News Release

BMC selected spinal cord injury model system site by NIDRR

Grant and Award Announcement

Boston University School of Medicine

(Boston) - The New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center at Boston Medical Center (BMC) has been selected as a Spinal Cord Injury Model System (SCIMS) by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The grants are awarded in five-year cycles by the NIDRR through an extremely selective process with only 14 national sites.

NIDRR supports innovative research in the delivery, demonstration and assessment of medical rehabilitation to meet the needs of individuals with spinal cord injuries. The 14 SCIMS centers in the U.S. are recognized as national leaders in research, spinal cord injury care, and provide the highest level of specialty services from the point of injury through rehabilitation and outpatient care.

"With this grant the center will be able to continue as the leading center in New England for patient care, education and research in spinal cord injury," said Steve Williams, MD, chief of rehabilitation medicine at BMC and professor and chairman of rehabilitation medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. "We are the only model spinal cord injury center to form a network of hospitals including Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, Connecticut and Hospital for Special Care in Hartford, Connecticut, allowing people throughout New England to receive the same standard of SCI care.

Committed to staying on the cutting edge of spinal cord research and treatment, the center is currently working on developing a measurement tool for people with spinal cord injuries spanning from childhood to the geriatric patient. This will allow physicians and researchers to see how function changes in a patient with spinal cord injury as they age.

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About NERSCIS at Boston Medical Center

Known as the oldest civilian spinal cord rehabilitation facility in the country, the center was founded in 1955 by Dr. Donald Munroe and was the first SCIMS center in New England to be awarded this prestigious grant continuously since 1973. The BMC's acute rehabilitation unit accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and continued SCIMS designation demonstrates the center's dedication to providing the highest quality rehabilitation care across a variety of rehabilitation diagnoses to people throughout New England.

About Boston Medical Center

Boston Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit, 508-bed, academic medical center that is the primary teaching affiliate of Boston University School of Medicine. Committed to providing high-quality health care to all, the hospital offers a full spectrum of pediatric and adult care services including primary and family medicine and advanced specialty care with an emphasis on community-based care. Boston Medical Center offers specialized care for complex health problems and is a leading research institution. Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine are partners in the Boston HealthNet—15 community health centers focused on providing exceptional health care to residents of Boston. For more information, please visit http://www.bmc.org .


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