By James Wilson, DO Driving is an important aspect of independence in 21st century America’s society. However, for many people with functional impairments, this ability is lost.  The result is increased dependence on the caregivers and government programs, isolation or unsafe driving behaviors. To meet this need, the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute has a long-standing program...Continue Reading

By Dr. Christina Oleson The role of physical medicine and rehabilitation in both the acute presentation of COVID-19 and the subsequent acute hospitalization and rehabilitation is integral to the care of those with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, now named “PASC”, or in lay terms, “long COVID”.  According to the World Health Organization, the term PASC...Continue Reading

Written by: Dan Nwosu When the unexpected happens and life as one knows it is thrown for a loop, what do we do? Who do we become? What is left of our old self? Those are some of the thoughts that have run through the minds of many that have sustained spinal cord injuries. However,...Continue Reading

Written by: Dr. Kim Anderson As part of the MetroHealth Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model Systems program, we are participating in a multi-center collaborative study being led by the Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles, California.  This study is about bowel function, which we know is very important to many people living with...Continue Reading

My spinal cord injury (SCI) happened in September 2015.  I was a passenger in a truck that went through a stop sign at a T in the road.  We hit a telephone pole going 60 mph, and the guy in the backseat was not wearing a seatbelt and flew forward into the back of me. ...Continue Reading

Megan Hammond, Chapter President I have already been hard at work in 2023.  The Chapter had many generous donations in 2022, and have started giving them away!  I have already placed a power wheelchair, portable ramp, bed rail, closed system catheters, and manual wheelchair with new owners.  We still have another manual wheelchair, 6 different...Continue Reading

There is often confusion about Social Security and Supplemental Security Income  (SSI) because you apply for both programs with the Social Security Administration.  But the programs are different.Continue Reading

The Model System Knowledge and Translation Center (MSKTC) is a national center that helps facilitate the knowledge translation process to make research meaningful to those with Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Burn Injury. Find more information at msktc.orgContinue Reading

By Dr. James Wilson In September 2022, the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute convened the 26th annual SCI Forum in partnership with the United Spinal Association Northeast Ohio Chapter. This year’s theme was “Change and Transformation.” This was the first in-person forum since 2019 and included several changes to improve inclusivity. The date of the forum was...Continue Reading

By Dr. Felicia Fraser, PhD Individuals who acquire spinal cord injuries face major challenges that impact functioning in a variety of settings, including at home and in the community. Researchers estimate that the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among individuals with spinal cord injury ranges from approximately 25 to 30 percent, though some studies have found...Continue Reading