2012 outcomes report

Overview and Outcomes Report 2012

In this report, you will learn about our strengths in consultative, inpatient and outpatient medical rehabilitation. Patient-centered care and care navigation place the person served at the center of the rehabilitation process and allow us to achieve exceptional outcomes and satisfaction rates.

Quality - rigorous standards, excellent results

Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute ensures that patients receive the highest quality care by adhering to the principles set forth by the Institute of Medicine – care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable.

The quality structure includes Program Advisory Councils (PACs) to uphold these principles across the rehabilitation continuum. PACs oversee quality for hospital-based rehabilitation, stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, cancer rehabilitation/ lymphedema, spine care and ambulatory programs.

The Institute's commitment to quality improvement, safety and patient satisfaction has been recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Recently, the Institute received the highest level of accreditation for its Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program, Stroke Specialty Program, Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation Program and Spinal Cord System of Care.

Accreditation represents substantial conformance to a rigorous set of industry-driven standards. The CARF surveyors mentioned quality as one of Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute's strengths:

"It is very evident that the organization is committed to providing high quality programs to the persons served through the dedication of an enthusiastic, tenured staff. This commitment is evident from the top down – from the executive leadership, who are committed to providing the necessary resources that support the delivery of care, to the service providers."

Comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation

Number of patients treated in 2012

In 2012, Sister Kenny Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation treated a total of 1,034 patients at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis and United Hospital in St. Paul. This graph shows the number of each type of patient served.

Discharge settings

In 2012, 83 percent of Sister Kenny Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation patients were able to leave the hospital to live in home and community settings. Being able to send more patients to home and community settings resulted in fewer discharges to nursing home and hospital settings.

Average length of stay

On average, our patients have slightly over one day shorter stay than the national average.

Functional change per day

Patients served in the inpatient rehabilitation programs make substantial daily improvement in their ability to do activities from admission to discharge. Despite its slightly shorter length of stay, Sister Kenny Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation achieves more functional change per day than its national counterparts.

Functional change per stay

Patients served in the inpatient rehabilitation programs make substantial functional improvement from admission to discharge. Sister Kenny patients are discharged at a higher functional level than their national counterparts.

Stroke rehabilitation

Number of stroke patients treated

Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Insitute provides stroke rehabilitation care at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis and United Hospital in St. Paul. In 2012, our Stroke Rehabilitation Program served a total of 373 patients.

Discharge settings

In 2012, Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute was able to send 81.21 percent of stroke patients back to their home and community settings compared to the national average of 67.83 percent. Being able to send more patients to home and community settings resulted in fewer discharges to nursing home and hospital settings.

Average length of stay

Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute patients went home almost one day sooner than the national average.

Functional change per day

Our patients' daily improvement in their ability to do activities is 0.13 points higher than the national average.

Functional change per stay

Despite a shorter length of stay, patients served in the Stroke Rehabilitation Program achieved greater functional change per stay than their national counterparts and were discharged at a higher level of functional independence.

Spinal cord injury rehabilitation

Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Insitute provides the inpatient component of the Spinal Cord Injury System of Care at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. In 2012, a total of 126 spinal cord injury patients were served.

Discharge settings

Of the 126 patients served in 2012, 84 percent were able to return to their home and community settings compared to 71 percent nationally. Discharges to nursing homes were 7 percent fewer than national. Discharges to a hospital setting were 6 percent fewer than national.

Average length of stay

In 2012, patients with a spinal cord injury at Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute were discharged 1.1 days earlier than the national average.

Functional change per stay

Spinal cord injury patients at Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute achieved substantial improvement in function from admission to discharge. Patients left  with a significantly higher functional gain than patients served in other programs nationally.

Brain injury rehabilitation

Number of brain injury patients served

Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Insitute provides integrated rehabilitation services for brain injury patients at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis and United Hospital in St. Paul. In 2012, the Brain Injury Program served a total of 185 patients.

Discharge settings

In 2012, Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute was able to send 83 percent of brain injury patients back to their home and community settings. Being able to send more patients to home and community settings resulted in fewer discharges to nursing home and hospital settings.

Average length of stay

In 2012, brain injury patients at Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute were discharged 2.7 days earlier than the national average.

Functional change per stay

Despite a significantly shorter length of stay, patients in the Brain Injury Program were discharged at a higher functional level that those served in other programs nationally.

Patient satisfaction

Overall satisfaction of care

Respect and compassion

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