About the SCIMS

The Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) program began with one center in Phoenix, Arizona in 1970 with original funding from the Rehabilitation Services Administration. Over the years, it has grown to a national program with a total of 30 centers having been funded since its inception and is now sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

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Since its beginning, the goal of the model systems program has been to improve care and outcomes for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The model system approach is based on research that demonstrated the superiority of comprehensive versus fragmented SCI care. The 14 SCIMS centers currently funded (2021–26) by NIDILRR provide a multidisciplinary system of rehabilitation care ranging from emergency services through rehabilitation and reentry into full community life. SCIMS centers also conduct research, provide education, and disseminate information with the goal of improving long-term functional, vocational, cognitive, and quality-of-life outcomes for individuals with SCI.

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For information on current centers, please go to http://www.msktc.org/sci/model-system-centers.