This article is sponsored by Centers Health Care. In this Voices interview, Skilled Nursing News sits down with Dr. Matthew Glenn, Clinical Instructor at Rusk Rehabilitation, NYU Langone Health, to discuss the evolving relationship between skilled nursing and hospital-based rehabilitation. Glenn shares how Centers Health Care’s commitment to resident recovery sparked a partnership with NYU Langone’s renowned Rusk Rehabilitation team, bringing an onsite physician model to Amsterdam Nursing Center. He explains how the collaboration is improving care outcomes, supporting staff, and setting a new standard for hospital–SNF integration. Glenn also looks ahead to how partnerships like this will shape the post-acute landscape in 2026 and beyond.
Skilled Nursing News: What life and career experiences have most shaped your approach to your work today?
Dr. Matthew Glenn: As a physician trained in the field of Physiatry / Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, I consider patient education on their medical condition leading to their loss of function key to successfully optimizing patient function. I also believe Physiatrists play an important role in maximizing the health of the surrounding community. As a Jamaican native raised in the Bronx, I have observed patient-physician communication barriers that motivated me to seek training that would provide me with the skills to address them. Throughout my training in the fields of Epidemiology and Medicine, I have observed that a community’s health is negatively impacted when there is insufficient physician-provided patient education on the reason for illness and prevention of recurrence. Differences in language and culture; and physician availability and patient cognitive ability at the time of acute hospital care are major barriers to patients achieving a clear understanding of what caused their illness and how to prevent decline. I aim to provide my patients with clear instructions on adhering to evidence-backed lifestyle and medical interventions to meet their functional goals. As a fluent Spanish speaker and seeing patients after their acute care period, I aim to maximize that clarity for a larger portion of the surrounding community. For example, for my patients with limited walking ability due to severe pain from knee osteoarthritis at the Amsterdam Nursing Home, in addition to managing their pain with oral medications and/or joint injections if indicated, I discuss strategies to maintain walking ability long-term, such as quadriceps strengthening and weight loss.
How did Centers Health Care’s priorities around resident recovery lead to the partnership with NYU Langone Health’s Rusk Rehabilitation?
The collaboration between Rusk Rehabilitation and Centers Health Care began in 2020. Residents benefit from a consistent, onsite rehabilitation presence. I am well-equipped to coordinate clinical goals, expedite treatment plans, and help residents achieve the best possible outcomes. The partnership launched at Boro Park Center, the organization’s rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility in the heart of Brooklyn.
How has having a Rusk Rehabilitation physician onsite—first at Boro Park and now at Amsterdam Nursing Center—impacted care delivery and outcomes so far?
At Boro Park Center, the partnership has served more than 1,000 patients, with a discharge goal rate significantly higher than the state and the national averages. Daily collaboration between the nursing staff, therapists, and our onsite physician there has led to improved communication and faster response times to changes in residents’ conditions. There have been tangible improvements in functional recovery rates and a reduction in hospital readmissions. Residents and families also feel reassured having direct access to a rehabilitation physician who understands both hospital-level care and long-term recovery needs.
The success of that effort paved the way for our partnership to expand to Amsterdam Nursing Home, also part of the Centers Health Care network of skilled nursing facilities, where I serve as the onsite physician.
What sets this collaboration apart from other hospital–skilled nursing partnerships?
Many partnerships rely on visiting physicians or consults. Here, we work hand-in-hand with the interdisciplinary team during morning rounds, discuss progress in real time, and adjust treatment protocols as needed. This model builds trust and accountability across everyone involved in care delivery.
How does your presence and this model benefit staff at Amsterdam Nursing Center?
It relieves some of the uncertainty that can accompany complex cases. Our onsite partnership gives nurses and therapists immediate access to clinical guidance, whether that’s fine-tuning medication management, setting realistic therapy goals, or addressing new symptoms. It strengthens both confidence and clinical decision-making at every level.
Looking ahead, what impact do you anticipate this partnership will have on resident outcomes and care standards?
We expect sustained clinical improvements, such as better functional outcomes, reduced transfers back to the hospital, and a higher overall quality of life for residents. But just as important, it reshapes what residents can expect, and that’s a proactive, team-based approach grounded in rehabilitation excellence.
In 2026, the post-acute landscape will be defined by…
I believe we are entering a period where value-based care and closer coordination between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities will set the framework for post-acute care. Having physicians like myself onsite helps close this gap by enabling faster clinical decisions, improving communication with hospital teams, and ensuring patients experience smoother transitions of care. The goal is to deliver measurable outcomes and use resources more efficiently, all while adapting to emerging technologies and evolving regulations that are reshaping how post-acute care is delivered.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Centers Health Care, one of the most complete post-acute health care organizations and a leader in post-acute care, is a premier network of skilled nursing, rehabilitation and senior care services with 42 locations throughout the Northeast. To learn more, visit www.centershealthcare.com.
The Voices Series is a sponsored content program featuring leading executives discussing trends, topics and more shaping their industry in a question-and-answer format. For more information on Voices, please contact [email protected].
