Children's Hospital Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit

Children and young adults with brain trauma, spine injury, or other severe nervous system disorders have hope. The Children's Hospital Rehabilitation Unit (CHRU) provides complete inpatient rehab care for babies under 1-year-old to young adults up to 25.

The CHRU recently relocated from The Children's Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center on Penn Avenue to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s main campus in Lawrenceville.

The new, expanded CHRU space offers 12 private patient rooms, state-of-the-art gym equipment, private treatment rooms, and a family area.

Our team of caring and seasoned rehab experts:

  • Works to improve your child's health and function.
  • Promotes skills to increase your child's independence and improve their quality of life.

The CHRU provides:

  • Daily doctor check-ins and 24-hour nursing care.
  • Three hours of therapy a day, five days a week, in at least two of three fields (physical, occupational, and speech therapy).
  • Direct access to your doctors and care team at UPMC Children's Hospital.
  • A warm, family-friendly setting.

The CHRU accepts:

  • All health insurance plans, including Medical Assistance and commercial payors.
  • All referrals and transfers, including from UPMC Children's ICU and acute care areas, other hospitals, doctors' practices, and home/outpatient.

Your Child's Admission to Inpatient Rehab

To learn if inpatient rehab at the CHRU is right for your child, we'll assess their:

  • Health history and diagnosis.
  • Ongoing needs and support system.
  • Possible length of stay (LOS).
  • Any other information, such as the source of funding.

The CHRU care team will review your child's assessment results upon meeting admittance criteria.

Within 72 hours of your child's admission to the CHRU, we'll meet with you to go over the:

  • Scope and level of rehab.
  • Daily plan of care, including how many hours of therapy.
  • Missed school time and any other concerns you have.
  • Best process for safely getting them back into the community.

Why Choose UPMC Children's for Inpatient Rehab?

The CHRU team:

  • Tailors a plan of care based on your child's unique abilities.
  • Helps improve your child's function, health, and well-being.
  • Uses a team-based treatment model where your child and family are at the center.

We involve you in all aspects of your child's rehab through:

  • Reports at the bedside shift.
  • Updates on daily plans of care.
  • Visits, overnight night stays, and other accommodations based on your preferences and needs.

Read our full scope of services (PDF).

CHRU's Mission

To optimize the health and function of our patients through innovative, high-quality, team-based, family-centered rehabilitative care.

We strive to:

  • Constantly improve.
  • Provide the highest quality pediatric inpatient rehab in the Pittsburgh region.
  • Offer thorough training to help those we serve care for their child at home.
  • Help your child thrive in the diverse settings where they live, learn, and play.

The CHRU is an acute care inpatient rehab unit under the license of UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

We urge you to tour the CHRU and ask questions before deciding where your child should go for inpatient rehab.

Contact the Children's Hospital Rehab Unit

If you have questions or potential referrals, contact:

Nancy Marino
412-692-5060
MarinoN@upmc.edu

UPMC Children’s Hospital Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
4401 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
412-692-8300