Part of the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute | CARF-accredited in Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation and Stroke Specialty Program for Adults
If you or someone you love needs intensive rehabilitation, our Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (CIRU) may be a good option. As part of the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, CIRU provides medical rehabilitation in a hospital setting for adults who need coordinated therapy, nursing care, and physician oversight after illness, injury, or stroke.
Questions or referrals? Call our rehab nurse liaison at 240-964-6132 or the CIRU main number at 240-964-6000.
Our Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (CIRU), part of the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). The unit is located on the sixth floor of UPMC Western Maryland, where it provides interdisciplinary rehabilitation services 24- hours per day, seven days per week. While a patient on the unit, you’ll have about three hours of daily therapy six days a week.
Our large interdisciplinary team of experts works together to provide all-around care.
The unit consists of:
We serve adults over 18 years of age diagnosed with but not limited to:
The CIRU accepts referrals from:
We work with most insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private health plans. We will obtain preauthorization and provide financial disclosures before you accept a bed offer.
The Veteran's Administration (VA) is not a payor for acute inpatient rehabilitation. People served by the VA must go to specific designated facilities determined by the VA system.
Our treatment team works together with you and your family to develop an individualized plan of rehabilitation care and then guides you through a practical and personal process to maximize functional independence.
During your stay with us, you get:
CIRU also offers:
Other specialty services can be available through consultation, depending on the person's need for durable medical equipment, orthotics, and prosthetics. We aim to make sure your rehab care plan helps you reach your full potential with seamless care.
Transitional Care/Wellness opportunities include:
CIRU is within UPMC Western Maryland, so you have access to all of the hospital's emergent care services if the need arises.
We also offer imaging testing at any time, such as:
The CIRU’s admission guidelines help ensure that each person we serve receives the most appropriate level of care.
Admission to the CIRU is elective and based on criteria that help determine whether inpatient rehabilitation services are appropriate for each individual.
We consider people with spinal cord dysfunction — whether traumatic or non-traumatic — on a case-by-case basis.
We care for people who are not on ventilator support and have spine injuries.
We consider people with acquired brain injuries if they level of 7 or higher on the Rancho scale and possess the following characteristics:
Our CARF-accredited Stroke Specialty Program at UPMC Western Maryland helps adults recover after stroke through intensive inpatient rehabilitation, coordinated medical care, and personalized support. As part of CIRU and the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, the program is designed to improve function, reduce complications, and help patients return home as safely and independently as possible.
After a stroke, rehabilitation can play an important role in regaining strength, mobility, communication, and independence. Intensive inpatient stroke rehabilitation also helps lower the risk of medical complications and supports a smoother transition to home and community life.
The goals of the stroke program are to:
See the 2025 annual outcomes of the CIRU and stroke specialty program (PDF).
After a referral, a rehab coordinator or liaison will complete a preadmission screening.
This screening will determine if you're eligible for admission to the CIRU.
The preadmission screen evaluates the following criteria:
A rehab provider will review the preadmission screen and justify that the patient requires, will benefit from, and can actively participate in intensive rehabilitation therapy.
The intended discharge setting for most people we treat is to return to their home.
If home is not the best option, we will help identify the most appropriate setting to meet your needs, such as:
The discharge environment depends on the patient/caregiver's ability to provide safe and effective care for the patient.
The rehabilitation process can at times feel long and frustrating. Your family/caregiver/partner is encouraged to participate in the treatment process.
Our staff will provide you and your support system with:
Our program is equipped to support the psychological needs of our patients and their caregivers related to their hospital stay, underlying conditions or those that are a result of their injury.
Our UPMC Western Maryland CIRU inpatient program is dedicated to providing comprehensive rehabilitative services for our patients with physical, functional thinking, swallowing, and/or communication impairments. Through a team approach, we focus on delivering sound rehabilitative therapy to affect positive change in functional ability, independence, and self-reliance across various environments, while protecting and promoting the rights of the persons served.
Our team is committed to helping improve your best level of physical, educational, and psychological skills necessary for your return to your prior level of functioning.
These agencies accredit the CIRU:
Our top percentile attributes were:
After a life changing car accident, Heather Miltenberger was left with many injuries and a long road to recovery. Part of her recovery led her to the UPMC Western Maryland Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (CIRU).
As a UPMC Western Maryland employee, Heather was already aware of the high level of care she would receive as a patient.
“Everyone was so kind and attentive to my needs. They really make you feel like family. The team cares for you and the effort you are making in your recovery,” she noted.
“I would recommend the UPMC Western Maryland CIRU to anyone. They do everything possible to get you prepared for going home after your stay. Also, with the continued outpatient therapy they push you to get back to where you were before your accident or procedure,” she said.
To see if you qualify for inpatient rehab or to start the referral process, call:
CIRU address:
12500 Willowbrook Rd., 6th floor
Cumberland, MD 21502
Open 24 hours a day.
We value the feedback that our community and patients give us in order to make improvements and address concerns.
If you or your family have any questions or concerns, please contact our Patient Experience department at 240-964-8104 or 48104 on your bedside phone.
