Helen Hayes Hospital Awarded Fifth Consecutive Three-Year CARF Accreditation

October 25, 2012

CARF International has announced that Helen Hayes Hospital has been accredited for a period of three years The latest accreditation is the fifth consecutive Three-Year Accreditation that the international accrediting body, CARF, has awarded to the specialty physical rehabilitation hospital.

Helen Hayes has received the accreditation for 13 rehabilitation programs, one of the largest number bestowed by the accrediting body to any one organization. Among the programs accredited are the following:

Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs- Hospital

Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs-Amputation Specialty Program (Adults)

Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs- Brain injury  (Adults, Children & Adolescents)

Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs- Spinal Cord System of Care ((Adult, Children & Adolescents)

Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs: Stroke Specialty Programs (Adult)

Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs- Skilled Nursing (Adults)

Interdisciplinary Outpatient Medical Rehabilitation Programs- (Brain, Spinal Cord and Stroke)

This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows Helen Hayes’ substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process. It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality.

Within the accreditation report, surveyors highlighted a number of Hospital strengths. Specifically, they cited the outstanding communication and interaction among rehabilitation team members, ensuring a cohesive approach to patient care; the highly qualified, competent and committed staff; the Hospital’s on-site comprehensive Prosthetic Orthotic Center; the adaptive sports, recreational therapy and wellness programs offered; the use and availability of assistive technology that enhances patient outcomes; support of rehabilitation research.

“This Three-Year CARF accreditation demonstrates the Hospital’s leadership in rehabilitation medicine,” states Dr. Bruce Marshall, Director of Medical and Professional Services. “The number of specialty programs accredited, along with the wealth of positive feedback on our services, clearly reflects on the high quality of care we provide and our excellent patient outcomes.”

Helen Hayes Hospital is one of the nation’s leading specialty rehabilitation hospital, providing a range of inpatient, outpatient and specialty care to individuals recovering from brain and spinal cord injury, amputation and stroke, as well as cardiopulmonary, orthopedic and neurological disorders. Founded in 1900, it is operated by the New York State Department of Health and is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System.

CARF is an independent, nonprofit 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 the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. For more information about the accreditation process, please visit the CARF website at www.carf.org.