Drake Center: Specialized Medical & Rehabilitative Care

State-of-the-Art Equipment and Technologies

Drake Center uses a wide variety of state-of-the-art equipment and technologies during patient care, helping deliver outstanding outcomes:



Warm-Water Aquatic Center - features a movable floor, unique in the Tri-state, for patients in wheelchairs and others in need of assistance. Its innovative design makes the entire facility accessible, safe, and convenient for everyone. Warm water decreases the effects of gravity, allows patients to move with greater ease, and provides joint protection during exercise. And, as water pressure increases with depth, it provides support for activities such as standing.

Warm-water therapy and exercise also help increase:
  • Circulation and respiration
  • Strength and endurance
  • Muscle tone
  • Mobility and range of motion
  • Balance, coordination, and head and trunk control
  • Spatial and sensory awareness
In addition, they reduce pain and stress, promote relaxation, provide psychological benefits, and improve body image.

State-of-the-art patient mattresses - help in the healing and recovery process. Designed as pressure relief surfaces, Accumax Quantum Convertible Mattresses employ a Controlled Release Valve technology that automatically adjusts the system during patient movement and repositioning, to provide consistent pressure relief therapy.

Lite Gait System - helps stroke and spinal cord injury patients learn to walk again. This device allows patients to practice coordination walking on a treadmill and then on the ground. It helps patients with posture, balance, use of assistive devices, symmetry, and weight shifting. The harness suspension supports the patient’s body weight as needed to allow legs to move in a walking pattern without risk of falling. The Lite Gait System controls the amount of weight that the patient supports with his or her feet, and the treadmill causes the patient to walk forward.

New-generation Servo ventilator - offers a wide range of modes for supported and controlled ventilation. It features an ultra-sensitive triggering system, minimizing the work of breathing and gently but securely working with the patient.


CT scan equipment - offers many benefits for Drake Center patients. CT (computerized tomography) scans are performed using a spiral CT scanner owned and managed by University Radiology Associates (URA). This Siemens Somatom Balance scanner is an x-ray tube that rotates around the body while measuring the constantly changing absorption of the x-ray beam by different tissues. The information is then reconstructed into thin cross-section images of the body. CT scans are interpreted by URA radiologists; all neurologic scans are interpreted by a URA neuroradiologist. Other benefits of spiral CT scanners are shorter exam times, decrease in contrast volumes, and high clarity. The ability to scan more quickly allows for improved image quality. These scanners have better ability to detect lesions than many other imaging devices.

Pharmacy robot - provides specific, unit-dose, bar-coded medications with 99% accuracy. By reducing the amount of time pharmacists spend each day dispensing and checking medications, it allows them to focus on providing expertise and pharmaceutical care initiatives. Before the robot was implemented, medications prescribed by pharmacists had to be checked for accuracy 100% of the time. Now, medications need to be checked only 5% of the time, improving patient safety. This technology helps reduce overall costs by eliminating manual tasks, reducing and consolidating inventory into a centralized location, and centralizing services throughout the hospital.

Environmental control unit (ECU) - switch-activated system that allows an individual who is paralyzed or has limited motor skills to perform essential tasks without having to call for assistance. These include using a telephone, turning on lights, changing television stations, or controlling an electric bed. The therapist may schedule practice sessions to see how an ECU might help in the home environment.

Specially equipped driver training vehicles - for disabled clients with a wide range of needs. Drake Center’s fully equipped car and van feature a variety of adaptive devices. The van, the only one of its kind in southern Ohio, can accommodate clients with severe disabilities who cannot transfer in and out of a car. Both come equipped with a variety of adaptive devices, including:
  • Car - left or right hand controls for acceleration and braking, steering devices, turn-signal crossover, left-foot accelerator, and pedal extensions.
  • Van - hand controls for acceleration and braking, steering devices, horizontal steering, variable-effort steering, electronic gas and brake, fully automatic lift, and six-way power seat. The van allows the patient to drive from a wheelchair if needed.
In-house research laboratory - dedicated to testing new innovations for individuals with disabilities, our laboratory provides access to cutting-edge methods not available elsewhere in the region. These services benefit not only patients, but also residents, students, and practitioners. The lab's goal is to become a center for clinical-trial research, give our patients access to the latest techniques and services, and allow students and practitioners to be well-versed in these strategies.