HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Colorado Springs

Working with the right rehabilitation hospital can be critical to your health and well-being, but often times, knowing the right questions to ask of a given rehab hospital can be daunting at best. Rehabilitation hospitals may all have different approaches, different staff qualifications and expertise, and different areas of specialization. Where to start? Here.

Based on real-life questions that every consumer should ask, this question-and-answer checklist is meant to help you identify which rehabilitation hospital will best meet your needs. See how the leading rehabilitation hospitals answer these key questions, as we continue to expand the number of rehab hospitals included.

Families are encouraged to take notes when asking these questions as a way to both compare programs and understand what to expect of the rehabilitation facility chosen.

  • How many patients who have injuries similar to the patient I know are treated per year at this facility?
  • Neurological diagnoses (i.e. Stroke, Brain Injury, MS, Parkinson’s, etc) : 31% Orthopedic Injuries/Surgeries: 40% Cardiac: 10% Amputee: 3% Other: 16%
  • How many patients are being treated for this type of injury right now?
  • HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Colorado Springs treats approximately 550 patients annually.
  • Are there patients here whose ages are about the same as the patient I know?
  • HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Colorado Springs accepts patients 14 year of age and older.
  • Is the facility a specialty center, and if so, for how long has it focused on that specialization? What specialty accreditations does the facility have?
  • We are the only free-standing rehabilitation hospital in Colorado Springs, and are accredited by The Joint Commission. We specialize in treating neurological disorders, as well as orthopedic conditions. Not only are we an acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital, but we also have an outpatient clinic, home health clinic, and sleep disorders clinic.
  • How many years of experience do the physicians have, on average? Staff?
  • 19 years + for physicians and 18 years for the staff
  • How long have the physicians practiced at the facility? Are they full-time or part-time?
  • 1-6 years at this facility and they are both full-time and part-time
  • Which physicians, therapists, and other professionals will work with the patient I know?
  • Treatment will be provided by an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, including: • Physicians who are board certified in Physiatry (physical medicine and rehabilitation) • Physical Therapists • Occupational Therapists • Speech Language Pathologists • Nurses (including CRRN’s – Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurses) • Registered Dietician • Psychologist • Respiratory Therapist • Case Manager
  • Who will be the patient’s primary physician, and does he/she specialize in this particular injury?
  • Each patient is assigned to one of our three physiatrists (a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation)
  • Is air transportation available?
  • The case manager at the referring facility will arrange this if appropriate.
  • Are specialty education programs available for patients and families? What are they?
  • • HealthSouth offers a Monthly Stroke Support group for stroke survivors, as well as their families. • A monthly MS Clinic is held at our hospital. People with a diagnosis of MS have an opportunity to meet with a team of specialists (including a neurologist, PT, OT, SLP, dietician and a representative from the MS Society and MS Alliance) and receive recommendations about rehabilitation, medications, and other treatment or management options.
  • What is the family’s role? What are the policies regarding family visitation?
  • HealthSouth believes that families play an important role in the rehabilitation process. Families are encourage to participate in the patient’s therapy sessions. Our visiting hours are from 8am to 8pm.
  • Is there designated low cost housing available near your facility?
  • HealthSouth has negotiated discounted rates at nearby hotels.
  • Who will help with discharge planning before the patient comes home?
  • Each patient is assigned to a Case Manager who will coordinate their care and work with the patient and family with regards to plans for discharge. The Case Manager will also serve as a liaison between the insurance carrier, treatment team and community agencies.
  • Are long-term follow-up services provided? If so, what are they?
  • HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Colorado Springs has an outpatient therapy clinic which provides physical, occupational and speech therapy services. We also have a home health agency, which provides skilled nursing care, as well as physical, occupational and speech therapy services. HealthSouth also has a Sleep Disorders Clinic, which offers consultations and treatments by a physician board- certified in sleep medicine, pulmonary disease and critical care medicine. We also complete sleep studies at our clinic.
  • Are the physicians and staff currently involved with research and training? If so, in what areas?
  • Yes, please request more information for a detailed explaination
  • What is the caseload size for the nursing, treatment, and counseling staff?
  • The average patient to nurse ratio is 1 nurse for every 5-7 patients.