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VAMC partners

McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) offers a full range of health care services ranging from comprehensive outpatient care to complex inpatient services such as heart, liver and lung transplantation, and care of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. The medical center has 427 operating beds, which includes acute care, spinal cord injury, mental health services and a skilled nursing home. McGuire is home to an extensive medical research program with 88 active investigators and 213 active research projects that range from experiments performed on the NASA space shuttle to the latest in medical treatment for diabetes, stroke prevention, cholesterol management and Parkinson's Disease. The medical center is the host site for a Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC), one of six in the nation.

• General/Polytrauma Inpatient Service
• Head Injury Rehabilitation Program (DVHIP)
• Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC
• SCI Exercise Laboratory
• Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders Service (SCI/D)

General/Polytrauma Inpatient Service
Shane McNamee, M.D., Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical Center

The 15-bed inpatient polytrauma and general rehabilitation service at McGuire VA hospital provides care to patients with Polytrauma and general rehabilitation (including stroke, orthopedic and amputee). Resident’s work closely with PM&R faculty (Shane McNamee MD, David Cifu MD) and the interdisciplinary team to learn medical treatment in the rehabilitation setting, restoring functional independence, appropriate team management skills, patient/family education and long-term management issues.

Head Injury Rehabilitation Program (DVHIP)
William C. Walker, M.D., Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical Center

The DVHIP Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program at the Hunter McGurie VA Medical Center (VAMV) specializes in acute rehabilitation of individuals with brain injury.The goal of this program is to facilitate neurologic and functional recovery of individuals with brain injury in order maximize physical, psychosocial and vocational independence.

Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC
William C. Walker, M.D., Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical Center

The PADRECC offers a variety of patient care services and research opportunities for veterans who have been previously diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease or related disorders or have just started to notice symptoms. Veterans have access to innovative strategies and treatment interventions to improve functional ability and life satisfaction as well as opportunities to participate in cutting edge research intended to lead to more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Parkinson’s disease. In collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, participation in PADRECC clinical research is also available to non-veterans with Parkinson’s disease.

SCI Exercise Laboratory
David R. Gater, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Chief, Spinal Cord Injury & Disease, Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical Center

The 2000 ft² SCI Exercise Laboratory at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC is located on the Spinal Cord Injury 100-bed unit where it serves 1,542 veterans with SCI.  Exercise and body composition assessment equipment (totaling well over $750,000) includes a Hocoma Lokomat® robotic gait training device, Innoventor® Partial Weight-bear Treadmill Training (PWBTT) system,  Biodex® Isokinetic Dynamometer, a Lode Angio Upper Extremity Ergometer, a Wheelchair Aerobic Fitness Trainer (WAFT: Wheelchair Ergometer), SMARTWheel ergometer (n=2), Lode Excalibur Bicycle Ergometer, four Monark 881Arm Crank Ergometers with adjustable tables, Cosmed K4B2 Portable Metabolic Device and ECG Telemetry system, ParvoMedics TrueMax 2400 Metabolic Measurement System, Quinton Q710 Stress Testing/Resting ECG System, six MiniSun® accelerometers, and a wheelchair accessible multistation resistance training unit.  Body composition is determined within the SCI Exercise Laboratory using a combination of equipment including a Lunar Prodigy Advance® DXA scanner, underwater-weighing facility with overhead lift, Bod-Pod® (air displacement body composition assessment unit), multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA), skinfold and anthropometric calipers. A $180,000 biomechanics gait laboratory is currently being added and will include a 16-channel EMG system, 8-camera 3D high resolution Motion Analysis system, with state-of-the-art force plate track system.

Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders Service (SCI/D)
David R. Gater, Jr., MD., Ph.D., Chief, Spinal Cord Injury & Disease, Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical Center

The spinal cord injury (SCI/D) medicine service at VAMC provides care to patients with acute & chronic SCI on a 100-bed specialty SCI/D inpatients service along with SCI consult & long-term outpatient follow-up services. It is the mission of the Spinal Cord Injury Service of the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veteran Affairs Medical Center to support, promote, and maintain the health, independence, qualify of life, and productivity of veterans and active duty service members, referred to the service, with spinal cord injury and disorders (SCI&D) throughout their lives.  These objectives are accomplished through: rehabilitation; sustaining medical and surgical care; patient and/or family education; psychological, social, and vocational care; research; education; and professional training in the continuum of care for persons with SCI&D.