Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, hospital in California, United States
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center is a public rehabilitation hospital in Downey, California, operated by Los Angeles County. It focuses on patients recovering from serious neurological conditions, spinal cord injuries, and strokes, and offers therapy programs covering physical, occupational, and speech rehabilitation.
The site opened in 1888 as a poorhouse for Los Angeles County, offering shelter to people with no resources. During the polio outbreaks of the 1950s, it became one of the largest treatment centers for the disease on the West Coast.
The center draws patients and families from across the greater Los Angeles area, many of whom spend weeks or months on the campus during recovery. This long presence gives the place a community feel that is unusual for a hospital setting.
Because this is an active medical facility, visits generally require prior arrangement with the patient or staff. The campus is laid out for people with mobility challenges, so getting around on foot or by wheelchair is straightforward.
In the 1970s, staff at the hospital created the Rancho Los Amigos Scale, a tool used to measure levels of awareness after a brain injury. This scale is still in use in hospitals around the world today.
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