March 30, 2007

45 Genesis Rehab Staff Become Certified Brain Injury Specialists

DAVENPORT, IOWA - Genesis Medical Center, Davenport is known for accreditations that set its brain injury programs apart from other hospitals in the state and the Quad Cities region.

But less known, and equally impressive, is the fact that 45 rehabilitation staff members now have the advanced education needed to become Certified Brain Injury Specialists. The Brain Injury Association of America sponsors the national certification.

“Currently there are more than 2,000 Certified Brain Injury Specialists in the United States. Prior to completion by our Genesis staff, there were only eight in Iowa,” said Jan King, Director of Genesis Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. “Now, we have 45 people from Genesis alone.

“We’re extremely proud of this accomplishment and the enhanced level of care this will bring to our patients with brain injury. We believe a well-trained staff is necessary to provide the wide array of care required in brain injury treatment.”

The American Academy for the Certification of Brain Injury Specialists works to improve the quality of care given to individuals with brain injury through the education and training. To that end, the academy offers a voluntary national certification program that establishes best practices for the training of people working with this population.

A wide variety of unique skills and knowledge is required of those who treat people with brain injury, and certification addresses issues ranging from family, legal and ethical issues to treatment approaches to brain anatomy and the epidemiology of brain injury.

A regional leader

Filling an important geographic void, Genesis’ inpatient and outpatient brain injury rehabilitation programs have been accredited by CARF, Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission. The distinction makes Genesis:

• The only hospital in the Quad Cities with accredited brain injury rehabilitation programs.
• The only hospital in Iowa with an accredited Adult Brain Injury Outpatient Program.
• One of only two hospitals in Iowa with an accredited Brain Injury Inpatient Program.
• One of few hospitals in Illinois with accredited brain injury inpatient and outpatient programs. The closest are in Rockford and suburban Chicago.

“It’s a very unique to have specialized accreditations in brain injury rehabilitation for both inpatient adults and children and outpatient adults,” King said.

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