Frequently Asked Questions
1. Although Boston Medical Center no longer offers acute inpatient rehabilitation medicine services or a specialty rehabilitation medicine outpatient clinic, what services are still available at BMC for individuals with spinal cord injury?
General Rehab Medicine & Pain Management:
Dr. Simona Manasian will continue her outpatient rehab medicine practice through the Department of Neurology. Dr. Manasian offers general rehab medicine services for diagnoses such as CVA, amputee, multi-trauma and pain management. She will also continue to offer her amputee clinic. Dr. Anton Shcherbina, who provides interventional pain treatments and EMG services, will also continue to provide services on an outpatient basis through the department of Neurology. Their office will is now located on the 7th floor of the Shapiro building at BMC. To make an appointment with Dr. Manasian or Dr. Shcherbina please call 617-638-8456.
NRN Locomotor Training Program: Effective April 30, 2012 the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network will no longer be located at BMC. However, BMC will continue to offer Locomotor Training as part of the outpatient Physical Therapy program to patients with spinal cord injury and other diagnoses that would benefit from this intervention. For more information about this treatment, please contact the Physical Therapy Department at 617-638-7869.
Seating Clinic: Seating clinic will continue to be offered through the BMC outpatient physical therapy department. (617-638-7869) To schedule an appointment, your physician should fax a referral to the seating clinic at 617-638-7769. Once the referral is received, the seating clinic will contact you to schedule an appointment.
Outpatient physical and occupational therapy: Physical and Occupational Therapy will continue uninterrupted. To make an appointment please call 617-638-7869.
Other Medical Services: BMC continues to provide all other medical services to individuals with all rehab diagnoses including individuals with spinal cord injury. You may still receive your care through departments such as urology, neurology, orthopedics, and cardiology. You can contact each department directly or through the BMC main telephone number at 617-638-8000.
BMC Emergency Department: There has been no change in the services available to individuals with spinal cord injury in our emergency department. BMC remains committed to continuing to provide educational opportunities to our emergency physicians to ensure their expertise in managing both acute spinal cord injury as well as medical emergencies that arise with those who are living with a spinal cord injury.
2. What other facilities specialize in SCI rehabilitation or primary care in Massachusetts?
Boston’s Community Medical Group
Primary Care to individuals with SCI through home visits
and BCMG offices on BMC campus
One Boston Medical Center Place
Dowling North, Suite 5108
Boston, MA02118
To make appointment call:
Tanya Valente
617-638-7062
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
125 Nashua St.
Boston, MA 02114
To make appointment call:
Melissa Balzarini
617-573-2116
Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital
Dr. Matt Lopresti
Specialty Clinics
250 Pond Street, 2nd Floor
Braintree, MA 02184
To make an appointment call:
Gary Sturgis
781-348-2500 ext. 312597
For Veterans:
VA Boston Healthcare System
Spinal Cord Injury Center
For information on VA based services call:
Jeanine Penzo at 857-203-6498 or
Tracy Presley at 857-203-6126
3. How can I get copies of my BMC medical records for my new provider?
It is your responsibility to request that your medical record be sent to your new provider. When you call to make your first appointment with your new provider, ask them where you should have your medical record sent to. Before you go to your first appointment, you should call their office to be sure they have received your medical record. If you are continuing to see Dr. Manasian or Dr. Shcherbina you do not need to have your medical record sent.
To have your medical records sent to another facility or doctor, you must fill out a Medical Records Request Authorization Form. This form can be found on the BMC website under Medical Records or by clicking on http://www.bmc.org/patients/privacy/requestmedicalrecords.htm.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are a Rehabilitation Medicine patient, there is no charge for your records. Please identify yourself as a Rehabilitation Medicine patient on the release form or when calling the Medical Records Office.
If you have any questions about changing your physician or getting your medical records, please contact Judi Zazula MS, OTR/L at 617-638-7314 or 855-607-1804 (toll-free).
