National Commission Awards Kudos to Roper Rehab Programs
March 15, 2011
CHARLESTON, SC – March 14, 2011 – Roper Rehabilitation Hospital has again been recognized among the nation’s top facilities for stroke specialty and adult inpatient care.
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), a private, not-for-profit organization that promotes quality rehabilitation services internationally, has reaccredited Roper Rehab Hospital for another 3-year period for its Adult Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital and Stroke Specialty programs. To receive a CARF accreditation, a rehab facility must meet stringent requirements of staff knowledge, operational procedures, safety and effectiveness.
“These accreditations mean that Roper Rehab’s programs meet internationally recognized standards of patient care, and that our patients and their families can be confident of our commitment to quality,” said Matt Severance, CEO at Roper Hospital where the Rehabilitation Hospital is housed. “We are presently the only hospital in the Lowcountry and one of only six in South Carolina to be awarded the Adult Inpatient Rehabilitation accreditation, and one of only three in the state to be awarded the Stroke Specialty accreditation.”
CARF’s survey summary, based on a site visit conducted in December 2010, commended the rehab hospital’s exemplary conformance to standards in two areas. The first noted enhancements to the hospital’s stroke support group meetings, where as part of their therapy, appropriate current inpatients help prepare a meal that is shared with other attendees. The second cited the rehab hospital’s bed reserve agreement with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), which ensures that Roper Rehabilitation Hospital always has 15 beds available for MUSC patients.
Roper Rehabilitation Hospital, which has served some 16,000 patients since opening in 1992, is part of Roper St. Francis Healthcare. The hospital currently houses 52 inpatient beds with 170 employees. Of its eligible nurses, 70 percent have received specialty certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN). Nurses must have worked in rehab for two years in order to be eligible to sit for the exam.
James Warmoth is the Rehabilitation Hospital’s medical director and also serves as a CARF surveyor, traveling throughout the U.S. and around the world conducting surveys. “As a surveyor, Dr. Warmoth stays up-to-date on CARF’s stringent standards,” explains Cathy Therrell, MSN, RN, CNAA, BC, Director of Roper Rehabilitation Hospital. “Because he visits rehabilitation facilities around the world, Dr. Warmoth is able to bring the best of what he sees home to Roper Rehab Hospital, which helps keep us on the cutting edge of our industry.”
Founded in 1966, CARF’s mission is to advance the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services that center on enhancing the lives of the people served. CARF accreditations represent the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization’s programs and shows its substantial conformance to CARF standards. An organization receiving a three-year accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and demonstrated to a team of surveyors that its programs and services are of the highest quality.
For more information on Roper Rehabilitation Hospital, please visit: www.rsfh.com/rehab.
The Roper St. Francis Healthcare Mission:
Healing All People with Compassion, Faith and Excellence
Roper St. Francis Healthcare is the South Carolina Lowcountry’s only private, not-for-profit health care system. The 657-bed system consists of 90 facilities and services in seven counties. Member hospitals include Roper Hospital, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, Mount Pleasant Hospital and Roper Rehabilitation Hospital. Plans to build a hospital in Berkeley County are in progress. Roper St. Francis Physician Partners is a comprehensive network of more than 180 physicians that covers a complete range of primary care and 20 subspecialties.
With more than 5,100 employees, Roper St. Francis Healthcare is Charleston’s largest non-governmental, private employer. Its medical staff includes nearly 800 physicians representing every medical specialty. Ranked #41 among the Top 100 Integrated Health Networks in the nation, Roper St. Francis Healthcare recently earned 96 National Awards recognizing high levels of patient, physician and employee satisfaction. In October 2010, Roper St. Francis was named among Modern Healthcare’s prestigious list of “Top 100 Places to Work.” Roper St. Francis Healthcare was additionally listed among the Top 25 Connected Healthcare Systems in 2010. In 2010, the organization contributed more than 78,312 hours of staff time and $47.3 million to benefit the community, serving nearly 264,000 community residents.
