Encompass Health’s CPR Program: 15 Years of Elevating Patient Experience Through Comfort, Professionalism, and Respect

Fifteen years ago, Encompass Health launched a bold initiative to redefine the patient experience, not through technology or complex systems, but through something far more powerful: human connection. The CPR program—built on the principles of Comfort, Professionalism, and Respect—has since become a cultural cornerstone for its network of 171 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals across the country. 

More than a training module, CPR is a philosophy that guides how caregivers interact with patients and families, creating moments of empathy, trust, and healing that drive both emotional and clinical outcomes.

The CPR program was born out of a need for consistency. In 2010, Encompass Health operated nearly 100 hospitals, each with its own branding and patient experience strategy. This decentralized approach made it difficult to maintain a unified message and standard of care. 

“We really wanted to standardize the message and ensure that best practices were in place across all hospitals,” said Mary Ellen DeBardeleben, National Director of Quality. “Our former Chief Medical Officer crafted the brand for CPR, ‘Comfort, Professionalism, and Respect,’ after seeing a list of core values displayed on the side of a New York City taxicab. Those words are the cornerstone of our program, guiding care that is meaningful to both patients and staff.” 

And these values weren’t just aspirational—they became actionable. CPR evolved into a facilitator-led training program that laid the foundation for how staff interact with patients, families, and each other. Over time, it was integrated into the organization’s broader TeamWorks model, bringing together frontline staff, hospital leadership, and regional teams to define consistent expectations for a high-quality patient experience from admission to discharge.

Since becoming a partner of NRC Health in 2018, Encompass Health has leveraged real-time patient feedback to continuously refine and elevate its CPR program. Through NRC Health’s solutions, the organization has been able to track and measure the impact of its patient experience efforts with precision: 

• Since 2020, Encompass Health has improved its Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 10 points, rising from 65 to 75. 
• In the past 12 months alone, the organization has seen a 4-point gain, from 71 to 75.1. 
• Encompass Health has outperformed the NRC Average benchmark for inpatient rehabilitation facilities in 11 out of the last 12 months—and the one month it didn’t was only short by 0.8 points. 
• Encompass Health was awarded the Excellence in Patient Experience—Large Health System award by NRC Health in October, 2025.  

“We believe in this program,” DeBardeleben emphasized. “It’s foundational enough that hospitals can build onto it, with real-time results helping to drive focus and the evolution of the program. Coupled with a deep commitment by staff, the result is a dynamic program that has lived on, even after rebrands and leadership changes.”  

This consistent upward trend in patient experience is a testament to the CPR program’s effectiveness and the value of NRC Health’s real-time insights in driving meaningful change.

What sets Encompass Health apart is a strong commitment to a human-centered experience. The CPR program plays a pivotal role in this success. 

“Central to supporting our patients in returning to their lives—to the things that mean the most to them—is not only our excellent clinical care, but the way it is delivered,” said DeBardeleben. “How we encourage our patients, how we identify with them as people worthy of our respect, our expertise, and our understanding—this is as integral to our care as the sophisticated technology and specialized clinical care we offer. As a result, more Encompass Health patients return home, rather than transition to another care setting, at rates above the national average. And we experience higher employee engagement than the average for healthcare providers.” 

With more than 40% of its 171 hospitals operating as joint ventures with acute-care health systems or hospitals, Encompass Health’s expertise and approach make it a strong and trusted partner. These collaborations further reinforce the organization’s ability to deliver seamless, patient-centered inpatient rehabilitation care that complements acute-care services and supports better outcomes across the continuum.

CPR has become a cultural blueprint for Encompass Health. It informs how staff greet patients, how they communicate during patient care, and how they prepare individuals for returning to the community after discharge. It’s a playbook for empathy, designed to exceed expectations at every touchpoint: before admission, during the hospital stay, and after discharge. 

“There are two important pieces of CPR,” said DeBardeleben. “There’s the culture—how we treat each other, our patients, and their families—and then the actual performance elements. From the moment we interact with a patient and their family to when we prepare them for a successful discharge, it’s all about creating trust and building connection.” 

In 2018, during a company-wide rebrand, the future of CPR was put to the test. Focus groups debated whether the program should be retired or reimagined. The response was unanimous: CPR was not just relevant—it was essential. 

“It was embedded into our culture,” DeBardeleben recalled. “We ended up aligning our core values—Do What’s Right, Lead with Empathy, Set the Standard, Focus on the Positive, and Stronger Together—with CPR. It’s almost like those values in action are CPR principles, day to day.”

Training Leaders to Lead with Heart 

Every Encompass Health employee is trained in the CPR program. The commitment from hospital, regional, and national leadership ensures that the principles of CPR are not only taught, but lived. 

“It’s about setting leaders up for success in the patient experience space, and holding all staff, whether they’re the hospital CEO or a frontline clinician, to a standard when interacting with patients and families,” said DeBardeleben.

Perhaps the most compelling evidence of CPR’s success comes directly from patients. One recent discharge note from Fayetteville reads: 

My care, the caregivers, the therapists, all the people, and the whole facility were great. I felt cared for, loved, and taught well so that I could go home. I want to thank you all for helping me as great as you did. Please keep up your great work. 

This is just one of over 300,000 positive comments received since Encompass Health began its patient survey process. These stories reflect the meaningful connections forged between staff and patients—connections built on comfort, professionalism, and respect. 

“That, by far, is what we should all be most proud of,” DeBardeleben said. “Getting to hear those positive things from patients and families—that’s what it’s all about.”

As Encompass Health looks to the future, the CPR program remains central to its mission. It’s not just about maintaining high standards, but also about setting new ones. The organization continues to refine the program, ensuring that it evolves with the needs of patients and the healthcare industry. 

With a strong foundation, a culture of empathy, and a commitment to excellence, supported by real-time data and insights from NRC Health, Encompass Health’s CPR program is poised to continue transforming patient experiences for years to come.