Patients & Visitors Services | MedStar NRH | MedStar Health

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Therapist working on physical therapy of senior female patient

MedStar National Rehabilitation Network has made a number of provisions to help our patients with disabilities, including:

  • Providing services and programs in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of the qualified individual with a disability

  • Ensuring that programs, services, activities, and facilities are accessible

  • Advocating on the behalf of persons with disabilities and avoid discrimination on the basis of disability

  • Providing auxiliary aids to persons with disabilities, at no additional cost, where necessary to afford an equal opportunity to participate in or benefit from a program or activity

  • Adopting grievance procedures to handle complaints of disability discrimination in programs and activities

Sign language interpreters

Registered sign language interpreters are available to assist with communication with your healthcare team at no cost to you. Your family or friends may be used as interpreters only at your request. Assistive devices will be available to facilitate communication, as needed.

Inpatients

The Care Coordination Office will coordinate the sign language interpretation services. The number is: 202-877-1642.

Outpatients/clinic visitors

If you require a sign language interpreter, the clinic staff will make arrangements with the Outpatient Administrative Coordinator to provide such services.

Closed-captioned TVs

All inpatient rooms and waiting areas are equipped with closed-captioned TVs. Please ask our staff to activate this feature when required.

TTD and other devices

Several other communication assistance devices are available for both inpatients and outpatients upon request. These devices include TTY/TTD devices, amplified telephone handsets, assistive listening devices, and call bells.

MedStar NRH TTD number: 202-877-1450

State Relay TTD numbers
District of Columbia: 800-643-3768
Delaware: 800-232-5460
Maryland: 800-735-2258
Virginia: 800-828-1120

Outpatients/clinic visitors
For more information regarding accommodations available to assist persons with disabilities, please feel free to contact the Clinic Manager or Clinic Coordinator at the site you will be attending. You may also contact the Patient Advocacy department at 202-877-1944.

Foreign language interpreters

Language interpreters are available to help you communicate with hospital staff. The service is free of charge. Family or friends may be used as interpreters only if you request them to do so.

Inpatients

Our admitting team will be aware of your language needs and language interpretation services will be available to you.

Outpatients/clinic visitors

Please ask the clinic manager or coordinator to arrange language interpreting services.

Support groups

There are a number of local support groups for persons with disabilities and their families. All are welcome to participate.

These groups serve as a gathering place offering peer-to-peer support and advice in dealing with the daily challenges of living with a disability. They are an opportunity to learn from the experience of others, who once had the same questions as you, and for others to learn from your experience.

  • Amputee Support Group

    A support group for amputees and their family and friends. The group meets the third Monday of each month from 1 to 2 p.m. in the TeleHealth Conference Room (First Floor) of MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital. For more information, please call 202-877-1447.

  • Brain Injury Families & Friends

    Sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of Washington, D.C. (BIADC) and MedStar NRH, this group meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the MedStar NRH TeleHealth Conference Room on the first floor.

    Hear from D.C.-area brain injury survivors and their families and learn about the resources that are available to help you. For more information, call 301-641-4793.

  • Cardiac Support Group—Heart Talks

    Heart Talks is a support group for people with a history of cardiac disease and their family and friends. The group meets the third Tuesday of every month from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Telehealth Conference Room, on the first floor of MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C.

    This group offers people affected by cardiac illness a space to learn, share, and connect with one another. Parking is available onsite and is validated for all attendees.
    For more information, call 202-877-1517 or email kidist.surafel@medstar.net.

  • Expressions Club

    For brain injury and stroke survivors, consider joining the Expressions Club if:

    • You’re interested in connecting with other survivors and the community

    • You’d like to give back and have fun

    • You’d like to share your successes and challenges with others

    The Expressions Club and meets every Tuesday at 1 p.m. in the dining room at MedStar NRH. Please speak with your treating clinician for more information.

  • Stroke Comeback Club

    For stroke survivors, family, and friends. Meets on the fourth Monday of every month in the MedStar NRH TeleHealth Conference Room from 1 to 2 p.m. For more information, call 202-877-1026.

  • Stroke Comeback Club in Mitchellville, MD

    For stroke survivors, family, and friends. Meets on the third Thursday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. in the MedStar NRH Network Mitchellville Clinic (12158 Central Ave, Mitchellville, MD). For more information, call 301-390-3076.

  • Stroke Comeback Club in Bel Air, MD

    For stroke survivors, family, and friends. Meets on the third Thursday of every month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the large conference room at the Bel Air Athletic Club (658 Boulton Street, Bel Air, MD). For more information, call 410-638-9400, ext. 2.

  • Urban Re-Entry Group

    For individuals with disabilities who are victims of violence. Provides peer support to promote adapting to living in an urban environment with a disability, and helps with community reintegration including accessing resources for job re-entry, housing, and financial assistance. This group meets every Tuesday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the MedStar NRH Auditorium, Ground Floor. Call 202-877-1120 for more information.

  • MedStar NRH Support Groups for all patients and those with spinal cord injuries

    Support Group/Psychology Group Schedule

    Upper Extremity Wellness Group

    Tuesdays – 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
    Outpatient Gym – 1st Floor
    202-877-1000

    Urban Re-Entry Group

    Tuesdays – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
    Auditorium – Ground Floor
    202-877-1120

    Expressions Club

    Tuesdays – 1 to 3 p.m.
    Dining Room/Ground Floor Atrium
    RSVP required
    202-877-1766

    Cardiac Heart Talks – Cardiac Support Group

    3rd Tuesday each month – 2 to 3 p.m.
    Telehealth Conference Room – 1st Floor
    202-877-1517
    Kidist.surafel@medstar.net

    Relapse Prevention Group*

    Thursdays – 3 to 4 p.m.
    3rd Floor South Conference Room
    202-877-1120

    *This group is intended for persons with chronic medical conditions or physical disabilities who would benefit from peer support developing and implementing strategies to avoid the use or abuse of alcohol or other drugs.

Spiritual Care

The hospital has a part-time chaplain available to all patients, their families, and staff as a means of spiritual care and support.

Priest’s Sacramental visits are done on Sundays through our partnership with MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where Mass is also celebrated every Sunday.

To speak to the Chaplain

  • Call 202-877-1585–Rev. LaToya Jordan, MDiv

  • Or ask your nurse to contact the chaplain
  • Due to COVID-19, virtual visits are done upon request–you are encouraged to contact your parish priest or pastor for additional support

Reasons to seek spiritual care and support

  • Emotional and spiritual support
  • Support in moments of distress, anxiety, or crisis
  • Supporting your family and friends
  • Praying with you
  • Respecting your religious traditions, beliefs, and practices
  • Celebrating progress and good news
  • Listening with respect and without judgment
  • Providing spiritual resources (Bibles, rosaries, stress balls, Qur’ans, electric Shabbat candles, and devotionals) upon request
  • Communion upon request
  • Times of Grief: Grief can stem from many life issues, whether the loss of a loved one, a loss of mobility, a loss of independence, a loss of functionality due to a stroke, brain injury, amputation or other debilitating disease, the chaplain is available to provide support in your time of need.

Staff support

At MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, the Chaplain is not only here for patients and their families, but also for our staff. We invite you to contact the chaplain:

  • When you are feeling the weight of the critical nature of your work environment
  • When you are concerned about or experiencing spiritual and/or moral distress
  • When you have lost a patient with whom you have developed a relationship, or if you share grief for a patient and family
  • When you have lost a co-worker or a colleague
  • When the illness of a loved one weighs on your mind
  • When certain life issues are causing major distress, anxiety, or crisis

Worship services

  • Mass is held every Sunday at 10 a.m. in the Cardiac Gym located on 2 East
  • Community Worship is held the first and second Sunday at 11 a.m. and the third and fourth Sunday at 1 p.m.

Victory garden

A beautiful garden is located on site that offers a place to commune with nature and God. There is ample space to reflect and meditate as this facility does not have a chapel. It has a koi pond and seating available for patients and their guests when it is open.

More resources

Patient and Family Advisory Council for Quality and Safety

Partnering for patient safety and quality

The Patient & Family Advisory Council for Quality and Safety (PFACQS) is a collaborative effort between MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital and members of the community. It brings hospital and community representatives together for discussion about programs and services that are currently in place, new, evolving, or planned for the future, and provides guidance to hospital leaders as they make decisions to improve patient care, experience, and satisfaction.