Are you familiar with Salem Health’s inpatient rehabilitation program? Inpatient rehab is an interdisciplinary program consisting of specialized rehab nursing, therapy, care management and physiatric medical care. We have a 24-bed unit on the fourth floor of Building B.
All inpatient rehabilitation programs in the U.S. are required by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to participate in a Uniform Data System which tracks our effectiveness by a variety of parameters, all focused on how well we serve our patients.
These parameters are then plugged into a composite score called the Performance Evaluation Model, or PEM score. That score is then compared to the scores of all rehab units in the nation and assigned a percentile rank. Our rank for 2017 is in the 75th percentile, which means that by a nationally accepted, evidence-based measure, our rehab program is more effective at serving patients than three out of four units across the nation.
Our clinical manager Gina DeGuisto, RN, our ANMs and our therapy supervisor have worked very hard at serving our patients’ needs in an exemplary fashion. I am proud to be their medical director. Our team worked diligently on accurate data collection and delivering care in an extraordinarily efficient manner.
Two years ago, we were in the 47th percentile. Our improvement to the 75th percentile exemplifies the impact of Lean principles, not only on finance but also for quality outcomes.