Spinal Cord Injury Update
Spring 2013: Volume 22, Number 2
SCI Wellness Summit 2013
The 2013 SCI Wellness Summit on May 18 was an outstanding success, drawing upwards of 150 visitors—almost double the attendance of the first Summit in October 2011. The audience included individuals with SCI, family members and friends, caregivers, health professionals and students in rehabilitation medicine graduate degree programs.
The free, half-day educational program was jointly presented by the Northwest Regional SCI System and the SCI Transitions and Wellness Program in the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Transitions is a health promotion program for individuals with SCI that was developed by the UW Medicine SCI Rehabilitation Core Group with initial grant funding from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. It has received ongoing support from the Kenny Salvini Fund for SCI Rehabilitation, the Unbroken Foundation’s Birdies for Brian charity event, and private donors. The Transitions program is located at both the UW and Harborview Medical Centers.
“We are thrilled not only with the attendance at this year’s SCI Wellness Summit, but the enthusiastic support of the symposium by the volunteers, artists and speakers that was critical to its success,” said Dr. Rina Reyes, medical director of UW Medicine SCI Rehabilitation. “The UW Medicine SCI Core Group, which oversaw the planning and development of the Summit, especially enjoyed the energy and engagement of the participants in the various presentations, and was pleased to be able to support educational enhancement, networking and mentorship opportunities in our local community. This is strong evidence of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine’s commitment to serving the needs of consumers and health care providers in our community, and we hope to continue to have this level of impact in the future.”
A big draw this year was keynote speaker Daniel Lammertse, MD, an internationally recognized expert in SCI rehabilitation and the 2012 recipient of the prestigious American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the world of spinal cord injury care. Dr. Lammertse is Clinical Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Colorado, Medical Director of Research at Craig Hospital in Denver, and co-director of the Rocky Mountain Regional SCI System.
In his talk “SCI Research and the Hope for Cure: Where Are We Today?” Dr. Lammertse lucidly explained the complex issues involved in SCI recovery research and provided a status report on these efforts worldwide today. This presentation was videotaped and can be watched on our website at http://sci.washington.edu/summit2013video.
Four additional presentations by UW professionals addressed a range of topics related to living with SCI: phone and computer access for people with limited arm and hand function; a new surgical procedure to improve sexual function in men with paraplegia (the TOMAX procedure); wheelchair maintenance; and emergency and disaster preparedness for people with SCI.
During the breaks attendees enjoyed refreshments, viewed an art show of work by artists with SCI, and visited the displays of equipment manufacturers, distributors and others who provided underwriting for the Summit. Certificates of continuing education hours were given to physical and occupational therapists who attended presentations. In their responses on the Summit evaluation forms, attendees praised the high quality of the speakers and stated that they learned new information that would benefit them or their patients.
Our Underwriters
We are grateful to the following companies for generously underwriting this year’s SCI Wellness Summit:
- Bellevue Healthcare
- Care Medical Equipment
- Coloplast
- The Comfort Company
- Pacific Healthcare Associates, Inc.
- Permobil
- Pushing Boundaries
- Quantum Rehab
- Restorative Therapies
- United Seating & Mobility
Download Summit handouts and presentation materials:
SCI Research and the Hope for Cure: Where are We Today? Keynote presentation by Dan Lammertse, MD, Craig Hospital, University of Colorado, and Rocky Mountain Regional SCI System, Denver, CO
Phone & Computer Access for People with Limited Arm and Hand Function, by Amy Cisler, OT & Kristine Osmond, OT, Harborview Medical Center.
Surgical Innovation for Sexual Function in Men with Paraplegia: The TOMAX Procedure, by Thomas Lendvay, MD, UW Department of Urology.
Wheelchair Maintenance, by Dave Colescott, PT, Harborview Medical Center.
- “Wheelchair Maintenance and Minor Repairs”—a 13-page guide to maintaining your manual or power wheelchair.
Emergency/Disaster Preparedness for Individuals with SCI, by Rosemary Buchmeier, RN, Harborview Medical Center, Tracy Connelly, Office of Emergency Management, City of Seattle, and Captain Donald deVera, Seattle Fire Department.