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Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services

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VHA Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services

VHA's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS) is responsible for the national policies and programs for medical rehabilitation that promote the health, independence and quality of life for Veterans with disabilities. This office aligns clinical expertise and clinical and practice guidance to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services across the VHA health care system in the most, economical and timely manner. 

VHA Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services is committed to providing the highest quality, comprehensive and interdisciplinary care and promoting advancements in rehabilitative care and evidence-based treatment.

Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Disciplines

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services is comprised of the following rehabilitation disciplines:  Kinesiotherapy (KT) , Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT) and Physiatry.  VHA Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS) provides medical, rehabilitative and preventive strategies. This treating specialty emphasizes restoring and optimizing function through physical modalities, therapeutic exercise and interventions, adaptive equipment, modification of the environment, education and assistive devices.  Physiatrists are physicians who have completed a residency training program in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and lead the clinical team providing rehabilitation.  Physiatrists specialize in diagnosing, treating and directing an interdisciplinary rehabilitation plan for individuals with acute and chronic disability and pain to maximize the Veteran’s functional status. Physical therapists treat Veterans with movement disorders which include impairments of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular/pulmonary, neuromuscular and integumentary (skin) systems. Occupational Therapists provide evaluation and treatment in areas of self-care, work, productive/leisure activities to achieve participation in their everyday life occupations. Kinesiotherapists provide evidence-based interventions and therapeutic exercise adapted to enhance the strength, endurance, and mobility of individuals with functional limitations and improve Veterans’ well-being.

Outpatient Services

Patients throughout the continuum of care settings often need rehabilitation services, including outpatient clinics, inpatient settings, telemedicine and Veteran’s homes. The patient will be evaluated for the most appropriate rehabilitation. Individualized plans of care focus on specific rehabilitation needs and goals for each patient.

Specialty Services and Population Served

  • PMR&S serves Veterans and Active Duty Service members with neurological, orthopedic, medical, psychological, and surgical conditions.
  • Special populations include age-related disability, stroke, spinal cord injury, brain dysfunction or polytrauma and traumatic brain injury, orthopedic injury and dysfunction, and amputation. 

Inpatient Services

Acute rehabilitation is provided for Veterans who require the intensity of medical and rehabilitation services that can only be provided at an inpatient facility are admitted to a Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program (CIIRP). CIIRP programs are designed to optimize functional recovery after an acute illness, injury, or exacerbation of a disease process and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

Subacute rehabilitation is available at multiple sites (special parts of acute care hospital), designed to provide rehabilitation therapies for individuals who have a lower level of tolerance for exercise and activity, but still require the holistic, interdisciplinary approach in an inpatient setting. This rehabilitation is more intensive than traditional nursing facility care and less intensive than acute inpatient rehabilitation care.

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