Complex Medical Care provides expert care to patients who no longer require all the services of a short-term, acute-care hospital. Our patients benefit from a tremendous wealth of resources, including on-site dialysis, pain clinic and surgical consultation services for wound treatment.

About the program

Most patients who come to Complex Medical Care are stable and have multiple conditions and complex needs. Their problems are frequently the result of:

• Catastrophic disease process
• Chronic illness
• Coma
• Diabetes
• Dialysis
• Infections
• Organ transplants
• Post-operative complications
• Trauma
• Ventilator dependent
• Wounds

Upon admission to Complex Medical Care, each patient is evaluated by a treatment team, and a program of care is developed to treat physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs. The team coordinates the use of advanced medical treatment, comprehensive therapies, sensitive counseling and education to safely manage the patient's condition and promote healing.

Admission criteria

A structured admission process is used to assess each individual and determine if Complex Medical Care is best suited for the patient's recovery.

Since Complex Medical Care is not designed to care for patients indefinitely, prospective patients must demonstrate a potential for improvement. To be admitted, a patient must also:

• Have complex medical problems requiring close medical monitoring
• Require prolonged hospitalization
• Have an acuity level which prevents home or nursing home placement

Our Medical Director

John Scanlon, MD, is Medical Director of Complex Medical Care at Bethesda. He graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo Medical School in 1978 and completed his residency at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1981. Dr. Scanlon is board certified in internal medicine and has a certificate of added qualifications in geriatrics. He was recently named a "Top Doc" by Mpls/St. Paul Magazine.

Dr. Scanlon is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and is an active member of the American Geriatric Society and Academy of Hospice Physicians. Aside from his interest in general internal medicine, Dr. Scanlon has broadened his expertise into the areas of geriatrics and hospice care.

For more information

To learn more, request information or call our Admissions Department at 651-232-2760.