CARF Accreditation January 10, 2007 Catawba Valley Medical Center Awarded Three-Year CARF Accreditation

HICKORY--Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) was recently notified by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) that its In-Patient Rehabilitation Unit has been re-accredited for a period of three years. The latest accreditation is the third Three-Year Accreditation outcome that the international accrediting commission has awarded to CVMC. The accreditation outcome represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization's substantial conformance to the standards established by CARF. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation outcome has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable and accountable. CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. CVMC's Inpatient Rehabilitation Center is a 20-bed physical rehabilitation unit that provides care to assist with improving the quality of life for people with all levels of disability by helping them to be as functional and independent as possible. This population primarily consists of the following diagnoses: Stroke, Hip Fracture, Bilateral Total Joint Replacement, Neurological Disorder, Spinal Cord Injury, Amputation, Acquired Brain Injury, Arthritic and Other Connective Tissue Disorders and Multiple Trauma. The services provided by the interdisciplinary team include Physician Services, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Therapeutic Recreation, Rehabilitation Nursing, and Medical Social Work. CVMC has been providing Inpatient Rehabilitation Services for the Catawba Valley area since 1995 and is the only CARF accredited rehabilitation in the Unifour area. The Inpatient Rehabilitation Center is part of the continuum of care of rehab services provided by the medical center. Catawba Valley Medical Center is a not-for-profit, public healthcare system in Hickory, NC, providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. CVMC, recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet facility, was recently named a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers.