Rehab Center's Patient Outcomes Exceed Regional, National Benchmarks

The rehabilitation center recently celebrated its 18th anniversary on Five West. The last 18 years have seen many changes, such as shorter stays and patients who require many more medical interventions. What hasn't changed is the opportunity to be a part of some truly miraculous recoveries and experience the amazing strength of the human spirit.

"Rehabilitation is the process of helping individuals relearn or adapt skills in order to be as independent as possible within the limits of an injury or illness." The rehabilitation center on Five West at Saint Joseph's Hospital is committed to this process. The treatment team, composed of professional nursing and therapy staff and led by a physiatrist, works with our patients to optimize their function.

All patients are assessed on admission and discharge, and this information is submitted to a national database. The assessment used is the FIMTM (Functional Independence Measure). This scale measures 18 items, which indicate the patient's ability to perform activities. The lowest possible cumulative score on admission is 18, which indicates complete dependence. The highest cumulative score is 126, indicating complete independence. This program allows us to compare our outcomes to regional and national counterparts.

The rehabilitation center outcomes at Saint Joseph's Hospital are outstanding compared to regional and national data. The graphs on the right represent data available on patients discharged between October 1, 2006, and September 30, 2007.