According to an August 2, 2016 news release, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) has received word from U.S. News & World Report that it has been declared the best hospital in its field (as it has every year since 1991).
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Tops Again!
1 min read Premium comments
Secondary
“RIC’s pioneering spirit has come to define the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation, and it’s an honor to once again earn the recognition of physicians and U.S. News & World Report, ” said Joanne C. Smith, M.D., RIC’s president and CEO. “We continue our quest to be the global source of science-driven breakthroughs in human ability. We are investing heavily to offer our patients hope: the highest quality care integrated with scientific discovery and education, all to achieve the best possible outcomes.”
As indicated in the news release, “RIC’s momentum continues as the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, its state-of-the-art research hospital, is set to open in March 2017. The $550 million, 1.2-million-square-foot Shirley Ryan AbilityLab will be the first-ever ‘translational’ research hospital in which clinicians, scientists, innovators and technologists will work together in the same space, applying (or ‘translating’) research real time.”
Richard Lieber, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of RIC, told OTW, “The scale of RIC’s research enterprise is the largest of its kind in the world, with our scientists leading important research in diverse areas, from neuroscience to robotics to bionics. For example, Todd Kuiken, M.D., Ph.D. and director of the Center for Bionic Medicine (CBM), pioneered Targeted Muscle Reinnervation, a surgical procedure that reroutes brain signals from nerves severed during amputation to intact muscles, allowing patients to control their prosthetic devices by merely thinking about the action they want to take. Leveraging this technology, Dr. Kuiken and his team developed the world’s first neural-controlled bionic arm. Since then, CBM has gone on to create new, breakthrough technology, including the world’s first non-invasive, thought-controlled bionic leg.”
React:
Discussion
This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
Join the conversation
Orthopedic professionals are discussing this. Sign in and upgrade to read every comment and add your voice.