Gulf Coast paralyzed veteran Patrick Peterson - who has been paralyzed for 21 years - was the first to demonstrate Re-Walk equipment for staff at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Biloxi, Miss. The veteran has been going to the VA's Pensacola rehab clinic for months, and now, cane take the device home to use anytime. Re-Walk is a wearable robotic exoskeleton that provides powered hip and knee motion to enable individuals with spinal cord injury to stand and walk. "To finally be able to stand up and to actually take steps, it’s just life changing. I feel whole again," Peterson told WXXV. The Biloxi VA staff was educated on the equipment so they can recommend it to regional veterans. Veterans who think they could qualify for the equipment are strongly encouraged to talk to their doctors at the VA. (WXXV 02/01/23)
Background: ReWalk Robotics Ltd., an Israeli company, announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued a revision to its national policy in 2018 on exoskeleton medical device training and procurement for qualifying veterans with spinal cord injury. SCI centers work closely with other designated medical facilities that do not have SCI/D Centers (called Spokes) to provide care close to home as possible. SCI/D Spokes teams are located around the country. At SCI/D Spokes, health care providers work closely with the centers to ensure that comprehensive primary and specialized care needs are addressed. It is important to get primary care from providers that have SCI/D training so that they can check for the development of problems unique to SCI/D. Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders Centers. There are 25 Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders Centers (SCI/D Centers) located around the country. (VA 07/18) VA's Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care - Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care
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