America's Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers 2023

LICENSING

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METHODOLOGY

The America's Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers 2023 ranking awards the leading inpatient physical rehabilitation facilities in the U.S. The centers were identified according to the definition of inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). IRFs are freestanding rehabilitation hospitals and rehabilitation units in acute care hospitals. Centers that offer outpatient physical rehabilitation services only were excluded. A few facilities which provide inpatient rehabilitation services but are not included in the CMS IRF data were also considered.

Physical rehabilitation centers from the 25 states with the highest number of centers were included in the survey:

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, NC, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI.

All remaining states were divided into four regions for the survey:

Northeast: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, RI, VT
Midwest: IA, MN, ND, NE, SD
West: AK, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WY
South: DC, DE, MD, MS, WV

THE RANKING IS BASED ON THREE DATA SOURCES:



SCORING MODEL:

A total score was calculated for each physical rehabilitation center. The total score was composed of:

Reputation score (45 percent of the total score)
Quality metrics score (45 percent of the total score)
Accreditation score (5 percent of the total score)
Model systems score (5 percent of the total score)

REPUTATION SCORE:

The reputation score is 45 percent of the total score. 80 percent of the reputation score is based on expert recommendations in the survey. Recommendations that were stated as the best facility a facility was the best in a state received a 33 percent higher weight than recommendations for the fifth best. Additionally, the professional experience of the participant was taken into account. A score was assigned to each facility based on the number of weighted recommendations.

The quality score is based on assessments given by the medical experts in the survey and constitutes 20 percent of the reputation score. For each recommended physical rehabilitation facility, participants were asked to assess the quality of:

Care (e.g., treatments/ therapies, consultation with doctor/ therapist)
Service (e.g., meals, leisure activities)
Follow-up care (e.g., outpatient therapies)
Accommodation & amenities (e.g., size of room, quality of furnishing)

QUALITY METRICS SCORE:

45 percent of the overall score comes from the quality metrics score calculated for each facility.

Quality metrics data is published by CMS. These quality metrics are risk-standardized quality measures, allowing for a comparison of facilities regarding the quality of treatment and medical conditions, even if the patient groups are varying. For each of the 16 quality metrics reported by CMS, a sub-score was calculated.

The facility which achieved the best result in one individual measure (e.g., lowest infection rate or highest influenza vaccination coverage among healthcare personnel) received 100 percent for the respective sub-score.

The weighted sub-scores were used to calculate the total quality metrics score.

ACCREDITATIONS SCORE:

The accreditation score is 5 percent of the total score.

CARF International is a nonprofit organization assigning voluntary accreditation for U.S. IRFs. To receive accreditation, facilities must commit to quality improvement, focus on the unique needs of each person the provider serves and monitor service outcomes.

The following specialty programs were included in the scoring model: amputation, brain injury, cancer rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, and stroke. Facilities receive a 2.5 percent bonus to their score if they have CARF accreditation and 0.5 percent for each specialty program (maximum 2.5 percent).

MODEL SYSTEMS SCORE:

The model systems score is 5 percent of the total score.

Model Systems are funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). These specialized programs of care are available in the areas of spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and burn injury. The aim is to provide high-quality research and patient care to improve the health and overall quality of life of people with TBI, SCI and burn injuries. Facilities receive a 5 percent bonus if they have one or more model system designations awarded by NIDILRR.

DISCLAIMER

The rankings are comprised exclusively of physical rehabilitation centers that are eligible regarding the scope described in this document. A mention in the ranking is a positive recognition based on peer recommendations. The ranking is the result of an elaborate process which, due to the interval of data-collection and analysis, reflects the last 12 months only. Furthermore, any events preceding and following the period June 15, 2022 – June 15, 2023, and/or pertaining to individual persons affiliated/associated to the facilities were not considered in the metrics. As such, the results of this ranking should not be used as the sole source of information for future deliberations.

The information provided in this ranking should be considered in conjunction with other available information about physical rehabilitation centers or, if possible, accompanied by a visit to the facility. The quality of physical rehabilitation centers that are not included in the rankings is not disputed.

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