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2011-12-14news-articleNews<p>Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital announced today that it&rsquo;s Spinal Cord Injury Program has been selected as a Spinal Cord Injury Model System site by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).</p>

Spaulding Selected by NIDRR as an SCI Model System Site

news-article
December 14,  2011

Boston, MA- Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital announced today that it’s Spinal Cord Injury Program has been selected as a Spinal Cord Injury Model System site by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) program was established by the Rehabilitation Services Administration in the early 1970s. The grants are awarded in five year cycles by NIDRR through an extremely selective process with only 14 national sites. NIDRR awards SCI Model Systems grants to institutions that are national leaders in medical research and patient care.  Each site provides the highest level of comprehensive specialty services, from the point of injury through rehabilitation and community reentry. Dr. Leslie Morse will serve as Program Director and Dr. Ross Zafonte will serve as Administrative Co-Director.

 “Being selected by NIDRR as an SCI Model System site is a tremendous achievement and recognition for Spaulding and the Harvard Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. This grant will enable us to effectively harness the convergence of science and medicine that Spaulding can provide to push our understanding of the biology of recovery and improve the lives of people with spinal cord injuries,” said Dr. Ross Zafonte, VP of Research, Education and Medical Affairs, Spaulding Rehabilitation and Chairman of the Harvard Medical School Department of PM&R at Spaulding.

This funding will allow Spaulding clinicians and researchers to improve both regional and national understanding of SCI treatment models. Each SCI Model Systems site contributes to the national SCI Model Systems Database for a better understanding of long-term health outcomes. Spaulding will also expand its participation in collaborative research and expand education and outreach efforts to inform individuals with SCI, their family and care givers, health care professionals and the general public about our work.

“The SCI Model Systems grant recognition by NIDRR serves to both further enhance Spaulding as a national leader in rehabilitative care and research as well as also providing our talented clinicians the tools to greatly enhance the knowledge base of SCI for the communities we serve. From those who are just beginning their recovery from SCI to those who have lived years post injury, this grant will enable Spaulding to have a greater ability to make a positive impact on their lives,” said David Storto, President, Spaulding Rehabilitation.