For the 29th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report declares Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) the No 1 rehabilitation hospital in the country.

The independent news organization, which analyzes data for nearly 5,000 medical centers nationwide in 25 specialties, procedures and conditions, proclaims Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to be the best hospital in its field, as it has every year since 1991. It remains the only hospital of its kind to hold this distinction, according to a media release from Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

“We proudly accept this recognition, as we continue raising the bar for our organization and for the entire medical field, year after year,” says Joanne C. Smith, MD, president and CEO of Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, in the release.

“We will continue to set new global standards that change the process of scientific discovery and the manner in which healthcare is delivered, with the goal of better recoveries — and even cures — for our patients. It is wonderful to be recognized once again by physicians and U.S. News & World Report.”

The $550 million, 1.2-million-square-foot Shirley Ryan AbilityLab opened its doors in March 2017. The facility is the first-ever “translational” research hospital in which clinicians, scientists, innovators and technologists work together in the same space, 24/7, surrounding patients, discovering new approaches and applying (or “translating”) research in real time. The central goal of the translational approach is to develop new research and insights to help patients gain more function, achieve better outcomes and enjoy greater ability and independence, the release explains.

[Source: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab]