Accreditation & Certifications

CARF Accreditation

Rehabilitation Services of the Illinois Neurological Institute (INI) at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Rehabilitation Services is accredited by CARF, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, for both its Inpatient Rehabilitation Program (adults and adolescents) and Outpatient Medical Rehabilitation Multi-Service Program (adults and adolescents). In addition a Stroke Special Program accreditation is maintained in these programs. 

CARF is an internationally known accrediting body that stands for a standard of excellence in rehabilitation services. Programs seeking accreditation undergo a rigorous review and on-site survey that focus on programs and services that are of the highest quality.

Rehabilitation Services of the INI has maintained the highest level of CARF accreditation since its initial accreditation in 1991. 

These are some of the ways CARF accreditation improves INI rehabilitation services:

• Education notebooks are given to all patients, including special content for brain injury, spinal cord dysfunction, limb loss and stroke.
• Handouts with contact information for community resources
• Take-along health profile forms for medication and medical history that can be used for medical appointments
• Coordination with patient, family and team members in every aspect of treatment
• Focus on maximizing remaining potential while minimizing limitations
• Required education of therapists, nurses and physicians on rehabilitation treatment areas
• Gathering and using data from a variety of sources to improve services to patients
• Safety inspections by experts from outside the medical center

Certifications

Rehabilitation Services proudly employs practitioners with advanced national certifications. They include:

McKenzie Certification - Also known as Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, the McKenzie method is recognized and used worldwide. McKenzie is a total system of patient care, assessment, treatment and prevention aimed at treating patients with common problems of the back, neck and extremities.

Certified Wound Care Specialists (CWS) - Therapists with national certification in wound care provide specialized, individual treatment geared toward effectively treating slow-healing wounds.

Certified Lymphedema Therapists - Specially certified therapists provide treatment designed to reduce swelling and other symptoms caused by damage or malformation of the lymphatic structures.

Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) - Nurses who have the exceptional distinction of being nationally certified in rehabilitation care add in-depth expertise to their care of rehabilitation patients.