Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia has received a $300,000 grant to create a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Medical Home designed to “maximize health outcomes for persons with SCI after discharge from in-patient rehabilitation.”
The three-year grant was provided by the Neilsen Foundation.
A news announcement from Magee said the SCI Medical Home will be staffed by internal medicine and primary care physicians as well as physiatrists familiar with SCI. “In addition to addressing medical needs, the SCI Medical Home will also problem-solve environmental barriers to care, such as transportation, accessibility, employment, financial issues and other concerns,” the announcement said.
The SCI Medical Home will give enrollment priority to SCI patients at higher risk for complications “due to medical complexity and/or socio-economic factors.”
Marci Ruediger, SCI Medical Home Project Director, said of the new project, “Magee is truly honored to have received this generous grant from the Neilsen Foundation. This funding allows Magee to take its existing lifetime follow-up clinical care system to the next level, helping to ensure good health and the fullest possible life for our patients with spinal cord injury.”
Dr. Mendel Kupfer will serve as the SCI Medical Home’s medical director.
Among the Medical Home’s goals are to reduce emergency room visits, hospital readmissions and medical complications for patients with SCI, as well as to improve their overall quality of life.
