Such services include audiology, behavioral medicine, integrative medicine (including Craniosacral therapy, massage, neuromuscular therapy, prenatal care, reflexology, and more), long-term care, metabolic nutrition and weight management, neuroscience, oral & maxillofacial surgery, orthopedics, pain management, plastic and reconstructive surgery, respiratory care, adult rehabilitation, pediatric rehabilitation, women and children, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and many others. Below, we’ll explain some of these St. John Mercy Oakland services in greater detail and the ways they may benefit patients with traumatic brain injuries, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, or other conditions related to birth trauma and birth injury:

  • Pontiac, Waterford and Keego Harbor Cerebral Palsy (CP) Resources - Michigan Cerebral Palsy AttorneysSt. Joe’s Orthopedic Program oversees the St. John Mercy Oakland Joint Care Center, the Alice Gustafson Surgical Center, and the Foot and Ankle Program. Orthopedic services aim to treat foot and ankle disorders, general orthopedics, hand and wrist disorders, spine disorders, joint reconstruction needs, and fractures. Other services include prosthetics and orthotics, joint replacement, physical therapy, pediatric orthopedics, trauma surgery, and more.
  • St. Joe’s Women and Children Program provides services including obstetrics and gynecology, neonatology, maternal fetal medicine, pediatrics, high-risk pregnancies, family-centered comprehensive pediatric care, C-section operation rooms, a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and more.
  • St. Joe’s Neuroscience Services work to treat conditions including, but not limited to, aphasia, balance disorders, traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular diseases, cognitive disorders, movement disorders (such as epilepsy, tremors, and others), neurodegenerative disease, neuromuscular disorders, pain, seizures, sleep disorders, spine and back disorders, strokes, and more. Services include neuroimaging, neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, neuropathology, neuropsychology, neurorehabilitation, neurosurgery, and more.
2. Select Specialty Hospital–Pontiac

Select Specialty Hospitals are long-term acute care health centers for patients with continued and significant medical needs. Typical patients at Select Specialty Hospitals will have already completed intensive medical treatment for their condition but will require residual care. For patients affected by birth trauma, birth injury, brain damage, cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, or other conditions associated with birth complications, the following Select Specialty Hospital—Pontiac services may be beneficial:

  • Pulmonary and Ventilator Weaning services are beneficial for patients with mechanical ventilator dependence, chronic lung disease, neuromuscular disorders, and acute respiratory involvement.
  • Medically-Complex Treatment services provide nursing care, respiratory care, nutritional support, medication management, rehabilitation therapy, and other forms of care for patients with medically-complex conditions. Typical patients have conditions including cerebral hemorrhage, orthopedic complications, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, sepsis, multi-system complications, diabetes, prolonged surgical recover periods, and more.
  • Neuro- and Post-Trauma services provide comprehensive care for patients with a range of neurological illnesses, injuries, and complications. Typical patients include those with neuro-trauma, paraplegia, anoxic brain injury, and other conditions related to neurological damage.
  • Infectious Disease services treat patients with sepsis, bacterial infections, viral infections, fungal infections, post-surgical wound infections, sepsis, and more.
3. McLaren Oakland

McLaren Oakland is a 328 bed inpatient hospital located in downtown Pontiac, Michigan. McLaren Oakland offers services including imaging, pediatrics, pain management, rehabilitation and therapy, and more. This location also loans medical supplies, adaptive equipment, and assistive technologies to patients with different clinical, rehabilitation, and lifestyle needs.

4. Doctor’s Hospital of Michigan

Doctor’s Hospital of Michigan is an acute care hospital in Pontiac, Michigan. Some services offered through Doctor’s Hospital of Michigan include behavioral medicine, group support, physical medicine and rehabilitation, respiratory therapy, and surgery.

Lifestyle Resources

1. Educational Resources
  • The Oakland Schools Department of Special Education, headquartered in Waterford, ensures that all Oakland County students with special needs receive proper educational resources and supports. To learn more about Oakland Schools and the special education resources available in your Oakland community, visit their homepage.
    • The Oakland Schools Early Childhood services provide a range of educational experiences for children from birth through the age of eight. Headquartered in Waterford, Michigan, Oakland Schools Early Childhood facilitates pre-Kindergarten classes, workshops, Early On and other early childhood programming, developmental screenings, supplemental education programs, behavioral and emotional development training, Head Start, resources, and much more. Early childhood education services ensure support for children with behavioral and developmental challenges and are often very beneficial to children affected by the physical, mental, emotional, or social setbacks associated with birth injury.
  • Waterford School District provides special education services for all disabled and special needs students in the district as mandated by state and federal regulations. To learn more about special education and related support services, visit the Waterford School District webpage here.
  • The School District of the City of Pontiac’s Special Education Services provide all students with disabilities or special needs with any necessary educational supports. Below we’ve listed three specific programs offered through Pontiac Schools’ Special Education Services:
    • The Instructional Support Team (IST): The IST works to avoid stigma, over-identification, and misclassification of student disabilities in order to protect special needs students’ rights and interests. IST provides general academic assessments to all students before referring specific students to individual special education testing in an attempt to determine which students may ultimately adapt to, progress in, and benefit from the general education curricula.
    • Response to Intervention (RTI): The School District of the City of Pontiac also provides the Response to Intervention (RTI) program, which facilitates student-centered assessment and intervention in order to boost academic performance and address behavioral issues.
    • Early Intervention: Pontiac’s Early Intervention services provide special education to infants and toddlers through the age of three. Some specific services offered through Early Intervention include speech therapy, classroom education, and in-home education.
  • OLHSA Early Childhood Programs: The Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) is a charitable nonprofit human services agency with Michigan locations in Pontiac, Ferndale, and Howell. Of OLHSA’s several services for disabled residents, many pertain to education. OLHSA’s Head Start Programs aim to prepare vulnerable children for successful childhood development academically, personally, and socially. Early Childhood Programs at OLHSA include Early Head Start, Head Start, Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), Great Parents Program, Women, Infants & Children (WIC), How to Enroll, and Family Resources. The OLHSA website also has a wonderful resource listing the Early Childhood program locations.
2. Care Resources
  • Angels on Wheels, an in-home care service in Keego Harbor, offers services to children and adults with special needs. To learn more about Angels on Wheels or to schedules an appointment, call (866) 344-4946.
  • Family Circle Home Care, located in Waterford, provides care services for individuals with physical and mental disabilities, pregnant women, disabled children, and more. Services include respite care for families, hygiene assistance, housekeeping, errands, meal prep, medication reminders, companionship, and related tasks.
  • Orchard Hills Living Center: St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, located in Pontiac, provides long-term care services for patients with a range of levels of care at the Orchard Hills Living Center. Services include intensive physical and occupational therapy, a therapeutic recreation program, short-term therapy, restorative therapy, and in-house medical services. Special services include a deaf unit, respite care, psychiatry, audiology, and more.
    • The Passage Point/Young Adult Unit is a unit within St. Joseph’s Long-Term Care Department that specifically serves individuals under the age of 65 that require long-term care for special needs and disabilities. Patients often have cerebral palsy, stroke, spinal cord injuries, brain trauma and brain damage, and birth injuries or birth defects.
3. Employment

The Resource Network, located in Pontiac, is an organization that provides employment and education services to vulnerable, disadvantaged, and special needs individuals struggling with unemployment in the Pontiac area. Services provided by The Resource Network include recruitment, comprehensive assessment and evaluation, occupational career planning, goal-setting, employment preparation, job placement, and job retention. Outside of Pontiac, The Resource Network has locations in Hamtramck and Redford, Michigan.

4. Housing
  • The Pontiac Housing Commission is an organization that provides state and federal rental assistance programs for Michigan residents with disabilities or low income. The Pontiac Housing Commission provides housing choice vouchers, public housing, and family self-sufficiency initiatives.
  • The Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA), a nonprofit human services agency in Pontiac, offers two specific resources for low-income and special needs housing. The Venture Housing Program provides Oakland and Livingston County residents with housing referral and home ownership counseling. The Affordable Assistance Program offers affordable help with home care, yard work, maintenance, snow removal, contractor services, and related tasks. The program works to create affordable housing, new homes, and quality communities.
5. Transportation

Real Skills Academy, located in Waterford, is a driver training facility that specializes in training individuals with special needs. Driver evaluation services review clients’ medical histories, medications, driving histories, driving needs, physical and cognitive abilities, traffic safety knowledge, and adaptive equipment needs in order to properly train and certify drivers based on individual needs.

6. Adaptive Equipment and Assistive Technologies
  • The Oakland County Parks Recreation Program, located in Waterford, provides adaptive equipment and assistive technologies to special needs individuals through its Adaptive Recreation Program. Equipment rentals include golf equipment, pedal boats, pontoon boats, pool transfer chairs, hand cycles, all-terrain trail chairs, and more.
  • McLaren Oakland’s Medical Supplies & Equipment Laon service provide a range of rehabilitation equipment, assistive technologies, and adaptive equipment to individuals. Equipment loans include respiratory products, braces and splints, therapy aids, home safety and mobility equipment, wheelchairs and scooters, lifts, support wedges, orthotics, equipment for daily living, rehabilitative exercise equipment, and more. To read more about the program, visit McLaren’s Home Medical page here.
7. Accessible Playgrounds
  • The Paradise Peninsula Playscape is a universally-accessible playground located in the Waterford Oaks Park in Waterford, Michigan. The playground features smooth surfaces, a wheelchair-accessible sand play area, and a number of educational courses and areas depicting information about Michigan’s landscape and history. Many of the playground’s features are designed to improve mobility, coordination, balance, movement, and sense of navigation among children with disabilities, limited mobility, or other special needs.
  • The Hess-Hathaway Park, located at 825 South Williams Lake Road in Waterford, features smooth surfaces and other accessibility features designed for universal access.
  • Kingsley Montgomery School Playground: The adaptive playground at the Kingsley Montgomery School in Waterford features a rotating deck with a net, a hammock, an easy access slide, a see saw, and a garden specifically designed for children with special needs, mobility limitations, and disabilities. The Kingsley Montgomery School is located at 4265 Halkirk Drive in Waterford Township, Michigan.
Disability Organizations
  • The Oakland County MSUE 4-H Youth Development is a youth development organization that serves children and adolescents with special needs. This particular 4-H program, located in Pontiac, is one of the many 4-H programs available throughout Michigan. Children with disabilities including cerebral palsy, developmental delays, emotional and behavioral impairments, head and brain trauma, hearing impairments, visual impairments, learning disabilities, paralysis, stroke, speech impairments, and many others are welcome to participate in activities offered through the 4-H program. To learn more about the Oakland County 4-H Youth Development Program in Pontiac, call (248) 858-0889.
  • Easter Seals Michigan is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children and adults with disabilities. With ten locations throughout Michigan, Easter Seals provides services related to behavioral health, developmental disabilities, recreation, intervention and education, employment, rehabilitation, and more. Easter Seals Michigan has locations in Pontiac and Waterford.
  • The Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) is a charitable nonprofit human services agency headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan. OLHSA provides support services to individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and vulnerable residents. Programs and services include special fundraising events, education, outreach and advocacy, Early Childhood Programs (including Early Head Start, Head Start, Great Start Readiness Program, Women, Infants & Children, and Family Resources), affordable assistance referral, and housing assistance. OLHSA has two other locations in Ferndale and Howell, Michigan.
  • The Help Cerebral Palsy Kids Corporation is a non-profit organization that works to support the needs of children with motor disabilities including cerebral palsy, brain injuries, and related conditions. The Help Cerebral Palsy Kids Corporation supports projects related to conductive education (therapy), accessible playgrounds, assistive technology, special education, and more. The organization is located in Union Lake, a city located just outside Waterford, Michigan.

Treatment and Therapy Resources

1. Interdisciplinary Therapy Programs
  • St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, located in Pontiac, offers the following cross-disciplinary rehabilitation programs and services:
    • St. Joe’s Inpatient Rehabilitation provides services including physical therapy, occupational therapy, neurorehabilitation, speech and language pathology, social work, case management, audiology, dietary therapy, and more.
    • St. Joe’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Services provides care for pediatric conditions, neurological conditions, orthopedic injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, vestibular abnormalities, and more. St. Joe’s Main Campus Rehabilitation is located in Pontiac and has a second location in White Lake, Michigan.
    • St. Joe’s Children’s Rehabilitation Services aim to treat children with injuries or developmental delays. Most patients use a range of techniques and exercises from physical, occupational, speech-language and audiology therapy. Services offered through the Children’s Rehabilitation Services program include early intervention and developmental skill attainment, feeding and swallowing therapy, neuro-developmental treatment, sensory integration, fine motor and hand function therapy, torticollis, orthopedic injuries, spinal cord injuries, speech language delays/disorders rehabilitation, voice disorder therapy, newborn infant hearing screening, behavioral audiology assessment, and auditory processing disorders rehabilitation. The program has locations in Pontiac and White Lake.
    • St. Joe’s Vestibular Rehabilitation Program provides services for patients with diagnoses including positional vertigo, vestibular hypofunction, neuropathy, and post-operative or post-traumatic vestibular dysfunction.
    • Audiology Services at St. Joe’s include pediatric hearing evaluations, newborn hearing screenings, auditory brain stem response, videonystagmography, and related services.
  • Kids in Motion Pediatric Therapy provides a wide range of pediatric therapy services that may be particularly beneficial to children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, spasticity, and other conditions associated with birth injury and birth trauma. Services and programs offered through Kids in Motion include speech therapy, occupational therapy, sensory integration, interactive metronome, music therapy, aquatic therapy, therapeutic listening, Craniosacral therapy, oral motor rehabilitation, kinesio taping, and astronaut training. Kids in Motion also offers two summer camps each summer, which you can read more about in our section on special needs camps. Kids in Motion has locations in Waterford, Highland, and Commerce, Michigan.
  • Doctor’s Hospital of Michigan’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation offers physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy to patients with different rehabilitation needs.
2. Physical Therapy
  • The Euro-Peds National Center for Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy is a unique therapy program dedicated to rehabilitating children and adolescents with a range of non-progressive neuromuscular disorders. Before establishing the hospital-based Euro-Peds center in Pontiac, specialists conducted significant research on the intensive physical therapy and intensive suit therapy techniques developed and used in Eastern Europe. Now, Euro-Peds has gained national recognition as an advanced, cutting-edge Michigan therapy program. Therapists and other rehabilitation specialists at Euro-Peds treat patients with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, traumatic brain injuries, Down Syndrome, and many other types of non-progressive neuromuscular deficits. Below, we discuss the Euro-Peds programs in more specific detail:
    • Typical treatment sessions at Euro-Peds include two phases of therapy. The first stage (Preparation Phase) includes a moist hot-pack regimen, therapeutic massage, manual therapy, stretching, range-of-motion, strengthening exercises, and sensory integration. Stage two (Secondary Phase) includes balance and coordination exercises, functional activities, gait training, Intensive Suit Therapy, and the Universal Exercise Unit (UEU).
    • The Home Exercise Program (HEP) at Euro-Peds allows children to work on intensive therapy exercises in the setting of their own homes. In order to ensure proper home training, Euro-Peds provides detailed instructions for the parents and families of patients participating in the Home Exercise Program.
  • The DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan at Ultimate Soccer Arenas provides physical therapy services for patients with orthopedic conditions, back problems, and spine rehabilitation needs. This DMC RIM Rehab center, located in Pontiac, Michigan, is one of many DMC RIM Rehab facilities located throughout Michigan.
  • McLaren Oakland provides inpatient and outpatient physical therapy services in Pontiac, Michigan. Many McLaren Oakland physical therapy patients have joint pain, stroke injuries, disabilities, neurological conditions, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, head trauma, and other related illnesses, injuries, and conditions.
3. Recreational Therapy
  • The Oakland County Parks Recreation Program, based out of Waterford, Michigan, provides adaptive recreation programs and opportunities for individuals with disabilities and special needs. Programs include camping, golfing, nature education, and other outdoor activities. The program’s two certified therapeutic recreation specialists educate Parks and Recreation staff on adaptive equipment and recreation in order to facilitate adaptive and accessible recreation in all areas of the department.
  • Animal Therapy
    • The Oakland County 4-H Youth Development Program we discussed further in our Disability Organizations section provides therapeutic horseback riding lessons to adolescents and children with a range of disabilities. Participants often have cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, developmental delays, hearing and/or visual impairments, paralysis, stroke, learning disabilities, head injuries, brain trauma, and other conditions, illnesses, and injuries associated with birth injury. To learn more about this Pontiac equine-assisted therapy resource, you may call the Oakland County 4-H Youth Development Program at (248) 858-0889.
  • Sports Therapy
    • Michigan Adaptive Sports, located in Keego Harbor, is a local chapter of Disabled Sports USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating sports therapy, recreation, and physical opportunities among individuals with special needs and disabilities.
  • Aquatic Therapy
    • Kids in Motion Pediatric Therapy (which we discuss further in “Interdisciplinary Therapy Programs”) offers aquatic therapy services to patients with different rehabilitation needs, some of which include sensory dysfunctions, post-surgery, hypertonia, hypotonia, and spasticity.
  • Art Therapy
    • The Art Experience is a Pontiac community studio that runs a number of art therapy programs for individuals with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, cognitive impairments, physical deficits, and other factors putting them at risk for hardship. The Art Experience sponsors specialized programming (including residencies), community programming, open studio sessions, parties, social days, workshops, outreach initiatives, exhibits and more.
    • Kids in Motion Pediatric Therapy, the Waterford rehabilitation center we discuss in further detail in our Interdisciplinary Therapy Programs section, offers music therapy lessons for patients with a range of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social needs. Specialists assess each patient’s rehabilitation needs and create therapy regimens including singing, creating, dancing, moving, and listening to music. Many patients have conditions including cerebral palsy, cognitive impairments, developmental disabilities, and more.
  • Special Needs Camps
    • Kids in Motion Pediatric Therapy Services offers summer camps specifically designed for children receiving therapy. Specific planned activities include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, obstacle courses, play, swimming, art, social interaction and play therapy, story time, group therapy, and more.
4. Speech and Language Therapy

St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Speech-Language Pathology Services aim to improve communication skills, swallow function skills, and cognitive and memory skills among patients. Patients often have diagnoses including stroke, neurological disease, traumatic brain injury, dysphagia, speech sound disorders, language disorders, cognitive-linguistic disorders, voice disorders, speech-language developmental delays, hearing loss, or alternative communication system use. Speech-language pathology services are available in Pontiac and White Lake, Michigan.

5. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

St. Joseph Mercy Oakland offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) at their location in Pontiac, Michigan. To learn more about the HBOT services at St. Joe’s, visit their hyperbaric oxygen therapy and wound care webpage here.

6. Intensive Suit Therapy
  • Euro-Peds, the intensive physical therapy organization we discuss in more detail in our Physical Therapy section, provides Euro-Peds Suit Therapy programs for certain patients. Some patients participating in the Euro-Peds Suit Therapy program have conditions including cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, spasticity, muscle weakness, decreased range of motion, developmental disorders, spinal deformations, and other neuromuscular deficits. Children with epilepsy, severe spasticity with structural joint contractures, severe intellectual disabilities affecting communication, Baclofen pump therapy, gastrointestinal tubes, hydrocephalus, progressive encephalopathies, and other conditions generally are able to participate in Euro-Peds Suit Therapy but may require individual evaluation, adjustments, and monitoring.
  • Therasuit LLC, located in Keego Harbor, provides Suit Therapy (Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy based on the TheraSuit Method) for children with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders. Intensive suit therapy may be particularly beneficial for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, post stroke (CVA), ataxia, athetosis, spasticity, hypotonia, and other neurological disorders. Services and exercises available at Therasuit LLC include central nervous system retraining, stabilization and balance training, muscle tone normalization, body alignment, gait training, tactile stimulation, coordination improvement, muscle support and exercise, strengthening, speech production, motor skill development, and more. To learn more about Therasuit LLC, visit their website. To contact the Therasuit LLC main office, call (248) 706-1308. To contact the Therasuit LLC Pediatric Fitness Center, call (248) 706-1026.
7. Complementary and Alternative Therapies
  • Kids in Motion, the pediatric therapy center we list under our “Interdisciplinary Therapy Programs” section, provides Craniosacral therapy services specifically designed to treat various pediatric injuries, illnesses, and conditions. Many patients receiving Craniosacral therapy services from Kids in Motion have spinal and back issues, torticollis, digestive and feeding issues, poor oral motor control, bowel disorders, reflux, visual impairments and hearing impairments, forceps delivery injuries, dizziness, and related conditions.
  • St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, located in Pontiac, offers the Metabolic Nutrition and Weight Management program. Patients with special weight and nutrition needs resulting from a birth injury may benefit from St. Joe’s Nutrition and Weight Management program as a form of complementary therapy.
  • The St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Center for Integrative Medicine offers various complementary and alternative forms of medicine for patients with conditions including muscle and nerve pain, postural distortion, spasticity, and prolonged stress. Some services include CranioSacral Therapy (CST), massage therapy, Myofascial Therapy (MYO), Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT), Prenatal programs, and Reflexology. The Integrative Medicine Services take place at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, Michigan.
8. Behavioral Therapy and Emotional Counseling
  • Cerebral Palsy (CP) Treatment and Therapy Resources in Pontiac, Keego Harbor, and Waterford, MichiganEaster Seals Michigan’s Adult Behavioral Health Services provide comprehensive mental health services for patients with a range of mental and behavioral health needs. Below we’ve listed some specific services and programs available through Easter Seals Michigan Adult Behavior Health:
    • Outpatient Services include family, individual, and group therapy, crisis intervention, supports, psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and more. Outpatient services are available at the Pontiac, Macomb, and Southfield Easter Seals Michigan locations.
    • Community Based Services include case management, supported employment, nursing services, psycho-rehabilitation, peer support, psycho-educational groups, dialectical behavioral treatments, community living support, and more. Community based services are available at Easter Seals Michigan’s Pontiac and Southfield locations.
  • St. Joseph Oakland Mercy offers adult behavioral medicine services at their location in Pontiac, Michigan. The Department of Behavioral Medicine offers psychiatric care services including diagnosis, treatment, consultation, ailment-specific treatment programs, crisis recovery, transportation services, outpatient care, financial assistance, housing, community support, and more.
  • Doctor’s Hospital of Michigan’s Behavioral Medicine Department offers cognitive behavior therapy, individual and family counseling, recreational therapy groups, medical treatment, and more.

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