Encompass Health recognized by NRC Health for excellence in patient experience for second consecutive year

Oct. 8, 2026 - Encompass Health has again been recognized by NRC Health for its commitment to delivering an exceptional patient experience. For the second consecutive year, the Company was named a recipient of the Excellence in Patient Experience Award, placing it among the top three large health systems nationwide recognized for their commitment to enhancing the care experience for every patient.

Listening to patients to strengthen the care experience

Winners were determined using patient feedback in areas identified as most important to the quality of their care. Specifically, NRC Health assessed each health system’s Real-Time Net Promoter Score for the “Would Recommend Facility” question from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026.

“Our patients are at the center of everything we do, and their feedback is one of the most meaningful measures of the experience we provide,” said Mary Ellen DeBardeleben, national director of quality for Encompass Health. “This recognition reflects the commitment of our teams across the Company to listen to our patients, understand what matters most to them and provide compassionate, high-quality care throughout their rehabilitation journey.”

A comprehensive patient experience program

An important part of Encompass Health’s approach to the patient experience is its Comfort, Professionalism and Respect (CPR) program, which reinforces the behaviors that help patients and their families feel supported throughout their rehabilitation journey. The program, which celebrated its 15th anniversary last year, provides employees with a consistent framework for creating positive interactions by focusing on patient comfort, demonstrating professionalism and treating every individual with respect.

Learn more about the CPR program’s origin and evolution in NRC Health’s 2025 blog article, “Encompass Health’s CPR Program: 15 Years of Elevating Patient Experience Through Comfort, Professionalism and Respect.”

Setting the standard in patient care

Encompass Health will continue to listen closely to patients and their families and use their feedback to identify opportunities to strengthen the patient experience across the Company. By sharing insights and best practices across its hospital network, Encompass Health aims to build on what is working well while identifying meaningful opportunities to enhance care throughout the rehabilitation journey.

“Recognition like this is meaningful, but our work doesn’t stop here,” DeBardeleben said. “We will continue listening to our patients and using their feedback to guide how we improve the care experience across our hospitals. Every patient interaction is an opportunity to learn, improve and ensure we are delivering the experience our patients and their families deserve.”

A full list of 2026 NRC Health award recipients is available at nrchealth.com.