The U.S. News and World Report recently released their Top 10 Hospitals for Rehabilitation in the U.S. for 2014/2015. Making the list gives the rehabilitation facilities below a platform to promote their services, and highlight their accomplishments.

What does the best hospitals ranking really mean?

Making the list means that a rehabilitation hospital has a great reputation for providing services to challenging patients.  Rankings for Rehabilitation Hospitals are strictly based on physician recommendations. US News and World Report uses patient death counts and other clinical measurements in ranking medical hospitals, however, these standards don’t apply to rehabilitation services, which deal mainly with an outpatient population.

For this list, Physicians were randomly selected to be surveyed, and they were asked which were the best hospitals for extreme or difficult rehabilitation cases. The percentage of physicians who recommended the facility determined the ranking. Here are the results.  The last two facilities were tied for ninth, having the same percentage of physicians recommending them.

Who made the best hospitals list?

1. Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in Chicago, IL
   Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, it has been ranked the #1 rehab hospital for the past 24 years by U.S. News and World Report. It is a 182-bed research facility that focuses solely on rehabilitation in many areas.
2. Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, NJ
   Kessler Institute has several locations, but their founding facility in West Orange, New Jersey has received the most recognition. It is nationally recognized as a Model System for brain injury, spinal injury, stroke and amputee rehabilitation.
3. TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, TX
   TIRR Memorial Hermann offers a wide range of rehabilitation services for children and adults. A 119-bed hospital, it offers specialized care in stroke and brain injury rehabilitation. Although it is rated for adult care, it boasts a specific teen and child rehabilitation program.
4. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
   As a leading research hospital in several areas across the country, Mayo Clinic’s Rehabilitation Medical Research Facility in Rochester has research teams that focus on the three major areas of rehabilitation: Medical, Musculoskeletal and Neurological.
5. University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, WA
   The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle is known for its forward-thinking environment. Its Harborview Campus in Seattle specializes in rehabilitation alongside other medical areas like neuroscience, otolaryngology, and orthopaedics.
6. Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital-Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA
   A large facility in New England, Spaulding boasts that it offers some of the best rehabilitation for those who have suffered brain or spinal injuries that have resulted in paralysis. It also specializes in neuromuscular disorders.
7. Craig Hospital in Englewood, CO
   Craig Hospital is home to quality outpatient facilities like the PEAK center (Performance, Exercise, Attitude, Knowledge), which offers therapies and wellness activities especially for those with neurologic disorders, and the NeuroRecovery Network for those with spinal cord injuries.
8. MossRehab in Elkins Park, PA
   MossRehab has a wide range of outpatient programs that help individuals transition back into everyday living. This includes a balance and vestibular center, a cardiac center, and a specific re-entry program that assists those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries.
9. Tied for 9th. Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, NY
   Part of the prestigious New York University, the Rusk Langone Medical Center specializes in stroke, brain injury, pediatric, and limb loss therapies.
10. Tied for 9th.   Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA
    Shepherd Center is a 100-bed acute long-term care facility. As the only rehabilitation hospital with an intensive care unit on site, the Shepherd Center offers rehabilitation immediately after traumatic brain and spinal injuries.

What rehabilitation hospital would you recommend?

If you were invited to participate in the survey, which Rehabilitation Hospital would you recommend to your most difficult cases? Please tell us who they are and why they should have been included in this list!  Place your votes in the comment section below.