NRC “Vaivari” is an object of state importance for medical rehabilitation, health and social care, education and science - the largest medical institution of this type in Latvia.
One of the main activities of the NRC “Vaivari” is the second stage medical rehabilitation. The medical, technical and professional base of the NRC “Vaivari” is of a high enough standard to allow providing full range of treatment services. The key to the success of the NRC "Vaivari" is a highly professional, united team of medical staff - people who view their occupation not only as day-to-day job, but also as a mission.
History
The history of the company is related to the development of modern rehabilitation medicine in the country. The centre was established on the basis of the former USSR health resort with a decree of the Cabinet of Ministers in 1991 on taking over the Soviet nursing home "Starts” of the machine-building plant, named after S. Khrunichev. On taking over the nursing home "Starts” and reorganizing the children’s rehabilitation institutions of Jurmala, a national rehabilitation centre for children and mothers, “Vaivari”, was established; in 1993, it was assigned the status of a National Rehabilitation Centre.
In 1994, a unified national rehabilitation centre was created by uniting nine state health-care institutions. In 1995, the unified state centre was divided into independent state enterprises: as such, the registration date of the NRC in the Register of Enterprises is 23 November 1995, and the registration date in the Commercial Register is 8 November 2004.
In 1994, the first international project for the rehabilitation of cerebral palsy was implemented in cooperation with Finnish specialists. In 1994, in cooperation with the current Riga Stradins University, specialization courses for medical rehabilitation specialists were started and a clinical basis for the training of functional specialists was provided.
Following an NRC rehabilitation team experience exchange visit to the Orupe Rehabilitation Centre in Sweden, two pilot units were established in 1996: one for patients with spinal cord injury, and the neuro-rehabilitation department, organized around multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams.
At the same time the Jurmala Children's In-patient Unit was transferred from Sloka Hospital, and the first prosthetic-orthotic workshop was established, which is now an important unit of NRC - VOPC - Vaivari Orthopaedic and Prosthetic Centre.
In 2009, a structural unit VTPC - Vaivari Technical Assistance Centre was established to perform the task delegated by the State administration in provision of technical aids in accordance with the Law on Social Services and Social Assistance.
Several crucial projects have been implemented in the period from 2009-2014:
- EEA project “National Centre for Multifunctional Support for Children with Disabilities in Vaivari”;
- State Investment Project “Establishment of the Therapeutic riding unit of the State SIA “ National Rehabilitation Centre”;
- ERDF project “Improvement of infrastructure of NRC“ Vaivari” by increasing quality, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of health care services”;
- CCFI project: NRC “Vaivari” heat supply reconstruction.
In 2014 the rehabilitation program for patients with spinal cord injury in the sub-acute phase is accredited by the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Section of the European Medical Association.
6 units were established in 2015 and the development of rehabilitation programs for specific pathology groups was started.
In 2017, NRC certification was granted to the (re)habilitation program for cerebral palsy
