The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has ranked the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit as one of the top performing Inpatient Rehabilitation facilities in the nation. 

Using a Program Evaluation Model, HSA tracks Patient Evaluation Measures (PEM) scores monthly for 868 health-care facilities throughout the nation. Nationally, PEM scores placed the Hutchinson Regional Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit in the 85th percentile for 2018, including a top 10 ranking in July, October, December and a top 50 ranking in November.

According to Sarah Spexarth, MSN, RN, program director of the Inpatient Rehab Unit, key metrics in the report include length of stay goals, and functional independence change measures such as patient self-care, mobility, communication and social cognition and the number of patients discharged back to the community. 

“The average length of stay for patients at the Hutchinson Regional Rehab Unit is 10 to 14 days,” Spexarth said. “Patients are required to participate in physical rehab at least three hours per day for 5 out of 7 days of the week. A key part of therapy includes physical therapy, as well as occupational and speech therapy. Patients participate in activities that simulate household management tasks and may include cooking, cleaning, and laundry to help prepare them for their return home.”

“The Inpatient Rehab team is very committed and dedicated to providing excellent care to achieve great outcomes for their patients,” Spexarth continued. “They continuously work on numerous performance/process improvement projects to advance the unit.” 

The Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Hutchinson Regional is one of only two units in the state of Kansas accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. CARF is a rigorous accreditation that requires a service provider to commit to quality improvement, focus on the unique needs of each person the provider serves, and monitor the results of services.

Hutch Regional is one of only 17 hospitals in Kansas with an Inpatient Rehabilitation unit. During 2018, the unit experienced a 10 percent growth in the number of patients served. 

Ken Johnson, President and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, said the hospital’s nationally recognized Inpatient Rehab Unit is attracting patients from across Kansas. “These national designations are reaffirmation that the innovative methods used by the health-care professionals in the unit are achieving successful results beyond our greatest expectations,” Johnson said.