Search
Close this search box.

Newsroom

Baptist Health Rehab Services Named Top Performers in Nation

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute (BHRI) in Little Rock and Baptist Health Rehabilitation Center-North Little Rock (BHRC-NLR) were recently named to the list of top-performing rehab facilities for sustaining outcomes in the top 10 percent among almost 800 rehabilitation facilities across the nation.

This is the sixth year for BHRI and the eighth year for BHRC-NLR to make this prestigious list compiled annually by Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation of Amherst, NY.

The Program Evaluation Model used to determine the Uniform Data System rankings utilizes five components including the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). FIM consists of 18 functions (eating, grooming, bathing, upper-body dressing, lower-body dressing, toileting, bladder control, bowel control, bed transfers, toilet transfers, tub/shower transfers, ambulation, stair climbing, comprehension, expression, problem solving, memory and social skills) which are all rated on a one to seven scale at admission and then again at discharge by the treatment team.

The five components of the Program Evaluation Model are:

  1. Discharge FIM (This is the combined numerical score of the 18 functions. The higher the score, the higher the level of function.)
  2. FIM Change (The amount of change in the total FIM score from admission to discharge.)
  3. Length-of-Stay Efficiency (Total FIM change divided by the number of days of the admission.)
  4. Community Discharge Percentage (The percentage of patients who were discharged to a home environment as opposed to a nursing home, skilled nursing facility or another hospital.)
  5. Acute Care Discharge Percentage (The Percentage of patients who were discharged to an acute-care facility.)
Baptist Health’s rehab units have implemented a number of initiatives that have helped achieve this continued recognition. Both BHRI and BHRC-NLR are above the national average in discharging patients to their homes rather than sending them to another level of care like a nursing home or skilled nursing unit. This is due to providing patients with enhanced education and in depth discharge process. Each patient is given a patient-education manual with detailed and specific home instructions and diagnoses-specific information regarding their at home care.

Efforts have also been made to increase caregiver training as well as prepare patients and families for the transition back home using David’s Village. David’s Village is a life-size real-world setting for patients to practice the basic skills they will need for returning to everyday activities once they are home. It includes an actual restaurant booth, grocery store shelves and checkout counter, a car, gas pump and front porch of a house complete with a door and storm door.

Baptist Health is the state’s most comprehensive healthcare system with more than 175 points of access, including eight hospitals. For more information about Baptist Health rehabilitation services, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST.