Craig Hospital - Englewood, Colorado

Jason Smith

The family housing apartment I stayed in was very nice, full kitchen, queen size bed and a full size hide-a-bed, has a large refrigerator, dishwasher, 4 piece dish set, microwave, stove top, some pots and pans, toaster, and a little Keurig style coffee maker that uses the pods, has a small bottle of dish soap, the hospital has pretty good food and a lot to choose from on their menu, their cafeteria is not open all day, only open for a couple hours at a time for breakfast lunch and dinner, prayers for all the families that stay here.

Like Home

Craig Hospital took my kid in. They promised low or very low hospital re-entry. 5 years later, there has been zero re-hospitalization. No pressure sores, very careful about promises. I hope you are underwhelmed by this review. You will be overwhelmed by the progress and life you will receive if you are lucky enough to be accepted here.

dswhit64

We felt so fortunate that my son was able to rehabilitate from his motorcycle accident at Craig. I can’t imagine having a better experience anywhere else. My son arrived at Craig just over a month from his accident date. He had a serious TBI with very limited mobility on his left side. The staff was attentive, friendly and very professional. We worked with a great team of therapists who coordinated together for his recovery. He was walking and talking in no time! Their program is structured such so the patient improves daily. The rooms are comfortable (except for the recliners. They are the most uncomfortable chairs ever.) and roomy. The food is probably better than average hospital food. The equipment is state of the art and he loved the warm therapy pools. We loved all our nurses and techs. It was almost (almost!) sad to leave. It would be hard pressed to find any place better to recover from a TBI or spinal injury.

Goofy Nanna

Helpful, amazing spinal cord surgery in 2005. Told me I probably wouldn't walk afterwards but I did. 3years to recover and nurses Xiomara Acosta+Charlotte + Dr. Falci were amazing. Dr.Berliner and Xio RN have been Amazing for Pueblo Outreach clinic (Alumni) yearly re-evaluations also!
Thank you

Jennie Rensel

Craig Hospital has been nothing short of amazing. After a catastrophic motorcycle accident in July 2021 my husband was transferred to Craig Hospital. The Doctors, the team of PT/OT/Speech/mental Health and all nursing/tech teams were so far past wonderful, I don’t have a word for it. From the amazing technology in the gym to the entire teams personal investments with our family. These people cared, like on a real life, deep in the thick of it kind of cared about not only my husband but our whole family. My kids and I watched them transform my husband to become independent and strong in his chair transfers and all daily tasks that he will need outside of Craig. Craig took a very hard situation and used all positive reinforcements to teach our family to live happily and confidently in our new normal. Every staff member made it happen. The support staff was just as amazing and are still helping us with our transition to outpatient. I can not give this Hospital enough stars.
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alicia banks

I was in a severe accident. I was extremely injured, including brain injury, and a five broken vertebrae. This is, by far, the best hospital I have ever seen! They are great at what they do, and they actually care! The facility is very nice, including an apartment building they use like a hotel for your loved ones visiting. It is nice!
I have seen hospitals all over the nation, through family injuries, and illnesses. NONE of them begin to compare! Even out in DC, the hospitals there don't touch Craig. Other hospitals should try their best to be more like Craig! They make good food too! Always have a tech with you, as long as you need it! What a beautiful place! What amazing people work at Craig! I couldn't have asked for a better hospital, doctors, nurses, or techs! I consider myself very lucky to have been there! I was there for just over 3 months. They still care how I'm doing! What an amazing, fantastic place! Thank you for making so much injury liveable, and having such a great staff! Craig rocks!

W C

A top notch inpatient SCI rehab facility... BUT you must understand the nature of SCI and you must be polite to the incredibly hard-working staff.

A few bits of advice if you're headed to Craig:
1. Try to make friends with other patients and their families
2. It's tough, but try not to fixate too much on regaining mobility
3. Try to get outside, even just to the roundabout/courtyard, every day
4. As a family member/caregiver, try to attend as many therapies as possible so you can learn, too
5. Set several SMALL goals and share them with the therapists-- write them on the whiteboard on your room
6. As a patient, push as hard as you can in therapies, but don't be afraid to take a rest day (even if the staff teases you for it)
7. Get the TSA cares information for any time you may need to fly
8. Take the secret tunnel to Swedish Hospital if you're not feeling the Craig cafeteria food
9. Try and do pool therapy ASAP
10. Join the (not Craig-affiliated) SCI discord (found through reddit on r/spinalcordinjuries) for patients and follow WAGS for caregivers

The focus of Craig's SCI program is to prepare patients to live as independently as possible with their CURRENT level of ability. Therapies will focus on finding the right assistive technology, strengthening and stretching the muscles that are in voluntary control, and performing daily tasks despite new mobility restrictions.
I will admit I don't have any other facilities to compare Craig to, but they negotiated with our insurance to make sure we were able to stay in their care until we were prepared enough and stable enough to leave. The expertise of the staff there is incredible, but the negotiation our social worker did was enough alone to make our stay worthwhile.
Family members should try and attend therapies as much as possible (unless the patient requests otherwise). Being able to get guidance from the therapists and practice important skills together is absolutely invaluable.
Be kind to the techs and nurses! Well, be kind to everyone. But the techs and nurses have all kinds of tips and tricks that they'll share if you express interest and haven't been giving them a hard time.
The only faults of Craig are because of the constraints of our healthcare system. In a perfect world, patients would be able to get more sleep, take fewer laxatives, and stay in inpatient for longer. Because everyone on the team wants to maximize the patient's time in inpatient while insurance companies are trying to cut things short, that's not always possible.
I sincerely hope that we find a way to restore full mobility, somehow, for everyone with an SCI in the near future. Until then, Craig will do everything they can to send you back home able to live as independently as possible.

Mary Means

Craig Hospital is amazing. My husband in 2018 had a terrible ski accident. He had a serious TBI and other serious injuries. We were from Indiana 1600 miles from home. After spending time at Denver Health in a coma in the ICU and in the PCU my husband needed Rehab. I wanted to go back home for his rehab but he could not travel. I was given several opposition's for rehab which included Craig. I am so thankful I chose Craig. Craig was our home for 2 1/2 months and they sure made us feel like we were home. Being 1600 miles away from home and all alone they gave me 30 days stay for free in the hospital apartments. My husband's treatment there was fabulous. My husband is back to work doing the job he loves being a firefighter. Thank you Craig for all you did for my husband and my family.