Our Mission

The University of Washington Department of Rehabilitation Medicine's mission is to improve the function, level of independence, and quality of life of people who have disabilities brought about by illness, injury, or of congenital origin.

We provide regional and national leadership in patient care, education, and research. Our dedicated faculty members represent a broad spectrum of scientific and clinical disciplines.

Patient Care

In addition to the rehabilitation services provided at our clinic locations, our multidisciplinary teams provide comprehensive rehabilitation services at four major Seattle hospitals:

• University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC)
• Harborview Medical Center (HMC)
• Veterans Administration Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS)
• Seattle Children's

Education & Training

The Department's education and training programs are multidisciplinary, and offer degrees in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Prosthetics & Orthotics, and a PhD program in Rehabilitation Science.

Residents in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency program work directly with medical students and train at the four hospitals within the University of Washington's system, as well as in private practice settings.

Research

Research is an important part of the mission of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. As the nation's leading recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CIDC), and other federal and state research funding, our research efforts contribute to a better understanding of the rehabilitation process.