The NRC has announced that it is partnering with a top-ranked rehabilitation programme in America to enhance rehabilitation services through education, training and research opportunities.
The collaboration is with Atrium Health Carolinas Rehabilitation, part of Advocate Health, and together the organisations will explore initiatives aimed at strengthening services and improving patient outcomes.
Senior colleagues from the NRC, which is run and staffed by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), recently joined colleagues from Carolinas Rehabilitation at its state-of-the-art David L. Conlan Center and The Pearl, Charlotte’s health innovation district, a public-private partnership led by Atrium Health, Wexford Science & Technology and Ventas, Inc.
Meetings involved collaborating across several priority areas, including clinical services, education and workforce development, and research. The goal was to enhance quality and patient safety, advance academic partnerships and create new opportunities for collaborative research.
The alliance is part of Atrium Health’s Global Health Services programme, which connects with international partners to share best practices, develop innovative care solutions and improve clinical outcomes in communities worldwide.
Robert Larrison, president of Carolinas Rehabilitation and Enterprise Group vice president of Atrium Health Rehabilitation Network, said:
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to advancing rehabilitation care through global partnerships.
“By working alongside leading organizations like Nottingham University Hospitals, we can share expertise and, ultimately, improve outcomes for patients in our communities and around the globe.”
With the busiest major trauma centre in the country and among the largest NHS Trusts, NUH this year is expected to open the NRC, the first national rehabilitation facility for NHS patients who have experienced a life-changing illness or injury. The 70-bed, state-of-the-art specialist rehabilitation centre is home to the most comprehensive robotics suite in the NHS and is co-located on the same country estate as the U.K. military’s Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC).
Dr. Javvad Haider, Consultant and Head of Service for rehabilitation medicine at the NRC and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said:
“Our ambition is to be among other world‑leading centres, including those in the United States.
"Programmes such as Atrium Health Carolinas Rehabilitation set the benchmark for high‑quality rehabilitation, and through close collaboration we have a real opportunity to learn from one another and help shape the future global standard for rehabilitation care."
The visit from the NRC team began on International Nurses Day. Lucy Nankivell, lead nurse for the NRC, said:
“This partnership is a timely reminder of the vital role rehabilitation nurses play in helping patients rebuild their lives.
International collaboration with organisations such as Atrium Health Carolinas Rehabilitation allows us to share best practices, strengthen nursing leadership and continue advancing rehabilitation care for patients in the NHS and around the world.
"We look forward to hosting the Carolinas Rehabilitation team for a return visit in the future to see our cutting-edge facilities at the NRC.”
As the only U.S. center selected by the World Health Organisation to serve on the global World Rehabilitation Alliance, Atrium Health Carolinas Rehabilitation is committed to improving access to rehabilitation services.
Additionally, Carolinas Rehabilitation is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in rehabilitation and consistently recognized among the top rehabilitation hospitals in the nation. In recent years, it has expanded its reach and influence internationally, beginning in 2022 with the establishment of its first-ever global partnership with Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI) in Doha, Qatar, and continuing in 2024 with the announcement of a partnership with Ukraine’s National Rehabilitation Center.