Cambridge, MA- The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), Spaulding Rehabilitation Network (SRN), State and Community Leaders joined Thursday November 17th at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge for the official announcement of the ground-breaking Working Partners Program. Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Executive Office of Health and Human Services of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts served as the keynote speaker. Working Partners is a first of its kind public/private partnership designed to enable persons with disabilities new avenues to employment.

"As our economy and health care needs evolve, we need to look at every way possible to provide people chances to contribute. Providing avenues for people to get back to work benefits the Commonwealth in so many ways and perhaps, most importantly, can serve as an important part of the recovery process for patients who are newly disabled," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby.

Barriers to employment for persons with disabilities are significant with current unemployment rates over 50% higher for those with a disability according to the US Department of Labor. The Working Partners Program looks to address this urgent need by focusing on vocational rehabilitation and returning patients and consumers to work encouraging economic self-sufficiency and improving their quality of life.

"At Spaulding we see so many people who are newly disabled looking to move forward with their lives post injury. However, for far too long the barriers to continuing their careers or finding new avenues of employment have been almost insurmountable, forcing many to live outside the work force," said David Storto, President Spaulding Network. "Creating collaborative programs like Working Partners will help empower persons with disabilities to be able to contribute their immense talents and energies for the benefit to all."

The Working Partners program provides on-site vocational rehabilitation services to qualified candidates with disabilities. The program welcomes both local community members and patients from Spaulding. An MRC employment specialist works side by side with qualified candidates and potential SRN managers in navigating state and local resources, with the ultimate goal of placement into vacant positions within Spaulding as well as other businesses. With the expected growth in healthcare jobs in the coming years, the chance to establish experience as a healthcare professional can create lifelong career opportunities.

Doug Palmer, a Unit Service Aide a Spaulding Hospital Cambridge is one the programs initial success stories. "Each day I get to contribute as part of the team. Just today I was able to help a patient who seemed down at first and when I left she had a smile on her face. I know that a career in healthcare is for me, having this job really has given me a sense of purpose," Palmer told the audience.

Working Partners first began as a pilot project between SRN and MRC. To date from the pilot project, SRN has hired 6-7 candidates for positions at Spaulding. In addition, MRC has held multiple educational sessions for SRN case managers regarding available patient resources and navigation of those systems and programs. Working Partners offices will be located at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge. For more information or to become part of the Working Partners Program, call 617-573-2395.

About the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network

A member of Partners HealthCare, The Spaulding Rehabilitation Network includes Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital-Boston (main campus), a 196-bed facility, as well as Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod. Additional locations include the two long-term care facilities Spaulding Hospital Cambridge and Spaulding Hospital North Shore and two skilled nursing facilities, as well as twenty-three outpatient sites throughout the Greater Boston area. Spaulding is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School as well as the official rehabilitation hospital of the New England Patriots. Spaulding is the only rehabilitation hospital in New England continually ranked since 1995 by U.S. News and World Report in its Best Hospitals survey with a #5 ranking in 2011. For more information, please visit www.spauldingnetwork.org.