By Families, For Families
Who We Are
As brain injury rehabilitation specialists, we are relentless in our pursuit to provide the best care for you and your loved one. It starts with understanding your unique condition and circumstances and then developing a treatment plan tailored to your needs.

On With Life began as the dream of eight families - a dedicated, passionate group of survivors and their families, faced with the challenge of rebuilding lives shattered by brain injury. Their dedication resulted in a post-acute program focused on the unique and complex needs of brain injury survivors. Since then, On With Life has expanded from a post-acute inpatient program in a single location to seven programs across multiple campuses, serving thousands of individuals a year.
Our Philosophy
As our continuum and programs have grown, we have maintained a philosophy of care that solidifies our person-centered approach. We will always maintain our unique approach to rehabilitation - we believe in the powerful impact of every interaction. Putting people first is something deeply ingrained into our staff and our culture at On With Life, and it will forever be a part of who we are.
OUR MISSION: Joining hands, hearts, and minds to help persons living with brain injury get On With Life.
OUR VISION: To be the provider of choice in brain injury rehabilitation.
  • 10% %
    Average Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Score Change from Inpatient Admission to Discharge
  • 1of2
    One of only two skilled inpatient rehabilitation programs in the world ACCREDITED BY CARF as a CIIRP in brain injury & stroke for adults & children.
  • 10
    Certified Brain Injury Specialists (CBIS) on staff
  • 10% %
    Outpatient long-term goals met
  • 100 %

    “Courteousness of staff” was rated 100% in both inpatient and outpatient programs

  • 53 %

    Average Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score change from inpatient admission to discharge

    Our persons served see an average of 53 percent increase on their FIM score. This measure is another test towards returning to independence.
  • 93 %

    93% satisfaction of support given to persons served and their family members/caregivers

  • 1of2

    On With Life is one of only two skilled inpatient rehabilitation programs in the world ACCREDITED BY CARF as a CIIRP in brain injury & stroke for adults & children.

    On With Life is one of two freestanding skilled nursing rehabilitation programs in the world outside of hospital accredited by CARF as an Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation program in brain injury and stroke for both children and adults.
  • 76

    Certified Brain Injury Specialists (CBIS) on staff -- employing 25% of all certified brain injury specialists in the state of Iowa

    On With Life's team of experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive the best rehabilitation. Our staff receives extra training and education on neuro rehabilitation and 76 are certified brain injury specialists.
  • 25

    States we have served outside of Central Iowa and 15 other countries

    Since opening in 1991, On With Life has served more than 4,000 individuals and their families from 25 states and 15 other countries.
  • 81 %

    Of long-term goals met in the outpatient program

    Our team is dedicated to helping you return to the fullest life possible. We'll work with you on setting goals that are meaningful to you and find ways to incorporate those into your therapy sessions.
  • 97 %

    Satisfaction Rate

  • 5 X

    More therapy hours per week for our inpatient persons served compared to other skilled nursing facilities

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It’s A Difficult Journey. We Know The Way.

You can get through this. And we’re here to help. Our extensive neurological services, combined with specialized expertise in brain injury rehabilitation, offer you the optimal opportunity to achieve your goals and get your life back on track.

Programs Include:

  • Post-Acute Inpatient Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Long-Term Skilled Care
  • Outpatient Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Residential Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Supported Community Living
  • Neuropsychological Services
  • Independent Living
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Your neurological path to recovery.

There are a wide variety of neurological diseases affecting the brain and nervous system. Diagnosing and detecting the specific issues you or your loved one is dealing with is where we shine. We have a dedicated team of neuro-rehabilitation experts who are here to give you the best path to living the best life possible.

Programs Include…

  • Post-Acute Inpatient Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Long-Term Skilled Care
  • Outpatient Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Residential Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Supported Community Living
  • Neuropsychological Services
  • Independent Living
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Overcoming is always underway.

Recovering from a stroke is one of the greatest challenges a person will ever face. At On With Life, we deliver a comprehensive program of medical, nursing and therapy care that successfully addresses the individual needs of each person served. Our trained staff and state-of-the-art facility will help restore physical and cognitive function. But most importantly — hope.

Programs Include…

  • Post-Acute Inpatient Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Long-Term Skilled Care
  • Outpatient Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Residential Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Supported Community Living
  • Neuropsychological Services
  • Independent Living
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Comprehensive concussion care.

Our transdisciplinary team of clinicians specializes in treating concussions with evidence-based approaches that will get you on the fastest road to recovery. The treatment at the outpatient concussion clinic relies on scientifically-proven research designed to focus on your unique injury.

Programs Include…

  • Outpatient Neuro Rehabilitation
  • Neuropsychological Services
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The journey is better traveled together.

Regardless of what stage of Parkinson’s disease you or your loved one are in, On With Life offers a variety of programs that are tailored to meet your specific needs. Our specialized programs and team of neuro-rehabilitation experts focus on slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease, preventing falls and helping you get the most out of each day.

Programs Include…

  • Outpatient Neuro Rehabilitation
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Spinal Cord Injury Program

On With Life’s post-acute spinal cord injury program focuses on the individual goals and needs of the person served and family as they begin their new journey following a spinal cord injury. After an acute hospital stay, persons served are able to utilize the services of either our Inpatient or Outpatient programs, or both, depending on the needs of the persons served and family. Our programs utilize the neuro expertise of the entire rehabilitation team, including medical providers, nurses, therapists, social workers, case managers and counselors, to understand each individual’s unique goals and develop a rehabilitation treatment plan that maximizes recovery potential and ongoing success in returning to life roles.

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We rehabilitate hope.

Each day, we are inspired by our persons served, their families and our staff, and we’re here to inspire you, too. Learn more about our services, read inspiring person served stories, get to know our staff of neuro rehabilitation experts, be the first to know about upcoming events and interact with our great community of followers through our social media channels. Like us on Facebook or Instagram, follow us on LinkedIn, or watch our videos on YouTube.