Inpatient Rehabilitation Center

Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Center (IRC) provides care for hospitalized patients needing specialized intensive physical rehabilitation following an injury, an illness or surgery.

When you are admitted to the IRC, your therapy team will develop a daily schedule to meet your needs. The goal is three hours of therapy per day, five or six days per week. Your doctor and rehabilitation team will work with you to decide when you are ready to go home, based on your individual circumstances.

What makes the IRC different from a skilled nursing facility (SNF)?

• The IRC offers a much higher nurse-to-patient ratio than does a skilled-nursing facility, with therapists trained specifically in rehabilitation nursing.
• The IRC is overseen by a physician who specializes in rehabilitation medicine and conducts daily rounds. This is backed up by the full range of hospital specialties: emergency diagnostics, surgical and medical services, and such specialty disciplines as neuropsychology and rehabilitative ophthalmology.
• The IRC provides intensive therapy (usually three hours per day) involving at least two therapy disciplines; in a SNF the intensity of therapy is usually much lower.
• The IRC also provides more comprehensive case management and integration of care, with care conferences led by a rehabilitation physician conducted at least weekly.
• Patients who meet criteria may be admitted directly to the IRC without an acute hospital stay. By comparison, to be admitted to a skilled-nursing facility (under Medicare rules) patients are required to have at least three nights of hospitalization prior to admission.

 How long do patients typically stay in the IRC?

• The average length of stay is 11 days, but this varies widely and depends on the complexity of each individual patient.

What is the admission process?

• The admission coordinator performs a screening to determine whether the patient meets admission criteria. All admissions must also be approved in writing by the medical director based on the screening. Some payers also require a consultation with a rehabilitation physician as well as pre-admission approval by the insurance company.

What could a patient expect in terms of outcome?

• Our goal is to decrease the burden of care and, if possible, enable the patient to return home with a high level of independence. Our statistics are constantly changing and are reviewed regularly, but historically our outcomes in the key metrics of functional improvement, return to a homelike environment, and length of stay are as good as or better than comparison groups from similar facilities. 
• Most rehabilitation professionals accept the concept of “neuroplasticity.” Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain and nerves to regenerate or re-map pathways to allow a return of function when provided with intensive retraining. There is hope for return of independence even with the most severe injuries, but the timeline will vary for each individual. Most patients in the IRC can expect to continue their rehabilitation in a less intensive setting, such as home health or outpatient therapy, after discharge from the hospital.

What diagnoses are treated in the IRC?

• Admission criteria are based on functional needs, not diagnosis. Our most frequent categories are stroke, brain injury (traumatic or non-traumatic), multiple trauma, debility due to prolonged hospitalization, amputation and certain orthopedic conditions.
• Pediatric patients or other patients who might require very specialized equipment will be referred to more appropriate facilities that are equipped to handle such needs. IRC admissions coordinators can assist in this process.