Avera St. Luke's RehabilitationCenter accredited again

Avera St. Luke's Rehabilitation Center has again been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for both its Inpatient Rehabilitation Program for adults and its Stroke Specialty Program. Both accreditations are for a three-year period that runs through May 2012.

“This achievement is an indication of our organization’s dedication and commitment to improving the quality of the lives of the people we serve,” said Jill Hanley, director of Avera St. Luke’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Avera St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Center, the only CARF-accredited rehab facility in the region, has been providing services to Aberdeen and the surrounding area since 1988. Nearly 70 percent of patients admitted with significant physical and cognitive problems return home. Stroke care is a significant component of the center, but the Rehab Center also specializes in the rehabilitative care of patients disabled by spinal cord injury, head trauma, neurological disorders, arthritis, amputations, major multiple trauma, femur fractures and other injuries.

“The care I received at the Rehab Center was unbelievable,” said former stroke patient Duane Jark of Stratford. “I thought it was the end of the world for me, but they made me ready to try again. They helped to heal the mind first, so you can work on the rest.”

The survey found the Rehab  Center has many strengths, that include:

• A dedicated, caring and experienced staff
• Utilizing space well and providing a warm, inviting and therapeutic environment.
• Meeting the needs of persons in a holistic way, sensitive to diversity
• Serving as the only inpatient rehab facility within a 200-mile radius
• A devoted leadership team
• A strong commitment to communication
• Being dedicated to involving and educating the people served, along with their support systems

CARF accreditation represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization. Accreditation includes passing a rigorous peer review process and demonstrating during an on-site visit that programs and services are of the highest quality. CARF is an independent, not-for-profit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of people served.