The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) has been ranked the #1 rehabilitation hospital by US News and World Report since 1991. RIC is dedicated to helping people with any level of disability regain or improve their physical function and empower them to participate more fully in family, social, vocational and leisure time pursuits.

RIC's History
For more than 40 years, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) has had the distinction of being one of the world's leading organizations serving people with disabilities.

In 1954, an old warehouse in Chicago was purchased and converted into a small, modestly equipped rehabilitation center. The conversion was orchestrated by Dr. Paul Magnuson, a renowned orthopedic surgeon who, greatly moved by the personal tragedies of World War II, devoted his life to the ongoing care and recovery of people with disabilities.

Operating originally as an outpatient clinic, the center opened 65 inpatient beds in 1958. In 1974, the Institute opened what is today its flagship hospital located on Superior Street. Today, RIC has reached further and now functions as a system of rehabilitation care with locations throughout the Chicago metropolitan area and the Midwest.

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago was the first organization to bring together comprehensive patient care, research into disabling conditions, and training for professionals who serve people with disabilities. Under the leadership of Henry Betts, MD, who joined the Institute in 1964, RIC has grown into a model institution with an international reputation for excellence. With Northwestern University Medical School, RIC offers one of the largest residency programs in physical medicine and rehabilitation in the United States. More than 8,000 healthcare professionals attend RIC-sponsored continuing education courses each year.

RIC's Commitment
Because the mission of the Institute is to help people with disabilities return to the mainstream of life, RIC is an active advocate to improve their quality of life. The Institute's efforts have helped eliminate many of the barriers -- both attitudinal and physical -- that define the world for millions of people with disabilities. RIC's ongoing advocacy work led to the creation in 1980 of Access Living -- an independent living organization operated by and for people with disabilities. Access Living now offers information, referrals and services in the areas of housing, education, disability rights, and independent living. The Institute also worked very hard to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Preventing traumatic injury is also a goal of RIC. The Institute helped pass seat belt and drunk driving laws, and continues to provide education on injury prevention to the community.