VCU Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

The Spinal Cord Injury Program at VCU Health System

The VCU SCI System of Care provides comprehensive and coordinated care for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI).  VCUHS offers State-of-the-Art Emergency Medicine, Neurosurgical and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Services for new injuries.

Emergency and  Neurosurgery Services

 

VCU is the only Level 1 trauma center in central Virginia and provides tertiary care referral service for an area that spans from Norfolk/Virginia Beach in the East to Charlottesville in the west, from the Washington D.C. in the north to North Carolina in the south.   

The VCU Emergency Room (ER) is fully equipped and has a standardized protocol for the acute treatment of SCI.  There are reserved areas for individuals admitted with SCI. Patients with suspected paralysis secondary to SCI are seen in consultation by the Neurosurgical Team and are admitted to the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.

The Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is one of five specialized intensive care units within VCU.  Staff with special expertise in SCI and brain injury provide 24-hour intensive medical care.  The PM&R SCI Consultation Service sees all patients, within 24-72 hours of admission to help reduce morbidity and maximize neurological and functional recovery.

For more information, please call (804) 828-5250.

 Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation -

Patients with SCI are transferred to the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation program.  The Rehabilitation and ResearchCenter (RRC) at VCU Hospitals was recently named a national model system of care and one of the top 20 rehabilitation facilities in the nation.  More than 750 individuals, annually, with a significant acute disability receive comprehensive rehabilitation services.  Fifteen of the RRC’s 41 beds are dedicated to the specialized SCI Rehabilitation Program, and during the past five years more than 200 individuals with traumatic SCI and 150 with non-traumatic etiologies have undergone SCI rehabilitation.

The RRC  is a collaborative effort between the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and VCUHS. The goals are to provide highly- skilled, interdisciplinary, inpatient rehabilitative care to adults with complex needs; to be an advocate and educator for people with disabilities; and to conduct clinical research to advance the art and science of rehabilitation. 

SCI Rehabilitation at the RRC is  a comprehensive intensive inpatient program focused on assessment and therapeutic intervention, as well as discharge planning and follow-up.Interventions include management of medical self-care, mobility, behavior, cognition, communication, and psychosocial needs. The RRC staff is highly experienced and expert  in SCI assessment and management. 

For more information about the RRC at VCU Health System, please call (804) 828-0861, or visit their website at http://www.pmr.vcu.edu/programs/rehabcenter/

Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) Medical Follow-up Serivces

Following discharge from SCI inpatient rehabilitation medical services, patients are referred for early medical follow up visit in the VCU  outpatient clinic, directed by SCI medicine specialists.  In addition to outpatient clinic medical services, physical and occupational therapy are available.  Additional specialized clinics are available for SCI outpatients, including: wheelchair, spasticity and baclofen pump, urology and pressure ulcers.

Families and patients are also routinely referred to a variety of community resources, including the Old Dominion Chapter of the National SCI Association (NSCIA) and the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS).  Community mental health services, recreational programs, psychotherapy, nutrition and substance abuse counseling are also available.  Information about various resources, including the Virginia SCI Systems are given to patients and families to increase understanding and awareness of SCI-related deficits.  For more information about long-term follow-up at the SCI clinic at the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC), or to set up an appointment, please call (804) 828-4097.

 

Outpatient Therapy Services

The Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation program provides a full spectrum of services, including full day, outpatient, home health and vocational rehabilitation programs at a verity of sites. When there are concerns regarding appropriateness for driving, the physiatrist schedules a formal Driver’s Evaluation specifically designed to assess driving skills.

In order to provide maximum intensity of services in the least restrictive environment, the VCU SCI Program has developed a close working relationship with two day rehabilitation programs in the community. These programs provide a full day of interdisciplinary rehabilitation, as well as transportation to and from the program.

VCU Outpatient Therapy

Outpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy specialty services are available thru the Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems (VCUHS) at multiple sites, including: downtown Richmond (VCUHS and VCU Seigel Center) and Southside (Stony Point). Services include a specialty wheelchair clinic, and hand management center (VCUHS),

Sheltering Arms

For over 100 years, Sheltering Arms hospital has served the needs of ill and injured people.  Since 1981 their specialty has been state-of-the-art physical rehabilitation.  Sheltering Arms physicians are specialists in the field of physiatry – physical medicine and whole-person rehabilitation.  Sheltering Arms has helped thousands of people improve their overall health and well-being and work through a variety of conditions including sprains and strains, back injuries, post-operative physical recovery, post-polio syndrome, arthritis, and brain and spinal cord injuries.  For more information, please visit their website at http://www.shelteringarms.com/

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Virginia

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Virginia is a comprehensive, 40-bed free-standing rehabilitation hospital serving the needs of Richmond and Central Virginia. Their facility is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). They also have received program certification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (ACVPR) for their pulmonary rehabilitation continuum of care. Their mission is to guide patients with physically disabling conditions along an individualized treatment pathway so they can reach the highest level of physical, social and emotional well being. They provide services along a continuum of care that includes inpatient rehabilitation, day treatment rehabilitation, outpatient services and maintenance programs.

For more information, please visit their website at http://www.healthsouth.com

Riverside Rehab Institute

Riverside Rehabilitation Institute ("RRI") is a 50-bed, full-service physical rehabilitation facility located on the Hampton Roads waterfront in Newport News, Virginia. It is licensed by the State of Virginia and nationally accredited by two independent and respected organizations (JCAHO, CARF). RRI can provide treatments for a wide range of conditions.

please visit their website at http://www.riversideonline.com/rri/

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