Rehabilitation Institute Of Chicago

Programs: Clinical care: the sralab was founded in 1951 as the rehabilitation institute of chicago, an illinois not-for-profit corporation. In march 2017, the rehabilitation institute of chicago housing 182 beds moved to a new building with 242 licensed beds, and became the sralab. This move brought not only a physical change of address but a whole new model to the field of rehabilitation. Upon opening in march 2017, the $550 million, 1. 2-million-square-foot sralab became the first-ever "translational" research hospital in which clinicians, scientists, innovators and technologists work together in the same space, surrounding patients, discovering new approaches and applying (or "translating") research real time. Sralab's vision is to advance human ability through science and research. The organization has earned the distinction of being named the nation's #1-ranked provider of comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation care to patients from around the world for 27 years by u. S. News & world report - a record for any u. S. Hospital. Sralab also is the nation's largest rehabilitation research enterprise, advancing the field globally through innovation of the most advanced treatments and technologies. Sralab is the only rehabilitation hospital in the nation to hold a record eight federally designated research programs in the areas of computers and robots in therapy, mobility technologies, health and function in disabilities, neurologic rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, rehabilitation engineering, patient outcomes, and pediatric orthopedics. Sralab's care quality and delivery highlights:as of march 2017 sralab's system of care included a 242 bed hospital and outpatient facility, located at 355 east erie street in chicago, illinois, as well as a number of other facilities and joint ventures. The corporation offers a comprehensive range of inpatient, day rehabilitation and outpatient services throughout the system. Inpatient rehabilitation services are provided using a multidisciplinary approach. Day treatment rehabilitation consists of a multidisciplinary approach for individuals no longer requiring the 24-hour nursing services provided in an inpatient setting. Outpatient care is typically a singular discipline (e. G. , physical therapy) and offers various levels of therapeutic intensity, depending on the patient's needs and goals. In fy 2017 sralab treated more than 6,600 inpatients throughout its system of care and delivered over 2 million outpatient therapy units. Sralab's facilities are staffed by approximately 2,300 medical professionals and support personnel, a dedicated team who in fy 2017 treated patients from 46 states and handled referrals from 57 countries. Each patient at sralab is assigned a personalized (coordinated interprofessional) care team consisting of the field's most well-trained rehabilitation doctors, nurses, therapists, care managers clinical specialists and researchers. No other specialty hospital in the nation has a more experienced track record of being rated #1 for twenty-seven consecutive years. Sralab is one of only 2% of the nation's nearly 6,000 hospitals to have achieved three consecutive magnet designations for nursing excellence from the american nurses credentialing center (ancc) and the first free-standing acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital to have this distinction.

research: sralab's research program is the world's largest physical rehabilitation research enterprise in pursuit of clinical advancement through scientific discovery. The research program has at any given time approximately 300 research projects underway, funded by more than $100 million in donations from both private and public sources. Its experts regularly publish research in the world's foremost medical journals, including the journal of the american medical association (jama) and its european equivalent, the lancet, and it is home to a record eight federal research designations to develop cutting-edge solutions for patients. Computers and robots in therapy: an internationally acclaimed nidilrr-funded center especially for patients with hemispheric stroke - the most debilitating kind. Seven studies address two elemental questions: when is the optimal time to use robotic and computer-based systems during therapy, and how do therapists best interact with robotic devices during therapy, often with minimal hands-on treatment coming from the clinician? Training of undergraduate rehabilitation engineers is included. Manipulation and mobility technologies: a nidilrr-funded rehabilitation engineering research center award to fund six new projects researching innovations that are directly useful for patients, especially those who have experienced limb-loss or stroke. Projects include body-powered hand prostheses, use of powered exoskeleton for after-stroke patients, and a new wheelchair to allow both sitting and standing. Research will include both technology development and clinical testing. Health and function in physical disability: this rehabilitation and training center, funded by nidilrr, was created to develop, evaluate, and implement methods to promote optimal health and function of people with physical disabilities. Through a variety of research, training and dissemination activities, we expect to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the efficacy and value of various interventions for achieving and maintaining health and function for people with a disability. Spinal cord injury research: sralab operates the midwest regional spinal cord injury care system as designated by nidilrr. One of only 14 sci model systems nationwide, sralab advances spinal cord care through clinical research that identifies new standards of care for the industry. It leads multiple independent and collaborative research projects exploring walking therapy technologies that deliver the most effective treatment to advance ability. Engineering research: machines assist therapists in providing longer, more consistent and intensive therapies that track progress and improve functional performance. Sralab is designated one of 20 nidilrr rehabilitation engineering research centers dedicated to stroke research and the only one focused on robotics.

medical education: the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at northwestern university's feinberg school of medicine (dept of pm&r) is housed within sralab, which has one of the largest and most highly respected residency programs in physical medicine and rehabilitation in the country. Resident physicians spend three to four years rotating through the dept of pm&r, taught by sralab physicians who are experts in this specialty. In fy 2017, sralab trained 41 residents. The sralab medical education program also provides opportunities for first-year medical students to meet regularly with patients from sralab's spinal cord injury, general rehabilitation, or pediatric program to gain patients' insights on recovery and needs for independent living. Academy: the academy has offered continuing education courses aimed at helping healthcare professionals stay at the forefront of their field for 58 years. In fy 2017, over three thousand students participated in academy programs which are taught by interdisciplinary teams of recognized specialists from sralab and visiting experts from across the country and around the world. These courses were offered in a variety of formats including webinars, on-site and blended courses, and outreach programs. Fellowships: sralab offers physician fellowships, funded primarily by donations, in pediatric rehabilitation, musculoskeletal sports and spine medicine, spinal cord injury, pain management, and traumatic brain injury. In fy 2017, six physician fellows were named at sralab. Sralab also supports fellowships for therapists, nurses and other non-physicians. Prosthetics and orthotics (p&o) residency: each year, sralab's prosthetics and orthotics clinical center (pocc) selects three prosthetist and three orthotist residents for these highly sought after positions. The orthotics residency is a 12-month program and the prosthetics residency is an 18-month program to allow additional hands-on experience in research through our center for bionic medicine. Through these training programs, p&o residents are mentored by sralab's certified, licensed professionals and get exposure to a variety of clinical presentations and pathologies, clinical evaluation, prescription recommendation, documentation, the actual fabrication of devices, and formal research.

community health and education: henry b. Betts life center: as an addition to its world renowned clinical services, sralab opened the life (learning, innovation, family, empowerment) center in 2003 to address the range of emotional, interpersonal, physical and financial requirements for living with a disability. In response to the need for trusted resources in key areas of life, sralab provides this state-of-the-art multimedia education center and web portal as an integrated component of patient care to support seamless and successful transitions throughout life. In fy 2017, total outreach and service efforts represented 9,026 person contacts. These included individualized patient, family, and community education programs, classes, special events, tours and a peer mentor program. The center also offers a public computer area which provides access to internet use and support which is now open 24/7. The center's impact spreads globally through its website, which drew 16,323 page views per month, reflecting 5,645 unique users per month, with 195,877 page views annually from 150 countries in fy 2017. Sports and fitness program: the sralab adaptive sports and fitness program provides wellness opportunities to people with physical disabilities through sports and recreation as well as a full-service accessible health club. All services offered in the adaptive sports program, which marked its 36th year in fy 2017, are free of charge. The fitness program, which celebrated its 21th anniversary, provides access to a health club that operates from 6:15 am to 7 pm five days per week for a nominal annual fee. The sports and fitness program is funded primarily by grants and generous community donations and is operated by ten and one half full time equivalent staff. Additionally, volunteers logged nearly 20,428 hours in fy 2017. The shirley ryan adaptive sports and fitness program is considered a national leader in health promotion for people with disabilities. In fy 2017, the sports program recorded 6,908 visits by its 405 registered participants, and the fitness program recorded 30,510 visits by its 672 registered participants in addition to 8,679 class visits. A separate program for youth, the caring for kids program, recorded 1,477 visits by 191 chicago area children with disabilities. Vocational rehabilitation program: beginning a career or returning to work following an illness or injury is important to a patient's financial security and emotional well-being. It can contribute to the achievement of a productive, independent and fulfilling life. For more than 50 years, the sralab has been providing comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services tailored to meet the needs of each client. Services include initial assessment, diagnostic evaluation, work trial assessments, job analysis, return-to-work evaluations, job placement, resume writing, job interview workshops and internship coordination. The sralab covers the cost of initial assessments, which are not covered by most third-party payers. Patients receive vocational services at nine sralab facilities, ensuring that employment assistance is closely tied to community reintegration. During the past five years, the program has served an average of 950 clients annually. In the last year, we placed 125 individuals in jobs and are pleased to report an average annual job retention rate of 86%. We continue to provide no cost ged program for patients with spinal cord injuries to our list of services. Assistive technology programs: the technology center, rehabilitation engineering, and the wheelchair & seating center, comprise sralab's assistive technology programs. In fy 2017, the assistive technology programs served approximately 2,400 unique patients. The sralab technology center provides computer access training, augmentative communication devices and electronic aids to daily living, including recommendations for home automation and modifications, for people with different abilities. Occupational therapists and speech language pathologists evaluate and recommend equipment for each individual's needs. Through a lending library, patients can try items before purchasing them or borrow them for short-term use due to changing needs. Staff members speak to universities, schools, organizations for people with disabilities, senior centers and the general public. The center provides free service, school and home visits to clients who are unable to come to sralab. Rehabilitation engineering staff provide consultation, evaluation, design and technical expertise to customize commercially available products that aid persons with different abilities to complete of activities of daily living, at home, work, and in the community, with increased independence. The team also fabricates custom equipment to create unique, individualized solutions to help patients navigate obstacles encountered in daily life. Sralab provides free care for services or products, and provides hands-on experiences to students through northwestern university's engineering design program. The wheelchair & seating center staff evaluate and make recommendations for complex wheelchairs and customized seating systems for patients with significant mobility and postural needs. This includes manual wheelchairs; powered wheelchairs; custom-made and customized seat and back cushions to relieve pressure, prevent pressure sores, and maintain posture; alternative drive controls like sip and puff and head array systems; and other durable medical equipment that help clients maintain or increase their mobility and independence, at home, work, or in the community.