The National Rehabilitation Hospital was founded in 1986 by Edward A. Eckenhoff,[1] and is a member of the MedStar Health system, the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore region's largest non-profit healthcare organization.

After suffering a spinal cord injury which left him paralyzed from the waist down Edward A. Eckenhoff founded the National Rehabilitation Hospital.

It has hosted guests like Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Queen Sofia of Spain, Bob Dole, and Stevie Wonder.

Eckenhoff played a major role in the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with his visits to Capitol Hill and work around the community.

NRH works in partnership not only with the MedStar Washington Hospital Center, but also with a number of other leading acute care facilities throughout the region.

Acute rehab begins at onset of injury and illness, and continues after hospitalization through the NRH Rehabilitation Network – with over 50 outpatient sites located throughout the Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland region.

In addition, for those needing more intense therapy following hospitalization, MedStar NRH offers unique Day Treatment programs for stroke, brain and spinal cord injury, which provide continued comprehensive care to maximize potential for recovery.

The concussion clinic at Medstar NRH focuses primarily on this form of brain injury and is regarded as one of the best in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

In 2011, MedStar NRH celebrated their 25th anniversary with their annual Gala Victory Award's in which they recognized several key contributors to the advancement of rehab.

[7] The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Spinal Cord Injury (SCI): Promoting Health and Preventing Complications through Exercise is also funded by the NIDRR.

The $4 million, 5-year grant allows MedStar NRH to further extend its research and training efforts on secondary conditions in people with SCI.

The RRTC is a unique collaborative effort of national leaders in SCI-related research, clinical expertise, support and education organizations, independent living centers, and consumers with SCI.

[7] The MedStar NRH Brain Injury Program uses repetition to expand on small incremental gains in recovery—to achieve their outcome.

The National Center for Children's Rehabilitation (NCCR) at MedStar NRH addresses an unmet regional need and raises the bar for care of pediatric patients with neurological, orthopedic injuries, and other illnesses.

This area deals with research related to clinical psychology, speech language therapy, health services, and rehabilitation engineering.