HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota Awarded Three New Certifications From the Joint Commision
3/28/2011
The Joint Commission has again awarded HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota its
Disease-Specific Care Certification. The hospital earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ for healthcare quality for its
Hip Fracture, Spinal Cord Injury and Stroke Rehabilitation Programs.
“We voluntarily pursue the Joint Commission to evaluate our rehabilitation programs because we wanted to
demonstrate our commitment to excellence,” said Alexander DeJesus, M.D., medical director of HealthSouth
Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota. “We strive to be the provider of choice for patients and their families and
referring physicians looking for high-quality hip fracture, spinal cord injury and stroke rehabilitative services.”
To earn the new certification, the hospital’s Hip Fracture, Spinal Cord Injury and Stroke Rehabilitation Programs
underwent an extensive, unannounced, on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers. The program
was evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of the programs’ processes, the
programs’ ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization and interviews with patients and staff.
“Our focus is to serve the needs of the Sarasota and the surrounding communities,” said Marcus Braz, chief
executive officer at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota. “Each day, our staff works to provide a
differentiated level of care and offer services that get patients back on their feet and functioning in their
communities. We’re honored to achieve our recent distinctions.”
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to
the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance
improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care
programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the
Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. For more
information on The Joint Commission and its certification programs, visit www.jointcommission.org.
About HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota is an 86-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital that offers
comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation. Serving patients throughout southwest Florida, the hospital is
located at 6400 Edgelake Drive and on the Web at www.healthsouthsarasota.com.
About HealthSouth
HealthSouth is the nation’s largest provider of inpatient rehabilitative healthcare services. Operating in 26 states
across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves patients through its network of inpatient rehabilitation
hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation satellite clinics and home health agencies.
HealthSouth’s hospitals provide a higher level of rehabilitative care to patients who are recovering from conditions
such as stroke and other neurological disorders, orthopedic, cardiac and pulmonary conditions, brain and spinal
cord injury, and amputations. HealthSouth can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com.
Source: HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota