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Description

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Mission
Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara provides comprehensive medical rehabilitation to empower people with disabilities to achieve optimal quality of life

Vision
Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara is recognized for expertise innovation and excellent outcomes of care

Guiding Principles
Leadership in Medical Rehabilitation
We provide proactive innovative evidencebased care

AccountabilityEthical Practices
We base treatment on the patients needs wise use of resources and clinical expertise

Compassionate Care
We treat each patient and support system uniquely honestly and competently remembering with empathy the challenges faced by people undergoing rehabilitation

Advocacy amp Accessibility
We take a public and political role to ensure that people with disabilities have the information to assert their rights equal to the rest of the population

Collaboration and Partnership
We believe in the creative synergism found in our patient care and in working with other individuals and institutions to achieve shared goals

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History

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History
Renewing Hope Nurturing Independence
It was a remarkable concept in 1955 a hospital dedicated to the belief that hope dignity and independence were possible for persons with disabilities A hospital committed to providing compassionate costeffective solutions to some of societys most challenging and complicated medical problems A hospital that would seek to create a true societal team working together in response to the needs of individual patients A groundbreaking concept in 1955 it is an even more remarkable reality today

Memorial Rehabilitation Foundation MRF was formed to focus community concern for the fate of persons with disabilities After years of planning and with the active support of area hospitals and physicians the Foundation entered into a partnership with the County of Santa Barbara to create a pilot rehabilitation project in a unit of Santa Barbara General Hospital On February 13 1967 Memorial Rehabilitation Foundation Center opened its doors with its founding medical director Harris Meisel MD leading this innovative effort

In 1978 when Santa Barbara General Hospital closed due to low patient numbers concerned community leaders who had provided necessary philanthropic support to MRF once again decided the future of this hallmark rehabilitation effort A freestanding notforprofit hospital opened its doors in January 1982 as Memorial Hospital of Santa Barbara MHSB

Looking to the future of healthcare and rehabilitation Memorial Rehabilitation Foundation sought to honor the philanthropic community that supported it by officially changing its name to Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara RISB in 1986 Plans were also begun at that time to relocate the hospital to a more suitable location The goal was to have a new hospital that would be better equipped to serve the growing needs of the Central Coast for decades to come

An attractive opportunity became available when Cottage Hospital responded positively to the suggestion that it sell Cottage Care Center to RISB Located at 2415 De la Vina Street Cottage Care Center was deemed the perfect location for relocating the Institute The building was purchased and a major remodel with new construction was begun RISB successfully settled into its new home in January of 2001 and became the first hospital in California to meet the states stringent earthquake safety standards to 2030

Today Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara operates out of a stateoftheart facility in the heart of Santa Barbaras medical community The dream that spurred community volunteers into action almost fifty years ago continues to motivate the employees volunteers and patients of RISB Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara is a lasting resource for everyone on the Central Coast