James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital - Tampa, Florida

Michael Bilirakis DVA Spinal Cord Injury Center

About the Program

The Michael Bilirakis DVA Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Center is part of the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.

The mission of the Michael Bilirakis DVA SCI Center is to:

• improve function,
• promote independence, and
• enhance quality of life of persons served through state-of-the-art clinical care, education and research.

We serve Veterans and active duty Service Members with spinal cord injuries and other disorders of the spinal cord such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Center provides inpatient, outpatient clinic, home care services, and long-term care. Our Center serves the largest number of Veterans and Service Members with spinal cord injuries and disorders in the VA system. In addition to our primary facility in Tampa, we partner with several VA clinics in Florida as part of the Hub and Spokes model for spinal cord injury care. The Michael Bilirakis DVA SCI Center is a fully wheelchair accessible center with:

• two 30 bed inpatient units,
• one 10 bed ventilator dependent unit,
• a 30 bed long-term care unit which includes 10 beds for ventilator dependent residents,
• outpatient clinics,
• special procedures suite,
• therapy rooms, and
• adapted outdoor recreation areas.

We offer many services for Veterans and Active-Duty Service Members with spinal cord injury or spinal cord disorder. You must enroll with the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital SCI Registry to receive these special services. This occurs when you have your first appointment with the SCI doctor at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital. These are some of the services we provide:

• Inpatient Care 
• Long-Term Care
• Home Care
• Outpatient Clinics
• Respite Care
• Specialty Programs
  • ALS
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Neurorespiratory
  • Rehabilitation
  • Urological

We are proud of the SCI Center’s long history of quality, range of services, clinical outcomes, and research. For the past 25 years, we have been recognized as a national leader in the treatment of persons with SCI. Our SCI Acute Rehabilitation Program, SCI Home Care Program, and SCI Outpatient Rehabilitation Program are accredited by Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

Our SCI Center was one of two VA Spinal Cord Services nationally designated as a “Center of Excellence” for SCI Care in1997. It was designated as a “Center of Excellence” for multiple sclerosis care in 2008. This Center was the first VA center with ceiling lifts installed throughout the building to enhance comfort and dignity for persons with SCI and to help reduce employee work-related injuries. We have an active SCI research program. Our studies help improve the lives of persons with SCI as well as their care.

Customer service is our primary goal and we are committed to provide excellent services to our Veterans and Service Members. We have PVA representatives on-site to advocate for Veterans, Service Members and their families. We work together with our PVA representatives to serve the needs of our Veterans, Service Members and their families.

The SCI Center also partners with community agencies and stakeholders. This helps to actively promote the integration of the Veteran and Service Member with spinal cord injury or disorder into the community.

If you would like to learn more about the Michael Bilirakis DVA SCI Center, please contact SCI Administrative Office at (813) 972-2000 ext. 7517.

About Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders

• Tell me about spinal cord injury
• Tell me about multiple sclerosis
• Tell me about ALS

See Annual CARF Prep Fair Information Here:

CARF FAIR Prep Poster

CARF FAIR HCPR

CARF FAIR SCI Telehealth

CARF FAIR Respiratory

CARF FAIR SCI OT

CARF FAIR SCI Physical Therapy

CARF FAIR Art Outcomes

CARF FAIR Outpatient Outcomes