This scholarly abstract presents the outcomes of a capstone project conducted at Aultman Woodlawn Inpatient Rehabilitation, a 30-bed intensive rehabilitation unit accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Over a 14-week period, a doctoral student-initiated and successfully developed a spinal cord specialty program within the facility. The project aimed to enhance clinical practice skills for the rehabilitation of patients with neurological impairments.

The doctoral student's responsibilities included conducting a comprehensive needs assessment, designing a structured spinal cord education and training series, creating educational content, and facilitating the initial training sessions for facility staff. The project yielded several key deliverables, including a needs assessment summary, formal documentation of contributions to spinal cord program development, treatment time records, a comprehensive spreadsheet of treated diagnoses and implemented interventions, and evidence of completion of continuing education courses.

The project's significance extends beyond its immediate scope. Future implications for occupational therapy at the facility include the implementation of a spinal cord injury (SCI) training series for all rehabilitation staff, raising awareness among administration and management regarding therapy program development needs, the provision of educational materials for ongoing dissemination, and the establishment of an interdisciplinary SCI committee within the facility. These initiatives collectively contribute to the advancement of patient care and the elevation of clinical standards in the field of spinal cord rehabilitation.