The MED Receives CARF Accreditation

CARF accreditation affords a provider many benefits, such as:

• Assurance on the part of persons seeking services that an organization meets internationally accepted standards.
• Person-focused standards that emphasize an integrated and individualized approach to services and outcomes.
• Accountability to funding sources, referral agencies, and the community.
• Continuous quality improvement through the application of CARF standards.
• Management techniques that are efficient, cost-effective, and based on outcomes and consumer satisfaction.
• Evidence to assure federal, state, provincial, and local governments of the quality of programs and services that receive government funding.
• Guidance for responsible management and professional growth of personnel.
• A tool for marketing programs and services to consumers, referral sources, and third-party funders.
• Support from CARF through consultation, publications, conferences, training opportunities, and newsletters.

The MED Receives CARF Accreditation

Consumers look for CARF accreditation because CARF-accredited programs rank high for outcomes achievement -- optimal results made possible by a comprehensive range of program-specific resources, from seminars to expert help with survey preparation.

Medical Rehabilitation accreditation and standards
A Foundation For Quality

Purchasers and providers of medical rehabilitation care choose CARF accreditation as a blueprint for rehabilitation services that represent value and to demonstrate that their organizations' programs meet internationally recognized standards.

CARF standards are continuously reviewed, and programs are added in response to the rapid changes and advances in the rehabilitation field. CARF's sensitivity to the field ensures that the standards for medical rehabilitation remain state of the art. Although CARF's standards are responsive to the unique needs of specialized programs in medical rehabilitation, certain fundamental principles apply to all programs. These principles serve as the foundation for all CARF standards. An organization seeking accreditation for a medical rehabilitation program must demonstrate the following:

• Service design and delivery that focus on the needs of the persons served.
• Assignment of designated, qualified, competent personnel to provide medical rehabilitation services.
• Program accessibility and designation of space for the provision of medical rehabilitation services.
• Accomplishment of predicted outcomes.
• Partnership with the persons served in decision making and the development of goals.
• A system of accountability that measures the success of the medical rehabilitation program by evaluating the outcomes achieved by the persons served.
• External communication to a variety of stakeholders regarding program performance.
  

The MED Receives CARF Accreditation
Conformance To Standards

In all program areas in which accreditation is sought, the organization is asked to demonstrate to a survey team conformance to standards highlighting the organization's values and approaches in these areas:

• Core values and mission.
• Input from the persons served and other stakeholders.
• Individual-centered planning, design, and delivery.
• Rights of the persons served.
• Continuity of care.
• Quality and appropriateness of services.
• Leadership, ethics, and advocacy.
• Planning and financial management.
• Human resources.
• Accessibility.
• Health and safety.
• Outcomes management and performance improvement.
• Infrastructure management.

A Quality Organization Illustrates The Following:

• Service design and delivery that are focused on the needs of the persons served and the organization's other stakeholders.
• Involvement of the persons served as partners in the individual planning process.
• An outcomes management system that is used to continuously improve the quality of individual programs and organizational practices.

The value of accreditation is much more than a certificate on the wall. An organization seeking accreditation from CARF must demonstrate a clear focus on its stakeholders, the expectations and satisfaction of the persons being served, the achievement of mutually established outcomes and its business practices.

Today's dynamic "learning organization" uses the CARF accreditation process and results for its marketing, staff development, and strategic planning activities to improve the quality of life for each person it serves.