Eighteen HCA Healthcare facilities named to U.S. best physical rehabilitation center list

Newsweek recently announced its roundup of America’s Best Physical Rehab Centers 2021, naming 18 HCA Healthcare facilities to the list. The awards, presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., highlight the nation’s top inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) based on quality of care, quality of service, quality of follow-up care and accommodation and amenities.

Operating in 16 states nationwide, HCA Healthcare is the largest hospital-based provider of inpatient rehabilitation in the United States. Our physical rehabilitation specialists support the unique needs of patients through customized therapy sessions – with the ultimate goal of helping them regain independence to safely return to their homes.

Following a hospital stay, HCA Healthcare’s continuum of care may involve intensive short-term rehab or longer-term restorative care. Our post-acute care includes a range of medical services to support a patient’s continued recovery from after injury, surgery or illness. Doctors, nurses and therapists at HCA Healthcare’s post-acute care facilities often see patients who have suffered from strokes, brain injuries, joint replacements and severe fractures.

The 18 HCA Healthcare facilities that made Newsweek’s 2021 list of the country’s Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers are:

• Blake Medical Center (Bradenton, Florida)
• Central Florida Regional Hospital (Sanford, Florida)
• Largo Medical Center (Largo, Florida)
• Lawnwood Physical Rehabilitation Center (Fort Pierce, Florida)
• St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital (Austin, Texas)
• St. David’s Medical Center (Austin, Texas)
• Medical City Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
• Medical City Plano (Plano, Texas)
• HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe (Conroe, Texas)
• Methodist Hospital Stone Oak Rehabilitation Center (San Antonio, Texas)
• Methodist Hospital Metropolitan (San Antonio, Texas)
• Swedish Medical Center (Englewood, Colorado)
• Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital (Aurora, Colorado)
• CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital (Asheville, North Carolina)
• Johnston-Willis Hospital (Richmond, Virginia)
• Parkridge Medical Center (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
• Fairview Park Hospital (Dublin, Georgia)
• Tulane Inpatient Rehabilitation Center (Metairie, Louisiana)

St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, and St. David’s North Austin Medical Center also made U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation 2021 list, ranking among the nation’s top 50 rehabilitation providers.

Colleague Q&A

We spoke with Clement Hakim, program director at Blake Medical Center, and Sherrill Oates, administrative director of clinical operations at Methodist Hospital Stone Oak Rehabilitation Center, to find out why their programs are top-notch.

What are patients and their loved ones looking for in a rehab center?

Clement: “Patients are looking for better outcomes and safety. The fact that our rehab center is hospital-based provides an extra layer of safety. We have all of the medical services available at Blake Medical Center. Specialists can come and visit our patients and the rapid response team can assist us if we need them.”

Sherrill: “Our patients are looking for inclusion in the process. They want to be involved in goal setting, they want their family to be trained on the equipment, or know how to take care of them getting in and out of a car or a chair, and they want to know their options for services after discharge. All of that starts at admission. Our case members have that conversation with the family and get their wishes and expectations and that discharge plan develops throughout the stay. By the time the patient comes to discharge, they know what to expect and the family has been trained.”

Why do you think your facility made Newsweek’s list?

Clement: “We provide excellent care and our patients are leaving happy from our facility and able to stay home instead of bouncing back to the hospital. It shows with our excellent outcomes. We implemented a meeting where we have the entire care team attend and we invite the family to join us so we align our expectations and meet the patient’s needs. It occurs on the third day of admission — we want to identify any barriers we are working against to get them back home safely. The meeting is early enough without being too early to have that open dialog with the family and the patient.”

Sherrill: “We care like family and our therapy and nursing teams are close-knit. Our patients pick up on it during gym or therapy. They see how the team works well together and is in constant communication. The patient will see the same two therapists, a physical therapist and an occupational therapist, so the continuity of care is consistent. We have five certified rehab registered nurses, or CRRNs, and two more will test for their certification this month. They are specialists in rehab nursing and they bring the other staff up to their level of expertise.”

How else does your rehab center strive for excellence?

Clement: “We take patients that are significantly more complex than other rehabs; we want to help these people and we have the capabilities to take care of them from a medical perspective. We are on track to see 650 patients this year. Our Post-Acute Service Division invested in technology that helps us as well, such as a smart lift that is attached to the ceiling that supports the weight of the patient or a specialized endoscope that allows us to visualize when a patient has difficulty swallowing. And all of our eligible nurses are certified in rehabilitation and they maintain that certification.”

Sherrill: “Communication — our therapists can write on the communication board in every room so our patients and families know who they are going to see that day and what they are going to do. They know who their doctor is and what the plan will be. We have a spot on the board to learn about their hobbies or what matters to them, if they have three grandkids, etc. Our staff connects with patients on a personal level and we check on them in outpatient care or when they are in home health because we’ve connected with them while they were here. We provide psychology services too — our psychologist meets with every patient to make sure they are coping and understanding their recovery.”

What should others aspiring to work in the post-acute care field know?

Clement: “It all surrounds personalizing the care — not as individual disciplines but as a whole care team. Before treatment sessions and after treatment sessions, we meet as a team to discuss how the last 24 hours went for a patient. We discuss our plan and determine any medical changes that could impact their care.”

Sherrill: “Patient-centered care has to be at the forefront. It also takes more than just treatment of the patient — everyone needs to feel safe and confident to care for the patient when they leave the building. We tell them you can call us if you have any problems at home. We also call within a week of discharge to make sure they received their equipment or they have met with a physician.”