Indianapolis Rehabilitation Hospital

The Indianapolis rehabilitation hospital has a long history of not just treating patients, but also of advancing medical science. A few examples illustrate the many ways in which the hospital has helped to improve care for people with disabilities.

In the 1950s and '60s, the hospital's research arm studied how polio survivors could increase their strength and endurance. The findings were used to develop an exercise program that enabled polio patients to walk without braces. Patients who had been told they would never walk again were able to do so by following this exercise program. This work was so groundbreaking that it was featured on an episode of the television series "The House I Live In."

In the early 1960s, researchers at the hospital developed a new way of measuring how much oxygen people use when they're exercising, which was an important step toward making sure stroke survivors were getting enough oxygen during therapy. The same researchers also developed a new way to measure blood flow in the carotid artery, which is important for preventing strokes.

The hospital's research efforts have continued over the decades, and in recent years have focused on improving outcomes for stroke survivors, people with spinal cord injuries and those who need kidney transplants.

But even as researchers look for ways to improve patient outcomes for those with disabilities, there

Nationally recognized rehab hospital in Indianapolis

The Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI), a joint venture between Indiana University Health and Kindred Healthcare, has been dedicated to providing comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation services since 1995. RHI is the only free-standing, long-term acute care hospital in the state that provides 24-hour rehabilitative care to patients recovering from the effects of a disabling injury or illness.

RHI provides specialized rehabilitation services for patients who have experienced a stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation and complex orthopedic injuries. Our patients are typically referred from acute care hospitals when they no longer require acute care services, but still need specialized rehabilitation services before returning home. RHI’s average length of stay is 25 days.

Our mission

We are committed to offering an individualized rehabilitative plan for each patient and family we serve. It is our mission to improve quality of life by helping individuals reach their highest level of independence following disability due to injury or illness.