Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center |
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| Los Angeles County Department of Health Services | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | 7601 East Imperial Highway, Downey, California, United States |
| Organization | |
| Care system | Public |
| Funding | Government hospital |
| Hospital type | Specialist |
| Affiliated university | USC |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | None |
| Beds | 395 |
| Speciality | Rehabilitation hospital |
| History | |
| Founded | 1888 |
The Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center is a special hospital in Downey, California, United States. Its name means 'Friends' Ranch' in Spanish. This hospital helps people get better after serious injuries or illnesses. It teaches them how to live as independently as possible.
Contents
A Look Back: Rancho's History
Rancho Los Amigos, often called Rancho, started a long time ago in 1888. It was first a place called the Los Angeles County Poor Farm. This farm offered work, housing, and medical care to people who needed help.
How Rancho Became a Hospital
In the late 1920s, the farm began offering Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy. These therapies help people move and do daily tasks. Rancho grew quickly after 1951. It became a special center for patients with polio, a disease that affected breathing.
In 1955, Dr. Vernon L. Nickel created the halo vest. This device helps keep the neck still after bad injuries or surgeries. Doctors Jacquelin Perry and Robert Waters also made big steps forward. They improved how doctors understand and treat spinal cord injuries. They also helped people with other bone and nerve problems.
In the 1970s, the Rancho Los Amigos Scale was created here. This scale helps doctors understand how much a brain injury affects a patient's thinking.
Early Years: 1887-1907
When it first opened in December 1888, Edwin L. Burdick was the first leader. The farm had buildings for men and women, and a dining hall. Over time, the farm became very crowded. There were also concerns about cleanliness. Things improved after 1906 with new remodeling.
Growing as a Medical Center: 1907-1952
In 1907, Donald Chick became the leader. He helped build the first chapel and a special ward for mental health. Later, Andrew Wade helped the farm grow even more. By 1910, more people with long-term illnesses came to the farm. This started its shift towards being a medical facility.
William Ruddy Harriman led the farm from 1915 to 1952. During his time, many new buildings were added. In 1926, the hospital started its occupational therapy program. Patients learned crafts and even made furniture for the hospital. By 1922, the farm was mostly a medical facility.
In the 1930s, the facility officially changed its name. It became "Rancho Los Amigos," which means "Friends' Ranch." This name showed its new role as a medical hospital. After World War II, more people came to Rancho. This was partly because of a polio outbreak in 1944. Rancho became well-known for its excellent polio care.
Modern Rancho: 1952-Today
In 1952, a new respiratory center was built. The hospital also added new departments. These included home care, orthopedics (bone care), and social services. Rancho kept growing and adding new services throughout the 20th century.
Original Campus: What Remains
The original campus closed in 1988. Over the years, many of its old buildings were damaged. Today, only a few buildings remain from the very first campus.
Rancho Today: Helping People Recover
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center is one of the biggest rehabilitation centers in the U.S. It helps many people with serious illnesses and injuries.
Rancho's main goal is to help patients with disabilities. It teaches them skills to do everyday activities. It also helps them get back to work or school if they can.
For over 20 years, Rancho has been named one of "America's Best Hospitals." This is for its work in Rehabilitation Medicine.
Rancho has 207 beds for patients. Each year, it helps about 4,000 patients stay at the hospital. It also has 78,000 visits for patients who come for appointments. The hospital offers many services. These include care for:
- Stroke
- Spinal cord injury
- Brain injury
- Children's needs
- Bone problems (orthopedics)
- Diabetes care
- Wound care
- Limb care and after-amputation care
These services help patients become as independent as possible. This way, they can return home, to school, or to a job.
Rancho also has many creative programs. These programs help patients recover and rejoin their communities. Some of these programs are:
- Day Rehabilitation Program
- Rancho Wellness Center
- Advanced Robotics Center
- Virtual Reality Center
- Rehab Engineering
- Spinal Cord Injury Project
- Dentistry for People with Disabilities
- Telemedicine (care from a distance)
These programs help patients directly. They also support research and education.
Rancho also offers fun and helpful patient programs. These programs help patients feel good about themselves and become more independent. Some of these are:
- The Art of Rancho Program
- Don Knabe Pediatric Arts Program (for kids)
- Wheelchair Sports Program
- Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program
- Spinal Injury Games
- Patient Fashion Show
- Pet Therapy Program
- Pediatric Carnival Day
- Rancho Stroke Walk
Rancho continues its mission. It wants to give every patient the best medical and rehabilitation care. It also works to improve how it helps people.
Images for kids
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What's left of Rancho's old campus in March 2024.
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Rancho Los Amigos' old water tower and power station. These are some of the few buildings still standing.
