Tacoma rehab hospital gets new interim boss and final certification

A few things have changed or updated since the recent unveiling of Tacoma’s new physical rehabilitation hospital.

The 60-bed CHI Franciscan hospital, a joint venture with Kindred Healthcare, has a new interim CEO, Kindred executive Charlotte Raymor.

She replaces Robert Dickens. No details were given for his departure.

"Charlotte has a proven track record of hospital operations and has been a part of the Kindred organization for 20+ years, currently in Kindred Hospital Rehabilitation Services Division as a Senior Director of Operations-West Region," CHI Franciscan said in a statement to The News Tribune.

"Charlotte’s belief is that ongoing hospital success is founded on basic principles of patient satisfaction, employee engagement and exceptional clinical and quality outcomes that meet the needs of the community."

The hospital, 815 S. Vassault St., completed a round of quality, life safety and patient care reviews by The Joint Commission, a national accreditation organization, on June 21. That gained it Medicare certification.

"We are proud of the CHI Franciscan Rehabilitation Hospital’s successful review by The Joint Commission," Anne McBride, vice president of CHI Franciscan Health Post-Acute Care Service, said in a statement to The News Tribune on Friday. "Now fully open, the facility will allow our highly-skilled team to provide premium care for patients recovering from acute trauma or illness.”

The hospital, the first of its kind for the region, offers specialized programs for stroke, brain injury, neurological conditions, spinal injuries, amputation and orthopedic injury.

It also has specifically designed areas recreating real-life settings to help recovering patients learn new skills.

This story was originally published July 6, 2018 at 1:06 PM.