The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago receives Medical Travel Commission 2012 Certification

May 31, 2012 - PRLog -- Asheville, NC – The Medical Travel Commission™ (MTC) today announced that The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC)  is MTC 2012 Certified®, and meets the Commission’s International Patient Program criteria for 2012. The International Patient Program Certification is designed to recognize organizations that provide extraordinary, best in class service to patients traveling across international borders for care.  The Commission is an independent organization dedicated to setting standards for service excellence to International Patients and elevating the level of service quality by safeguarding patient experiences in the following areas: Communication, Customer Service, Provider Interaction, Quality Care and Medical Information Exchange.

As a MTC 2012 Certified organization, RIC completed an inspection process that included interviews, examination of documents and evaluation of policies and programs, and passed inspection of 100 percent of the 2012 criteria. “The thorough inspection process ensures that certified organizations have demonstrated their ability to deliver a positive patient experience through exceptional customer service and quality care,” said Jim Tate, President of the Commission. “I’d like to congratulate The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, who now represents the leading edge in best in class service to their International Patients.”

The MTC Certified mark — a “seal of approval” for hospitals treating International Patients — provides the benchmark for optimal patient service experiences. By looking to organizations with the MTC Certified seal, patients, embassies, medical travel facilitators and providers can reduce their risk in selecting a suitable hospital for the delivery of needed medical care.

“RIC is honored to receive Medical Travel Commission certification acknowledging excellence for care of patients from around the world,” said Rebecca Brashler, LCSW, Director, Global Patient Services at RIC. “RIC’s unique model of rehabilitation care integrated with state-of-the-art science advances ability for thousands of adults and children from around the globe each year. This “best in class” certification will allow RIC to amplify its reach to care for even more patients in need of quality rehabilitation.”
MTC’s certification criteria and its design for a certification inspection process have been thoroughly researched and vetted, taking into account the industry Best Practices and available standards, and comparing certification processes in other industries and other countries. The inspection process is designed to rigorously compare organization practices against the special needs of International Patients, including their communication and clinical needs.

About The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) is the nation’s #1 ranked provider of comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation care to patients from around the world and is the leader in research and development of cutting-edge treatments and technologies in its field. Through aggressive medical protocols, RIC guides the patient care process toward a better outcome. RIC holds an unparalleled market distinction with a record seven, multi-year, multi-million dollar federal research designations awarded and funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Education’s National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research in the areas of spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, neurological rehabilitation, outcomes research and rehabilitation engineering research.  RIC operates its 182-bed, current flagship hospital in downtown Chicago, as well as a network of more than 59 sites of care distributed throughout the Midwestern region, through which it delivers inpatient, day rehabilitation and outpatient services. Founded in 1954, RIC has been designated the “#1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America” by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1991. RIC sets the standard of care in the post-acute market through its innovative applied research and discovery programs, particularly in the areas of neuroscience, bionic medicine, musculoskeletal medicine and technology transfer. For more information, go to http://www.ric.org.

About The Medical Travel Commission
The Medical Travel Commission (MTC®) is an independent organization dedicated to improving service to International Patients who travel for medical care. Its mission is to set standards for service excellence to International Patients by creating a credible, sustainable certification program. The certification requirements are based on widely accepted industry standards and best practices and involve the work of many experts with input from a variety of stakeholders throughout the health care and medical travel industry. The MTC is the only certification body for International Patient Programs led by healthcare professionals who have personally provided health care around the globe.  More information on MTC and MTC Certified® organizations is available at http://www.MedicalTravelCommission.com or by contacting info@medicaltravelcommission.com.  “MTC®” and “MTC Certified®” are registered marks of the Medical Travel Commission.