Missouri Rehab Center

Eddie Racicot is the Safety and Security Director of Missouri Rehab Center. The 26-acre facility offers inpatient and outpatient services. There are two PIPES in use at this facility in Mount Vernon, Missouri.

What kind of rehabilitation do you have?

We have physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy as well.

We are a rehabilitation center and belong to Missouri University. We are a part of their health care system. We are an LTAC — Long Term Acute Care Hospital. We have a lot of brain injury, and ventilation weaning. We also have an outpatient rehab, as well. We take care of patients that have had severe strokes to car accidents. We also have an ICU. We have five major buildings and then we have houses on the facility for physicians and students that have internships. We also have two outlying farms. We average from 60 to 68 inpatients, plus our outpatients.

What is the history of the Missouri Rehab Center?

We have an interesting history, actually. The facility is 26 acres and was opened in 1904. It was originally the Missouri TB (Tuberculosis) Hospital. Years ago when people had TB this is where they came to live. Not too long ago, the University took over the center and made it a rehab center. We have the only negative air pressure unit for TB patients in South-west Missouri. We still use it sometimes, too. It was turned into a chest hospital after that where they deal with chest injuries and pulmonary problems. Then it became a rehabilitation center about nine years ago.

What is your title there?

I am the Safety and Security Director. I have been at this facility for three and a half years. I have ten years experience with corporate security. I am responsible for the entire safety aspect as well as security. I do training for the employees on safety and security issues. I am also responsible for the oversight of the whole fire alarm system. You can sum it all it by saying I am responsible for the “environment of care” for the facility.

How many officers do you have?

We have seven total. We average anywhere from two to three per shift, depending on the schedule. We have officers here 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have the rounds set up where they do them on a continuous basis. We have one inside officer and one outside officer. The rounds consist of our whole facility. However, for an area like our physician housing, we simply drive by to check it out. The officers change up the tours when they do them because we do not want to be too consistent.

How do you use the reports then?

I look at them to see that the officer has activated each button for each round, even though they were in a different order each tour. I download them and have the Supervisor print them. We then review the reports and see if there are any discrepencies. The reports are indisputable, so we will not have any trouble. I then file them for twelve months and store them for three years. This way if there is a problem, we have the reports to back us up.