The Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System, one of thirteen model systems in the nation, offers comprehensive services for patients with injured spinal cords.

The Model Spinal Cord Injury System program, sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), provides assistance to establish innovative projects for the delivery , demonstration, and evaluation of comprehensive medical, vocational, and other rehabilitation services to meet the needs of individuals with spinal cord injury.

Model System Centers across the United States work together to demonstrate improved care, maintain a national database, participate in independent and collaborative research and provide continuing education relating to spinal cord injury.

The services offered by the Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System include all phases of care, such as:

• medical/acute care services
• physical and vocational rehabilitation
• long-term follow-up
• public/community education
• research

The emphasis of the model program is on collaborative clinical research which is designed to solve the medical management and acute rehabilitation problems of individuals with SCI.

Care begins at the moment of injury, if possible, and continues until the patient is completely rehabilitated and back in the community.