America's Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers 2022
Millions of Americans find themselves in need of physical rehabilitation every year as they recover from injury or surgery or deal with pain or loss of motion from chronic conditions. When looking for care, they have a lot of choices.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 230,000 physical therapists working in the U.S. and tens of thousands of facilities employing them. Finding the right place can be a challenge. That's why Newsweek has again partnered with global market research and data firm Statista Inc. to rank the country's Best Physical Rehabilitation Centers.
This year we've awarded 255 inpatient facilities, based on the results of an online survey of over 4,400 experts on physical rehabilitation. The awards are on a state basis. For the first time, physical rehabilitation centers from every U.S. state were included. The 25 states with the most facilities were awarded individually and the remaining states were grouped into four regions: Northeast, Midwest, West and South. The total number of awardees varies per state due to different numbers of total facilities in each state.
In general, we awarded roughly the top 20 percent of facilities in each state or region. Survey participants were also able to specify a standout program (amputation, brain injury, cancer, spinal cord injury or stroke) for the recommended facilities.
We hope you find this ranking helpful in making your own choices.
- ABPRC 2022 - Alabama
- ABPRC 2022 - Indiana
- ABPRC 2022 - Michigan
- ABPRC 2022 - Midwest
- ABPRC 2022 - North Carolina
- ABPRC 2022 - Northeast Region
- ABPRC 2022 - South Carolina
- ABPRC 2022 - South Region
- ABPRC 2022 - Arizona
- ABPRC 2022 - Arkansas
- ABPRC 2022 - California
- ABPRC 2022 - Colorado
- ABPRC 2022 - Florida
- ABPRC 2022 - Georgia
- ABPRC 2022 - Illinois
- ABPRC 2022 - Kansas
- ABPRC 2022 - Kentucky
- ABPRC 2022 - Louisiana
- ABPRC 2022 - Missouri
- ABPRC 2022 - New York
- ABPRC 2022 - Ohio
- ABPRC 2022 - Oklahoma
- ABPRC 2022 - Pennsylvania
- ABPRC 2022 - Tennessee
- ABPRC 2022 - Texas
- ABPRC 2022 - Virginia
- ABPRC 2022 - Washington
- ABPRC 2022 - West Region
- ABPRC 2022 - Wisconsin
| State Rank | Facility | Score | City | Standout Program |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairview Health - Acute Rehabilitation Center | 77.76% | Minneapolis | |
| 2 | Immanuel Rehabilitation Institute | 77.25% | Omaha | |
| 3 | Regions Hospital Rehabilitation - Hospital Campus | 76.52% | St. Paul | |
| 4 | Abbott Northwestern Hospital | 76.26% | Minneapolis | |
| 5 | Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals - Omaha Campus | 76.04% | Omaha | |
| 6 | Bryan Medical Center - West Campus | 74.97% | Lincoln | |
| 7 | Mercy Medical Center | 74.80% | Cedar Rapids | |
| 8 | Sanford USD Medical Center | 74.79% | Sioux Falls | |
| 9 | Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus | 74.44% | Rochester | |
| 10 | Essentia Health-Duluth (Miller-Dwan Building) | 74.09% | Duluth |
Visit our rankings portal LICENSING
THE AMERICA'S BEST PHYSICAL Rehabilitation Centers 2022 ranking awards the leading inpatient physical rehabilitation facilities in the U.S. The centers were identified according to the definition of inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). IRFs are freestanding rehabilitation hospitals and rehabilitation units in acute care hospitals.
Centers which offer outpatient physical rehabilitation services only were excluded. A few facilities which provide inpatient rehabilitation services but are not included in the CMS. IRF data were also considered. Physical rehabilitation centers from the 25 states with the highest number of centers were included in the survey: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, NC, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
All remaining states were divided into four regions for the survey:
Northeast ........CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, RI, VT
Midwest.......................IA, MN, ND, NE, SD
West ......AK, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WY
South ........................DC, DE, MD, MS, WV
Ranking
1. A nationwide online survey
During the survey period from June to July 2022, over 4,400 experts with knowledge of physical rehabilitation centers (physicians, physiotherapists, doctors, clinic managers and health care professionals) were invited to an online survey. Participants were asked to rank the top 10 physical rehabilitation centers from their respective states. Recommendations for their own employers were not allowed.
For each recommended physical rehabilitation facility, participants also were asked to assess the quality of care (e.g., treatments/ therapies, consultation with doctor/ therapist); service (e.g., meals, leisure activities); follow-up care (e.g., outpatient therapies) and accommodation and amenities (e.g., size of room, quality of furnishing).
Participants were also able to specify a standout program (amputation, brain injury, cancer rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, stroke) for the recommended physical rehabilitation center. Rehabilitation centers that received several recommendations for one of the standout programs receive this additional designation. (No rehabilitation center received multiple recommendations for amputation.)
2. Key performance indicator (KPI) data for IRFs published by CMS.
3. Accreditation data provided by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC).
Scoring
A total score was calculated for each physical rehabilitation center.
The total score was composed of:
▸ Reputation score (45%)
▸ KPI data score (45%)
▸ Accreditation score (5%)
▸ Model systems score (5%)
REPUTATION SCORE (45% of the total score)
80 percent of the reputation score is based on expert recommendations in the survey. Recommendations that a facility was the best in a state received a 33 percent higher weight than recommendations for the fifth best. A recommendation score was assigned to each facility based on the number of weighted recommendations.
20 percent of the reputation score is based on a quality score based on assessments in the survey. For each recommended physical rehabilitation facility, participants were asked to assess the quality of:
45% _ Care (e.g., treatments/ therapies, consultation with doctor/ therapist)
15% _ Service (e.g., meals, leisure activities)
10% _ Follow-up care (e.g., outpatient therapies)
25% _ Accommodation & Amenities (e.g., size of room, quality of furnishing)
KPI SCORE(45% of the overall score)
KPI data is published by CMS. These KPIs are risk-standardized quality measures, allowing for a comparison of facilities regarding quality of treatment and medical conditions, even if the patient groups are varying. For each of the 15 KPIs reported by CMS, a sub-score was calculated.
(If a facility reported the maximum of 15 KPIs, each measure makes up 1/15 of the total score. For a facility with the minimum amount of four measures available, each of them accounts for 25% of the total score.)
The facility which achieved the best result in one individual measure (e.g., lowest infection rate or highest influenza vaccination coverage among health care personnel) received 100 percentfor the respective sub-score. The weighted sub-scores were used to calculate the total KPI data score.
For a list of the KPIs, go to newsweek.com/bprc-2022.
ACCREDITATIONS SCORE (5% of the total score)
CARF International is a nonprofit organization assigning voluntary accreditation for U.S. IRFs. To receive accreditation, facilities must commit to quality improvement, focus on the unique needs of each person the provider serves and monitor service outcomes.
The following specialty programs were included in the scoring model:
amputation, brain injury, cancer rehabilitation, spinal cord injury and stroke. Facilities receive a 2.5 percent bonus to their score if they have CARF accreditation and 0.5 percent for each specialty program (maximum 2.5 percent).
MODEL SYSTEMS SCORE (5% of the total score)
Model Systems are funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). These specialized programs of care are available in the areas of spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain Injury (TBI) and burn injury. The aim is to provide high-quality research and patient care to improve the health and overall quality of life of people with TBI, SCI and burn injuries. Facilities receive a 5 percent bonus if they have one or more model system designations awarded by NIDILRR.
The rankings are composed exclusively of physical rehabilitation centers that are eligible regarding the scope described here. A mention in the ranking is a positive recognition based on peer recommendations. The ranking is the result of an elaborate process which, due to the interval of data-collection and analysis, reflects the last 12 months only. Any events following July 26, 2022, were not considered in the metrics. The results of this ranking should not be used as the sole source of information for future deliberations. The information in this ranking should be considered in conjunction with other available information or, if possible, by a visit to the facility. The quality of physical rehabilitation centers that are not included in the rankings is not disputed.
You can download the full methodology here.
If your facility was listed in the ranking, click here to learn more about the licensing options.
METHODOLOGYTHE AMERICA'S BEST PHYSICAL Rehabilitation Centers 2022 ranking awards the leading inpatient physical rehabilitation facilities in the U.S. The centers were identified according to the definition of inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). IRFs are freestanding rehabilitation hospitals and rehabilitation units in acute care hospitals.
Centers which offer outpatient physical rehabilitation services only were excluded. A few facilities which provide inpatient rehabilitation services but are not included in the CMS. IRF data were also considered. Physical rehabilitation centers from the 25 states with the highest number of centers were included in the survey: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, NC, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
All remaining states were divided into four regions for the survey:
Northeast ........CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, RI, VT
Midwest.......................IA, MN, ND, NE, SD
West ......AK, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WY
South ........................DC, DE, MD, MS, WV
Ranking
1. A nationwide online survey
During the survey period from June to July 2022, over 4,400 experts with knowledge of physical rehabilitation centers (physicians, physiotherapists, doctors, clinic managers and health care professionals) were invited to an online survey. Participants were asked to rank the top 10 physical rehabilitation centers from their respective states. Recommendations for their own employers were not allowed.
For each recommended physical rehabilitation facility, participants also were asked to assess the quality of care (e.g., treatments/ therapies, consultation with doctor/ therapist); service (e.g., meals, leisure activities); follow-up care (e.g., outpatient therapies) and accommodation and amenities (e.g., size of room, quality of furnishing).
Participants were also able to specify a standout program (amputation, brain injury, cancer rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, stroke) for the recommended physical rehabilitation center. Rehabilitation centers that received several recommendations for one of the standout programs receive this additional designation. (No rehabilitation center received multiple recommendations for amputation.)
2. Key performance indicator (KPI) data for IRFs published by CMS.
3. Accreditation data provided by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC).
Scoring
A total score was calculated for each physical rehabilitation center.
The total score was composed of:
▸ Reputation score (45%)
▸ KPI data score (45%)
▸ Accreditation score (5%)
▸ Model systems score (5%)
REPUTATION SCORE (45% of the total score)
80 percent of the reputation score is based on expert recommendations in the survey. Recommendations that a facility was the best in a state received a 33 percent higher weight than recommendations for the fifth best. A recommendation score was assigned to each facility based on the number of weighted recommendations.
20 percent of the reputation score is based on a quality score based on assessments in the survey. For each recommended physical rehabilitation facility, participants were asked to assess the quality of:
45% _ Care (e.g., treatments/ therapies, consultation with doctor/ therapist)
15% _ Service (e.g., meals, leisure activities)
10% _ Follow-up care (e.g., outpatient therapies)
25% _ Accommodation & Amenities (e.g., size of room, quality of furnishing)
KPI SCORE(45% of the overall score)
KPI data is published by CMS. These KPIs are risk-standardized quality measures, allowing for a comparison of facilities regarding quality of treatment and medical conditions, even if the patient groups are varying. For each of the 15 KPIs reported by CMS, a sub-score was calculated.
(If a facility reported the maximum of 15 KPIs, each measure makes up 1/15 of the total score. For a facility with the minimum amount of four measures available, each of them accounts for 25% of the total score.)
The facility which achieved the best result in one individual measure (e.g., lowest infection rate or highest influenza vaccination coverage among health care personnel) received 100 percentfor the respective sub-score. The weighted sub-scores were used to calculate the total KPI data score.
For a list of the KPIs, go to newsweek.com/bprc-2022.
ACCREDITATIONS SCORE (5% of the total score)
CARF International is a nonprofit organization assigning voluntary accreditation for U.S. IRFs. To receive accreditation, facilities must commit to quality improvement, focus on the unique needs of each person the provider serves and monitor service outcomes.
The following specialty programs were included in the scoring model:
amputation, brain injury, cancer rehabilitation, spinal cord injury and stroke. Facilities receive a 2.5 percent bonus to their score if they have CARF accreditation and 0.5 percent for each specialty program (maximum 2.5 percent).
MODEL SYSTEMS SCORE (5% of the total score)
Model Systems are funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). These specialized programs of care are available in the areas of spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain Injury (TBI) and burn injury. The aim is to provide high-quality research and patient care to improve the health and overall quality of life of people with TBI, SCI and burn injuries. Facilities receive a 5 percent bonus if they have one or more model system designations awarded by NIDILRR.
The rankings are composed exclusively of physical rehabilitation centers that are eligible regarding the scope described here. A mention in the ranking is a positive recognition based on peer recommendations. The ranking is the result of an elaborate process which, due to the interval of data-collection and analysis, reflects the last 12 months only. Any events following July 26, 2022, were not considered in the metrics. The results of this ranking should not be used as the sole source of information for future deliberations. The information in this ranking should be considered in conjunction with other available information or, if possible, by a visit to the facility. The quality of physical rehabilitation centers that are not included in the rankings is not disputed.
You can download the full methodology here.
