Clinical Outcomes that Redefine What's Possible After Spinal Cord Injury
As one of the nation’s leading rehabilitation hospitals, TIRR Memorial Hermann has decades of experience caring for patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI), including the most complex cases. Our program was among the first of its kind in the United States and continues to be recognized nationally for excellence in the rehabilitation of patients with SCI.
To demonstrate the quality and impact of our care, we track and share key outcome measures,including discharge to community rates, case mix index, ventilator weaning success and patient volumes.These outcomes reflect both the complexity of the patients we serve and the expertise of our multidisciplinary team in helping patients achieve greater independence and quality of life.
Return to Community rates the majority of patients with SCI who were treated at TIRR Memorial Hermann are able to return to their homes and communities after leaving our hospital. This is typically preferred over being discharged to another hospital, skilled nursing facility or long-term acute care hospital.
| Return to Community | TIRR Memorial Hermann | Weighted National Average |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 69.72% | 70.03% |
| 2024 | 68.12% | 69.37% |
| 2023 | 77.19% | 71.67% |
| 2022 | 74.92% | 71.08% |
Case Mix Index (Complexity of Patients Served)
The Case Mix Index (CMI) is a measurement that reflects the complexity, severity and resource intensity of the patients treated in a hospital. The CMI is calculated based on multiple variables: patient diagnoses, functional status, length of stay, social demographics and more.
A higher CMI number signals a hospital’s ability to provide high-level, comprehensive care for serious and complex conditions and injuries. For patients, this means expanded access to expertise, advanced treatments and a higher standard of care when it matters most.
| CMI measurement | TIRR Memorial Hermann | Weighted National Average |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.13 | 1.77 |
| 2024 | 2.16 | 1.75 |
| 2023 | 2.06 | 1.76 |
| 2022 | 2.25 | 1.77 |
Injury Type Distribution
| Spinal Injury | C1-C4 vertebrae | C5-C8 vertebrae | Paraplegia | Major multiple trauma (Brain Injury and SCI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.88% | 17.64% | 40.29% | 21.17% |
| 2024 | 22.67% | 15.99% | 33.17% | 28.16% |
| 2023 | 21.38% | 19.27% | 30.12% | 29.21% |
| 2022 | 32.10% | 22.87% | 38.74% | 6.27% |
Note: Table may include patients with dual Spinal Cord Injury/Brain Injury.
SCI Ventilator Weaning Program Outcomes
One specialized segment of our innovative, comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation care is our Ventilator Weaning Program. It is one of the few U.S. programs specifically designed for patients with SCI who are dependent on ventilators for a variety of reasons, including injury-related needs. We help these patients learn to breathe on their own again if possible — even when other programs have not succeeded previously.
| Patient Status at Discharge | % of SCI Ventilator Patients Weaned* | % of SCI Ventilator Patients Not Eligible for Weaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 65% | 35% |
| 2024 | 59% | 41% |
| 2023 | 76% | 24% |
*Percentage of SCI ventilator patients eligible for weaning and who were 100% successfully weaned from ventilator dependence.
SCI Patients: Care Volumes
TIRR Memorial Hermann and our SCI care teams have the medical expertise and rehabilitation experience that comes from founding one of the first SCI programs in the United States. Our facility is designated as a Model System that provides comprehensive, coordinated care for patients with SCI.
| SCI Patient Care Volumes | TIRR Memorial Hermann |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 360 (9 adolescents & 351 adults) |
| 2024 | 367 (3 adolescents & 364 adults) |
| 2023 | 320 |
| 2022 | 331 |
SCI Patients: Timeline to Admission
This statistic indicates the number of days after their injury or illness when a patient is admitted to TIRR Memorial Hermann.
| Timeline to Admission Days to Admission After Injury/Illness | Days to Admission After Injury/Illness |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 45.3 |
| 2024 | 32.5 |
| 2023 | 38.1 |
| 2022 | 28.2 |
SCI Patient Demographics: Gender
| Gender | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 72.7% | 27.3% |
| 2024 | 68.9% | 31.1% |
| 2023 | 69.4% | 30.6% |
| 2022 | 71.9% | 28.1% |
SCI Patient Demographics: Age
| Age in Years | 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-65 | 66+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13.4% | 10% | 10.6% | 13.1% | 19.7% | 33.4% |
| 2024 | 12.9% | 10.4% | 11.8% | 10.1% | 17.6% | 37.6% |
| 2023 | 10.7% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 12.5% | 21.0% | 36.1% |
| 2022 | 12.8% | 10.9% | 10.6% | 14.6% | 21.5% | 29.6% |
Additional information about TIRR Memorial Hermann services and therapy options can be found at Medicare.gov.
All data noted above by fiscal year (July-June) unless otherwise noted.
Our nationally recognized program combines advanced rehabilitation expertise with a multidisciplinary team dedicated to improving function, independence and quality of life.
Get Started
To make a referral or to schedule an appointment, please call 1 (800) 44-REHAB (73422), (713) 797-5942, fax (713) 797-5988 or fill out our online forms by clicking the buttons below.
Contact Us
If you have questions or are looking for more information, please complete the form below and we will contact you.
Nationally Ranked Rehabilitation
For the 36th consecutive year, TIRR Memorial Hermann is recognized as the best rehabilitation hospital in Texas and No. 2 in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report's "Best Rehabilitation Hospitals" in America.
Learn more about TIRR Memorial Hermann rankings