Vital Signs - July 2004

CareMeridian Opens Las Vegas Facility

Long-Term Now Available in Nevada

CareMeridian, a leading provider of healthcare for the catastrophically ill and injured, recently opened its first facility in Nevada. CareMeridian specializes in providing rehabilitative nursing, medical management and rehabilitation care for adults and children who suffer from traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, pulmonary and neuromuscular disorders and congenital anomalies. It can accommodate patients of all ages, long-term patients and patients on ventilators. Up until this time, patients had to leave Nevada for long-term care of this nature.

"CareMeridian provides in-patient medical management and rehabilitation services for the medically complex in a non-institutional environment," Chief Executive Officer Sherri Medina commented. "Nevada was a logical choice for us. We have 10 facilities in California and, over the years, we noticed several of our patients were from Nevada. After some research, it was evident there was a need for our services in the Las Vegas community."

An examination of just one type of injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI), shows the extent of this need. TBI accounts for 1.3 million injuries annually in the United States, with more than 250,000 severe enough to require hospitalization, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The typical causes of TBI are vehicular crashes, falls, acts of violence and sports injuries. In 2002, the state of Nevada saw 780 disabilities caused by TBI, according to the CDC. TBI is only one type of injury that requires long-term care.

CareMeridian’s industry-leading staff-to-patient ratio of one to four, individualized care and consistent follow-through assistance produce an extremely low re-hospitalization rate of less than 1 percent, compared to the national readmission rate of 16 percent within the first 30 days at a skilled nursing facility (as cited in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Phase II Final Report, December 2001). Staff members work closely with each resident to help improve his or her quality of life. "Each little step is counted as a miracle at CareMeridian," remarked Medina. "Our staff also welcomes family and friends to interact. The friendly, warm, homey atmosphere helps with the healing process."

While the facility offers all the traditional features of a rehabilitation center, such as a therapy gym and specialized bath and shower facilities, its home-like atmosphere is highlighted by a great room, family-sized kitchen, airy porch and cozy conversation areas that enable families to interface with the patients. CareMeridian encourages family participation in the rehabilitation of loved ones, and the non-institutional environment promotes such interaction. The sleeping areas are divided into two large "neighborhoods" that accommodate nine beds in each area. Each neighborhood has a large sitting area to allow family and friends to visit, as well as be close to and interact with their loved ones. The Las Vegas facility currently has room for 18 patients and plans to build an additional 18 beds.

CareMeridian has provided medical management and restorative care services to the severely disabled and medically fragile survivors of catastrophic injuries and illnesses since 1989. According to Medina, "We look forward to serving Nevada with the same intimate care and ‘high-touch’ environment families have experienced in CareMeridian’s JCAHO-accredited California facilities. No longer will catastrophically injured patients have to be transported out-of-state for their long-term care. Now, families will have the ability to be close and interact with their loved ones."