Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Expanding Rehabilitation’s Role in Patient Recovery and Health System Capacity with Scott Edelman
Mar 22, 2026
Scott Edelman, Executive Director of Burke Rehabilitation with 30+ years in rehab medicine and operations. He discusses inpatient rehab easing hospital capacity and boosting patient independence. He outlines culture-first leadership, CARES values, and staff retention strategies. He also explains care transition liaisons, wraparound follow-up reducing readmissions, and targeted capital investments to expand access.
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Mailroom To Executive Director Journey
- Scott Edelman rose from the mailroom to executive director over 30 years, giving him ground-up institutional perspective.
- He leveraged roles like CFO to understand frontline pressures and operational realities that shape leadership decisions.
Culture As The Primary Performance Driver
- Edelman argues culture is a top driver of performance and retention at Burke.
- They defined employee-chosen values (CARES) and grew workforce 18% while reducing turnover from double digits to single digits.
Show Up On The Units Daily
- Be present and engaged as a leader by spending time on units and listening to frontline staff.
- Edelman starts and ends his day on hospital units and closes the loop on staff ideas to build mutual respect.