Reflecting on Our First 25 Years of Service

Learn how Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation has developed into a standard-setting program over our first 25 years and where we’re heading next.

A look back on the first 25 years of Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation and an exciting peek into what’s coming next.

It all started with a clear vision. In January 2001, Adventist HealthCare opened a 55-bed acute rehabilitation facility to serve residents in Montgomery County. The joint venture with Kessler Rehabilitation added 22 new beds in 2003 and has continued to grow in size and services. Now known as Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, we’re excited to be the region’s largest program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

“We’re focused on serving our community, and that’s led to consistent growth, which has wonderful benefits,” said Brent Reitz, president of Post-Acute, Imaging and Lab Services at Adventist HealthCare. “With more volume, you gain expertise, intentional duplication of critical services and collaboration. This allows you to cross-pollinate ideas and learn from your best outcomes. Put simply, success begets success, and we’re always trying to get better.”

More Beds, More Locations, More Reasons to Celebrate

Since the inception of Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, we have responded to community needs by increasing in size and locations. When Washington Adventist Hospital closed in 2019, we relocated to White Oak Medical Center. The move increased the total number of beds at White Oak Medical Center to 42, and we’re thrilled to add four more this summer. That’s a total of 101 beds between Adventist Health Rehabilitation Rockville and White Oak.

We’ve also expanded our outpatient program, making it easier for our community to access expert rehabilitation services. Today, we offer eight outpatient therapy sites across the region, and a ninth is set to open in Germantown later this year.

All these services help an increasing number of people in need. In 2025 alone, Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation welcomed more than 2,400 inpatient admissions and approximately 84,000 outpatient visits. That volume is expected to increase as the region grows.

The next few years will bring even more reason to celebrate, as we hope to break ground on the hospital of the future. There, residents will get more essential care services in a caring environment close to home.

Growing CARF Services

While we expanded our square footage over our first two and a half decades, we also grew our service lines. Twenty-five years after opening our doors, we’re pleased to now offer five CARF-accredited rehabilitation specialty programs:

• Amputation specialty program
• Brain injury program
• Comprehensive integrated inpatient rehabilitation program
• Spinal cord system of care
• Stroke specialty program

We even helped develop one of these certification programs. The effort was led by Terrence Sheehan, MD, vice president and chief medical officer, Post-Acute Care Services at Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation. While a member of Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, he also served as a CARF surveyor and medical director of the Amputee Coalition for America.

“I noticed care was disparate for those with limb loss,” Dr. Sheehan said. “Quality depended on who showed up at the bedside and where the patient received care.”

Eager to change that, Dr. Sheehan approached CARF administrators and explained the need for standards of care for this patient population. Excited about the possibilities, CARF tasked Dr. Sheehan with assembling an international panel to develop standards. He did, and those standards now ensure excellent rehabilitation services for those living with limb loss.

Along with CARF-accredited programs, our wellness program has improved post-discharge care for nearly a decade, and our sports performance program has helped local athletes push themselves further safely over the past five years.

Looking Forward to the Next 25 Years

Past successes and future plans are the result of consistent, purpose-driven efforts by exceptional team members. These individuals deliver excellent patient outcomes and remain on staff year after year. They’re the reason we achieve turnover rates lower than 9 out of 10 hospitals nationwide and why we continue to reach one milestone after another.

“Everything we do comes down to the clinicians who deliver bedside care, the other support staff and their dedication to providing excellent care,” Reitz said. “We choose people who fit our culture. They’ve created a great place for patients to receive care, and they’ll continue to do so for years to come.”

Moving forward, Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation aims to continue growing and strengthening our programs to serve those in need of expert rehabilitation care. Here are two ways we work to reach this goal.

Advanced Technology

Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation is committed to acquiring technology that enhances post-acute and rehabilitation care.

One example of these is the ZeroG® Gait & Balance System. Bringing this innovative technology on board was a big win for patients with balance problems. The overhead robotic support system helps patients improve in the following areas:

• Balance and mobility
• Confidence
• Independence

As other technologies prove useful and effective, we consider whether they would serve our patient population well. If so, we make every effort to add the technologies to our program. It’s how we’ve served patients since 2001 and how we’ll continue to do so moving forward.

Groundbreaking Research

We recently made the choice to leverage our patient volume by expanding our research programs. This effort will bring hope and healing to countless people across the globe as we further advance rehabilitation care for all who need excellent services.

“We’re eager to collaborate with others on defining the standard of care for the future of acute rehab,” Dr. Sheehan said. “This will further reinforce our regional leadership in this specialized arena, proving why we became the place to go for rehab services over the past 25 years and will continue to be well into the future.”

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