Craig Hospital and National Sports Center for the Disabled Partner to Provide Adaptive Sport Opportunities

Englewood, Colo., Feb. 23, 2018 -- Craig Hospital and the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) have joined forces to offer a variety of resources for individuals with disabilities to participate in sports and recreation opportunities.

As part of the partnership, Craig has provided financial assistance to the NSCD to enhance its current offerings. In addition, the hospital will align some of its own adaptive activities with the NSCD’s programs – specifically its summer programs that include kayaking, rock climbing, horseback riding, camping and more.

“Our interests and activities define who we are – not our abilities or disabilities,” said Diane Eustace, operations and communications director, NSCD. “We are excited to join forces with Craig, which will allow us to deliver more of our adaptive recreation and sports offerings to an even wider audience.”

The partnership aligns with the missions of both organizations, which focus on helping those living with disabilities to live a full and exciting life.

“Therapeutic recreation is an integral part of the total rehabilitation process. The NSCD provides so many of our patients and graduates with a way to be involved in recreation beyond the hospital, so a partnership made a lot of sense,” said Mike Fordyce, president and CEO of Craig. “We are excited to formalize a partnership that will help both organizations continue to advocate for empowering the lives of people living with disabilities.”

# # #

About Craig Hospital
Craig Hospital is a world-renowned, 93-bed, private, not-for-profit rehabilitation hospital and research center that specializes in the care of people who have sustained a spinal cord and/or a brain injury. As a licensed acute care hospital, Craig provides a comprehensive system of inpatient and outpatient medical care, rehabilitation, neurosurgical rehabilitative care, and long-term follow-up services. Half of Craig's patients come from outside of Colorado. Craig has been ranked as a top 10 rehabilitation center by U.S. News and World Report for 27 consecutive years. Craig has received the NDNQI® award in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 for the highest quality outcomes in nursing care in a rehabilitation facility. Craig was voted by employees as a "Top Work Place" by The Denver Post for the past three years, and was ranked in the top 150 places to work in healthcare by Becker's Healthcare in 2014. craighospital.org

About NSCD
The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) began in 1970 as a one-time ski lesson for children with amputations for the Children's Hospital of Denver. Today, the NSCD is one of the largest outdoor therapeutic recreation agencies in the world. Each year, thousands of children and adults with disabilities take to the ski slopes, mountain trails and playing fields to learn more about sports - and themselves. With specially trained staff and its own adaptive equipment lab, the NSCD teaches a variety of winter and summer sports and activities to individuals with almost any physical, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral diagnosis. For more information about the NSCD visit our website at http://nscd.org or like us on Facebook for updates about our programs and athletes.

Jill Petersen
GroundFloor Media for Craig Hospital
[email protected]
M: 206-683-5225