Blind Rehab Services Soar During 2014 CARF Accreditation Survey

Image: 'ASPIRE to Excellence' CARF Accredited Seal

The VAPAHCS Blind Rehabilitation Service is proud to announce that we participated in a two and a half day survey by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) August 6^th through August 8^th,  2014. 

What is CARF?

The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) provides accreditation services worldwide at the request of health and human service providers.  Through accreditation, CARF assists service providers in improving the quality of their services, demonstrating value, and meeting internationally recognized organizational and program standards.

The accreditation process applies sets of standards to service areas and business practices during an on-site survey. Accreditation is an ongoing process, signaling to the public that a service provider is committed to continuously improving services, encouraging feedback, and serving the community. Accreditation also demonstrates a provider's commitment to enhance its performance and distinguish its service delivery.

CLICK HERE for a link to the CARF International Website

The CARF representatives completed a thorough survey of our Blind Rehabilitation Services including a facility inspection, interviews with students and staff, examination of our scope of services, standards, memorandum, and policies, review of inpatient and outpatient programming, outcome measures, quality of services provided, etc.

The exit briefing for the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center CARF Survey was held Friday afternoon.  The CARF Team  Leader and Administrative Surveyor Leslie Levin and the Program Surveyor Eileen Slutsky began the session congratulating the staff…

There were NO recommendations!  The WBRC is 100 % compliant with all standards.

The exit briefing consisted of outlining the many strengths they found in the program.  Of note, the surveyors commented on:

• The high degree of satisfaction of the Veterans interviewed with the program.  Veterans and their families described their experience as “magical, transformational, eye-opening”.  The exemplary staff.  They noted the diversity of experience and the dedication of the staff to the mission and Veteran-Family centered care.  The commented on the dignity and the respect shown to the Veterans.  They noted an exemplary culture of teamwork and how much the staff clearly are dedicated to their work and the mission of the WBRC.
• Access to donated funds to provide travel for caregivers attending the Family Training Program.
• Concentrated efforts to provide outreach (WBRC Blog, Newsletter, Human Guide Training to VAPAHCS Services).
• Rehabilitation Nursing Services: Ability to provide admissions to patients with high acuity of care.
• The cutting edge innovations they encountered in every program including assistive technologies, the CNVR Program, the iProgram and the leadership in research.
• The continuous improvement culture.
• Evidenced based best practices.
• The clean and inviting environment of care.
•  Recreation Therapy community reintegration.
•  Increased access to care.
• The quality of the leadership.

Congratulations to the  entire team for an exemplary survey!