Brooks Rehabilitation Adds Lite Run Inc. Technology to Improve Patient Mobility

Brooks Rehabilitation, a top-ranked physical rehabilitation provider, announced the addition of FDA-registered anti-gravity mobilization technology, Lite Run, Inc. Brooks is the first nationally ranked inpatient rehabilitation hospital to offer the new technology to help patients safely mobilize earlier in their recovery.

“Through our Center for Innovation, Brooks evaluates and tests new and emerging technologies to determine their potential benefits for improving patient outcomes,” said Mark Bowden, PhD, PT, VP for Clinical Integration and Research at Brooks Rehabilitation. “After a months-long evaluation, Brooks was able to make an educated decision and determine that Lite Run filled a gap in helping specific patients safely and comfortably mobilize earlier with less staff assistance.”

Brooks purchased three Lite Run devices to help patients recover from stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, neurological conditions, orthopedic injuries and other complex mobility impairments. One each is available for use now at Brooks’ two Jacksonville hospitals. Another will be in use when the newest hospital opens in Phoenix, Arizona, on the Mayo Clinic campus.

Lite Run devices use a patented wearable Exosuit and low-pressure air technology to offload up to 150 pounds of body weight while helping prevent patient falls and keeping them upright, mobile and actively engaged in therapy.

Early mobilization and upright functional therapy are being prioritized across rehabilitation and post-acute care as providers focus on reducing complications associated with immobility, improving patient endurance and restoring independence faster. Lite Run’s platform is designed to move with therapists within the clinical setting while supporting more natural movement and reducing strain on clinical staff.

“After a lengthy evaluation period, Brooks Rehabilitation continues to add advanced technologies for patient recovery with the Lite Run platform, which opens many possibilities for our patients and our clinicians as we expand nationwide,” said Kathryn Swanson, PT, DPT, NCS, inpatient clinical technology and programmatics coordinator, Brooks Rehabilitation. “Our therapy teams gain an additional tool to safely mobilize patients earlier. Patients appreciated the comfort and ability to use the technology in multiple, over-ground therapies without being confined to a treadmill.”

Earlier movement plays an important role in patient recovery, staff confidence, and reducing hospital lengths of stay, especially in aging populations, patients with neurological conditions, and those with complex recovery needs.

“We know that rehabilitation providers face increasing pressure to improve outcomes, mobilize patients earlier and support those more medically complex conditions with fewer clinical staff,” said Gregg Smith, CEO of Lite Run. “Our technology was specifically designed to help therapists divide and conquer in safely supporting specific patients earlier in their recovery. Lite Run reduces the physical burden on clinicians to help more patients each day in ways not possible before.”

Lite Run supports a range of activities, including walking, balance training, weight shifting, strengthening, and endurance training. The system helps answer the question of how early therapists can help a patient move again and become active. This increases clinician efficiency while providing a comfortable, dignified patient experience.

As hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and other providers manage staffing constraints and increasingly complex patient populations, Smith believes technologies that support safer, earlier mobility will become a standard of care.