Orthopedics

Whether you have a fractured limb, congenital bone deformity, repetitive motion injury or degenerative disease, the experience of your physician can make the all the difference in your recovery. As practitioners in Long Island’s premier trauma hospital, NuHealth’s orthopedists are highly skilled at repairing shattered limbs, but their expertise does not end there. Using both surgical and non-surgical approaches, including restorative therapies, advanced arthroscopic techniques, bone grafts, artificial joints, braces and other medical devices, the Orthopedic Department at Nassau University Medical Center is dedicated to relieving pain and restoring mobility and range of motion. Areas of expertise include:

• Total hip and knee replacements
• Emergency bone and joint fracture repair
• Sports Medicine
• Shoulder, hip and knee injuries
• Repetitive Stress Injuries

In addition to NuHealth’s experienced orthopedists, a specially-trained staff of nurses and allied health professionals are waiting at the dedicated Orthopedics Unit on the 8th Floor of Nassau University Medical Center. This newly-renovated, bright and airy space is the perfect place to recover from emergency or elective orthopedic surgery. What’s more, the close working relationship between our departments of Orthopedics and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation ensures a smooth transition from repair to rehabilitation.

Clinical supervision of NUMC’s Orthopedics Department is provided by Total Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.

To make an appointment with an orthopedist, call (516) 572-6702

Clinical Staff
ORTHOPEDIC SPORTS
Charles Ruotolo, MD

ORTHOPEDIC SHOULDER Charles Ruotolo, MD

ORTHOPEDIC KNEE
Charles Ruotolo, MD
Stanislav Avshalumov, DO, MD

ORTHOPEDIC TOTAL JOINT REPLACEMENTS
Stanislav Avshalumov, DO, MD

ORTHOPEDIC TRAUMA MANAGEMENT
Baruch Toledano, MD

ORTHOPEDIC HIP – including hip arthroscopy, hip replacement and hip preservation
Stanislav Avshalumov, DO, MD

ORTHOPEDIC SPINE
Karèn Avanesov, DO

ORTHOPEDIC FRACTURE MANAGEMENT
Charles Ruotolo, MD
Stanislav Avshalumov, DO, MD
Baruch Toledano, MD

Physical Medicine

Recovery from injury, surgery or neurological incidents often takes more than just time. In many instances, the patient needs a carefully planned, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program to regain or restore strength, mobility, and coordination. NuHealth’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Nassau University Medical Center is the largest and most complete service center of its kind in Nassau County. Its physical medicine specialists, also known as physiatrists, plan and coordinate a variety of rehabilitative services, including:

• Back Clinic
• Child Development
• Cognitive
• Electrodiagnostic Evaluation
• Neuropsychological Services
• Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Speech & Swallowing Therapy
• Pain Rehabilitation
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Spasticity Management
• Work Injury

Although most NuHealth patients receive therapy as outpatients, Nassau University Medical Center is also home to one of the two top inpatient rehabilitation units on Long Island (as rated by US News & World Report). This 30-bed unit, along with one of the region’s most active outpatient services, helps more than 7,000 patients a year regain function and improve their quality of life.

To make an appointment or consultation for rehabilitative therapy, call (516) 572-6522

Clinical Staff
Lyn Weiss MD, Chairman, Program Director and Director of Electrodiagnostic Services
Adam Isaacson MD, Associate Chairman and Director of Inpatient Services
Ajendra Sohal MD, Director of Pain Rehabilitation
Thomas Pobre MD, Director of Outpatient Services
Ricardo Cruz MD, Director of Neurologic and Brain Injury Service
Jeffrey Perry DO, Osteopathic Residency Program Director
Dennis Dowling DO, FAAO, Director of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
Walter Gaudino MD, Director of Prosthetics & Orthotics
Lynn A. Schaefer Ph.D., ABPP Director of Neuropsychology

Physical Therapy

The Physical Therapy section of Nassau University Medical Center provides a broad spectrum of treatments to aid your recovery from injury, surgery and stroke. Our PT’s are experienced, licensed and credentialed health professionals who are important members of multidisciplinary teams throughout the hospital, as well as at NuHealth’s A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility. Focused on restoring mobility and gross motor skills, our physical therapists employ a variety of physical actions and agents as prescribed by the patient’s physician or NuHealth’s Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. These treatments may include:

• Manual and Electronic Massage
• Heat Therapy
• Hydrotherapy
• Ultrasound Therapy
• Targeted Exercise
• Alternative Muscle Training
• Post-Stroke Rehabilitation
• Sports Conditioning

To connect to NuHealth’s Physical Therapy section office, call (516) 572-0087

Occupational Therapy

NuHealth’s occupational therapists focus on helping patients recover their health and regain independence through the use of productive or creative activities. In addition, they work closely with children and adults suffering from congenital and degenerative diseases that impair motor skills. NuHealth’s OT’s are licensed professionals who assess patients’ abilities, tailor programs to restore physical function, and work with patients to overcome permanent limitations to carrying out activities of daily living. As members of multidisciplinary treatment teams, they can be found throughout Nassau University Medical Center and A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility. They work with patients and their families, engaging them in the process of developing specific, personal strategies to improve performance or cope with the partial or total loss of function following accident, injury or stroke.

NuHealth’s Occupational Therapists may also be involved in the treatment of patients with serious emotional or mental disorders. By encouraging active participation and engagement in common activities, OT’s can create an environment that promotes socialization and teamwork.

For more information about occupational therapy at NuHealth, please call (516) 572-6533.

Speech & Swallowing Therapy

NuHealth’s speech therapists are licensed professionals who work with adults with trouble understanding language, using language or forming the correct sounds for speech (for information on pediatric developmental issues, click here). In addition, they also provide swallowing therapy for patients with chewing difficulties or who frequently experience choking and discomfort when eating or drinking. Treatments may include repetitive drilling and practice, targeted strengthening exercises, audio-visual aids and other strategies to facilitate communication. NuHealth’s speech and swallowing therapists work in the Nassau University Medical Center’s Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, as well as at A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility. Adult patients may require speech and swallowing therapy as a result of any number of diagnoses, including:

• Central Auditory Processing Disorder
• Congenital Syndromes
• Laryngeal (Throat) Cancer
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Parkinson's Disease
• Recurrent Aspiration Pneumonia
• Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury 

To consult or schedule an appointment with a speech and swallowing therapist, call (516) 572-6486

Prosthetics & Orthotics

When limbs need additional support due to musculoskeletal defects or disease, or are amputated as a result of trauma, gangrene, or vascular deterioration, NuHealth’s experienced prosthetics and orthotics specialists are ready. Working closely with Nassau University Medical Center’s Orthopedics and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation departments, they help evaluate and custom fit patients for artificial limbs and orthopedic braces. Our specialists in prosthetics and orthotics are licensed health professionals who can help patients restore a surprising measure of mobility and functionality following the loss of a limb, as well as fabricate mechanical devices to provide support for weak joints and appendages.

For a consultation with a specialist in prosthetics or orthotics, call (516) 572-6522

Pain Management

The pain often associated with orthopedic surgery and recovery from injury or surgery can hinder the healing process and make it hard just to get through the day. The physiatrists in Nassau University Medical Center’s Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation can help you find relief from musculoskeletal and spine pain through a carefully administrated plan.

Using noninvasive procedures as both diagnostic and therapeutic tools, they can identify the underlying source of pain and help to alleviate it through medications, physical and occupational therapy, orthotics, psychological counseling and direct injections into painful muscles, joints and tendons. Some of the commonly treated conditions include:

• Disc, Facet And Nerve Root Pain
• Failed Back Syndrome
• Lower Back Pain
• Musculoskeletal And Myofascial Pain
• Neck Pain
• Occupational Injury
• Osteoarthritis
• Postoperative Pain
• Sciatica
• Sports Injuries

To make an appointment or consult with a pain management specialist, call (516) 572-6522.

Clinical Staff
Ricardo Cruz MD
Dennis Dowling DO
Walter Gaudino MD
Adam Isaacson MD
Jeffrey Perry DO
Thomas Pobre MD
Ajendra Sohal MD