Salinas, Calif. – December 1, 2016 – Natividad Medical Center (NMC) today celebrates the reopening of the newly renovated Sam Karas Acute Rehabilitation Center. The renovation has expanded the center with the addition of four acute rehabilitation beds and four dialysis beds, bringing its total capacity to 24 beds, making it the largest acute rehabilitation center in Monterey County.

The Sam Karas Acute Rehabilitation Center is dedicated to rehabilitation medicine, providing inpatient and outpatient care for patients who have suffered a stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, amputation, joint replacement, complicated fracture, arthritis, neurological disorder or other complex medical condition that may lead to disability.

“The renovations to our rehab center are a symbol of our unparalleled care for all patients and their families,” said Dr. Anthony Galicia, medical director of the Sam Karas Acute Rehabilitation Center. “Our physicians, nurses, and therapists provide consistency, stability and full support as patients recover and regain their independence following rehabilitation. The full team at Natividad helps ensure an optimum level of recovery for each patient.”

Included in the renovation is new furnishings and equipment, a new nurses’ station, dining room and gym. The renovated center now also features local artist Kirk Kennedy’s HOME Monterey County, an art exhibition of 70 beautiful photographs of landscapes throughout Monterey County. The gallery creates a warmer, more nurturing environment for patients to recover. It is also an important component of patient care.

NMC hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony today honoring the reopening with CEO Dr. Gary Gray and other NMC staff, as well as representatives from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, Natividad Medical Foundation, Kindred Healthcare, Salinas Valley Chamber Board and Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter. The ceremony was followed by guided tours of the Sam Karas Acute Rehabilitation Center.

The Sam Karas Acute Rehabilitation Center is fully accredited by The Joint Commission and pursuing accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Achieving accreditation by these national and international standards organizations shows NMC’s commitment to quality, best practices and improving the services available at NMC.

About Sam Karas Acute Rehabilitation Center
The Sam Karas Acute Rehabilitation Center is located at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, California. It is the best choice for acute rehab in Monterey County, serving areas from South Bay (Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Hollister) to the Central Coast (Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Monterey, Carmel, Salinas, King City).

About Natividad Medical Center (NMC)
Owned and operated by Monterey County, NMC is a 172-bed, acute-care hospital providing health care services to county residents for more than 131 years. Based in Salinas, California, NMC offers inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. NMC provides more than 38,000 patient days of care each year and has more than 52,000 emergency department visits per year. NMC is a Level II Trauma Center providing the immediate availability of specialized personnel, equipment and services to treat the most severe and critical injuries. NMC’s Trauma Center is a vital community service locally that saves lives and eliminates the need to fly critically injured patients to a distant trauma center. NMC is ranked No. 1 in newborn deliveries in Monterey County and is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast through its affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With a medical staff of more than 300 physicians, NMC’s mission is to continually monitor and improve the health of the people, including the vulnerable, in Monterey County through coordinated, affordable high-quality health care. For more information, please call 831-755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.