Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I receive SCI rehabilitation care at UW Medicine?
2. Is the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine conducting research on stem cells or other experimental nerve repair or regeneration techniques directed at promoting recovery from spinal cord damage?
3. What SCI research studies are going on at the UW’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine?
4. Where can I find general information about spinal cord injury for new patients or other interested persons?
5. I have a specific question about my medical condition—whom can I ask?
6. I am a physician or other health care provider with a question about one of my patients—whom can I contact?
7. How can I find a doctor or facility specializing in SCI rehabilitation or medical care?
8. Are there support groups in the area for persons with SCI or their families?
9. How can I get information and resources about hiring attendants or finding equipment, housing, or assistive technology?
10. More contact information.

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1. How can I receive SCI rehabilitation care at UW Medicine?

The University of Washington offers comprehensive rehabilitation and long-term health management for individuals with spinal cord injury ( SCI) at these three facilities:

Outpatient: Spinal Cord Injury Clinics
(http://uwmedicine.washington.edu/Patient-Care/Our-Services/Medical-Services/Rehabilitation-Medicine/Pages/Clinics.aspx)

Contact the clinics for referral, appointments and information:

• UW Medical Center : 206-598-4295
• Harborview Medical Center : 206-744-2581
• Seattle Children's: 206-987-2180
  

Inpatient: Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
Contact the patient care coordinators for information and referrals:

• UW Medical Center: Doris Campbell 206-598-8161
• Harborview Medical Center: Lynn Krog 206-744-4607
• Seattle Children's: Sarah Bolton 206-987-1500

In addition, other UW medical specialists (orthopedists, neurologists, urologists, neurosurgeons) are available for consultation and treatment as needed. Find a UW provider at http://rehab.washington.edu/patientcare/provider.asp.

2. Is the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine conducting research on stem cells or other nerve repair or regeneration techniques directed at promoting recovery from spinal cord damage?

At this time the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine is not conducting any human studies involving experimental therapies using stem cells or other nerve repair or regeneration techniques, such as macrophages, glial cells, or bone marrow stromal cells. Many of these therapies have only been studied in animals so far and will not come to human trial for some time. UW faculty and researchers are monitoring these SCI research activities worldwide and will participate in worthwhile research trials in the future that are determined to be promising, safe, appropriate and feasible. If the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine becomes involved in this kind of study, information will be posted on our Participate in Research Web page.

Please see the Web sites below for information about SCI recovery research.

• Proneuron Biotechnologies has been conducting clinical trial using activated macrophages to promote spinal cord repair in acutely injured patients. Patients must be injured less than 14 days to be eligible to participate. For information, contact Proneuron at 866-539-0767 or information@proneuron.com, or visit www.proneuron.com.
• Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundationwww.christopherreeve.org
• CareCure, from the Spinal Cord Injury Project at Rutgers University. http://sci.rutgers.edu/
• Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California at Irvine. www.reeve.uci.edu/
• Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami. www.miamiproject.miami.edu/

 

3. What SCI research studies are going on at the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine?

The UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine has a long history of research into treatments that alleviate many of the medical problems associated with chronic SCI. Click here for a description of research studies currently being conducted by the Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System.

Go to this page to find out about studies currently seeking volunteer participants with SCI: http://sci.washington.edu/projects_and_research/participate.asp

Check the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine website to find out about other studies in the department: http://rehab.washington.edu/research/volunteers.asp.

4. Where can I find general information about spinal cord injury for new patients or other interested persons?

• Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System
  • “Staying Healthy after a Spinal Cord Injury” patient pamphlet series.
  • Reports of SCI Forum presentations on a variety of SCI-related topic.
  • Articles from our SCI Update newsletter.
    
• Spinal Cord Injury Information Network (http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu/) has information on numerous topics relating to living with spinal cord injury.
  
• Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center (http://www.paralysis.org/) has information and resources about all aspects of SCI, including a section for the “Recently Paralyzed.”
  
• National Spinal Cord Injury Association (www.spinalcord.org/) has information in the sections “New Injury” and “ Resource Center.”
• CareCure Community, SCI Project, W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University (http://sci.rutgers.edu/). This site is managed by the renowned SCI physician, Dr. Wise Young, and has professionally-monitored forums on numerous topics related to living with SCI.

• Visit our SCI Resources on the Internet.

 

5. I have a specific question about my medical condition—whom can I ask?

Our physicians cannot practice medicine or make a diagnosis via email. If you have questions about your own or someone else’s medical condition, our best advice is to make an appointment with a provider who specializes in rehabilitation medicine or spinal cord injury so that your problem can be thoroughly evaluated and the best course of action can be determined.

• You may contact the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine to make an appointment, or find providers in your area through these resources:
  
• Find a physician in your area who specializes in physical and rehabilitation medicine (called physiatry) on the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine Web site at http://www.aapmr.org/patients/findphysician/Pages/default.aspx.
  
• Find a rehabilitation facility in your area on the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities Web site at http://www.carf.org/.

 

6. I am a physician or other health care provider with a question about one of my SCI patients—whom can I contact?

• Medcon —24-hour, toll-free consultation and referral service.
  • Seattle : 206-543-5300
  • Long Distance: 800-326-5300

• Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Main office: 206-543-3600
  • Departmental E-mail: rehab@u.washington.edu
  • Departmental Contact Directories online: http://rehab.washington.edu/contactinfo.asp

7. How can I find a doctor or facility in my area that specializes in SCI rehabilitation or medical care?

• Find a physician who specializes in physical and rehabilitation medicine (called physiatry) on the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine Web site at http://www.e-aapmr.org/imis/imisonline/findphys/find.cfm.
  
• Find a rehab facility on the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities Web site at http://www.carf.org/.

 

8. Are there support groups in the area for persons with SCI or their families?

• Seattle, WA:
  • SCI Support and Information Group takes place on the third Thursday of every month from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm in the 4–West Patient & Family Room at Harborview Medical Center. For more information, go to http://sci.washington.edu/info/sig.asp or call 206-616-8568.
  • The SCI Forum at the UW Medical Center is a monthly presentation series that provides information and support to SCI consumers. To learn about this program, visit the SCI Forum Web site at http://sci.washington.edu/info/forums or contact Cynthia Salzman (206-685-3999 or csalzman@u.washington.edu).
    
• Vancouver, WA: Spinal Injury Group, call 360-694-6790 for information.
  
• Bellingham, WA: SCI Support Group, call 360-332-8484 for information.
  
• Redmond, WA: SCI Support Meetings, call 425-869-9506 for information.

 

9. How can I get information and resources for hiring attendants or finding equipment, housing, or assistive technology?

Attendants.

• Senior Services of Seattle/King County (http://www.seniorservices.org) has a downloadable booklet on hiring and maintaining attendants at www.seniorservices.org/Documents/options.pdf
  
• Paralyzed Veterans of America ( PVA) has a consumer guide called Managing Personal Assistants featuring information on recruiting, hiring, training, keeping and firing personal assistants as well as funding and taxes. Go to the Web site at http://pva.org and click on the PVA store. This guide costs $5.00.

Equipment is best explored through your personal physical or occupational therapist, if you are under the care of one of these professionals. Equipment can also be discussed with your physician or health care provider. If you are interested in learning about the latest equipment, local vendors of medical equipment can be found in the yellow pages or online.

Housing

• Easter Seals Society has a list of accessible apartments in the Seattle area. Contact them at 206-281-5700. To find an Easter Seals program in your area, go to www.easterseals.com, call 800-221-6827, or write 230 West Monroe St, Suite 1800, Chicago, IL 60606
  
• Seattle Housing Authority has information about subsidized housing in the Seattle area on their Web site http://www.seattlehousing.org/housing/programs.html, or by calling 206-615-3300.
  
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) office in Washington State also has information about subsidized housing. Visit http://www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=wa or call (toll-free) 877-741-3281.

Assistive Technology

• University of Washington Assistive Technology Clinics:
  • University of Washington Medical Center 206-598-4830
  • Harborview Medical Center 206-744-2140
    
• Washington Assistive Technology Alliance (WATA) , a statewide information, referral and advocacy network for persons with disabilities. 800-214-8731 . http://watap.org/ .

 

10. More contact information.

• Frequently Asked Questions about getting care at the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine http://rehab.washington.edu/patientcare/faq.asp.
  
• How to find a UW Rehabilitation Medicine provider:
  • By rehabilitation specialty: http://uwmedicine.washington.edu/Patient-Care/Our-Services/Medical-Services/Rehabilitation-Medicine/Pages/Providers.aspx
  • By provider name: http://medical.washington.edu/bios/
    
• Clinical services and procedures offered through the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine: http://uwmedicine.washington.edu/Patient-Care/Our-Services/Medical-Services/Rehabilitation-Medicine/Pages/Articles.aspx?Id=1
• Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System Contact Information
  

   

 

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