SMH expands outpatient rehabilitation, earns re-accreditation for specialized care

Recognition marks 28-year streak

This is the SMH-Sarasota Rehabilitation Pavilion. Image courtesy Sarasota Memorial Health Care System

On Jan. 4, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) announced “two milestones in its commitment to providing 5-star rehabilitation care to people of the Suncoast.”

In December 2023, SMH-Sarasota earned re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for its inpatient rehabilitation program, “continuing a 28-year streak SMH has held for providing high-quality, patient-centered care,” a news release points out. “SMH’s specialized rehabilitation care has resulted in better outcomes for people recovering from disabling injuries and illnesses and earned the hospital a top spot on U.S. News & World Report’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2023-2024 for the third consecutive year,” the release notes.

“We are incredibly proud of the dedicated physicians and rehab team whose skilled and compassionate care to patients make all of these achievements possible,” said Maria DeCarlo, vice president of post-acute & rehabilitation services at SMH, in the release. “While the rankings and awards are validating, it is the resilience and success of our patients that are our greatest reward,” DeCarlo added.

The hospital is opening a sixth outpatient rehabilitation center on its Bee Ridge campus, located at 5560 Bee Ridge Road, to help meet the growing community’s increasing needs, the release points out. “Sarasota Memorial offers comprehensive inpatient rehab in its state-of-the-art Rehabilitation Pavilion on the SMH-Sarasota Campus, the only hospital-based inpatient rehabilitation program in Sarasota County, as well as physical therapy and other personalized outpatient rehabilitation to help people restore mobility and independence and improve their quality of life,” the release continues. Among its specialties are brain and spinal-cord injuries, stroke and neurological disorders, and orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions, the release adds.

For more information, people may visit smh.com/rehab or call 941-917-1385.