Braintree Rehab Hospital First in New England to Earn Spinal Cord Certification

The Joint Commission, the nation's oldest and largest health care standards-setting body, has certified Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital in spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

The Pond Street facility is the first hospital in New England to receive the certification, and the second to receive a Disease-Specific Care Certification from the commission's Parkinson’s Disease Program, according to a press release issued by the hospital this week.

“Building on more than 35 years of experience in treating spinal cord injuries, today, we not only meet the needs of more acute spinal cord injury patients, but also offer more comprehensive services for outpatients," Dr. Matt Lopresti, SCI Program Medical Director of BRH, said in the release.

"The Joint Commission certification underscores our ongoing commitment to superior patient care and constant quest for improvement in this very specialized field with few service providers.”

The hospital offers spinal cord injury patients many resources to help them maximize their abilities and independence, including a highly-trained staff, on-site orthotic assessment and fabrication, extensive technology, adaptive sports, and wellness programs.

Its Parkinson's Disease Program "harnesses the power of a multi-disciplinary team approach to help patients living with this disease and other movement disorders improve their quality of life," according to the release.

"We focus on every aspect of patient care including Parkinson’s disease specific medication and surgical management, intensive therapy programs, and treatment of non-motor Parkinson’s disease issues," Dr. Anna Hohler, PD Program Medical Director of BRH said. "We help Parkinson’s disease patients to improve their overall functioning and understanding of the disease process. “

To achieve the certifications, a team of experts from The Joint Commission surveyed BRH last month. They evaluated the hospital for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patient populations and their families, including infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management, according to the release.

The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, launched in 2002, is designed to evaluate clinical programs across the continuum of care. Certification requirements address three core areas: 

• compliance with consensus-based national standards; 
• effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; 
• and an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.

In addition to Disease-Specific Care Certifications in SCI Rehabilitation and PD, BRH’s Stroke Rehabilitation and Acquired Brain Injury Programs also have been awarded Disease-Specific Care Certification from The Joint Commission.

For more information visit www.braintreerehabhospital.com.