Suzanne L. Groah, MD, MSPH; NCSCIMS Project Director
Dr. Suzanne Groah is the PI for the NCSCIMS, serving as the Project Director for the overall System of Care, Co-Chair of the Executive Committee, Co-Director of the Research Division, and Co-Director of the Acute Care Workgroup.
Dr. Groah is the Director of Consultation Liaison Service at NRH. She is the physician in charge of providing consults to newly-injured individuals in the acute care setting at WHC.
She is also the Director of SCI Research at NRH and has been awarded multiple federal grants, including the NIDRR-funded RRTC on SCI, with a focus on promoting health and preventing secondary complications through physical activity and exercise. She was appointed Assistant Professor at the Georgetown School of PM&R in 2005.
During her tenure at NRH, she has been instrumental in maintaining a link between acute SCI care at WHC and NRH and establishing a strong and diverse SCI research portfolio. Previously, she served as the Medical Director of SCI Rehabilitation at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, CA after completing 2 fellowships (1 in Aging with SCI, funded through Craig Hospital’s RRTC on Aging with an SCI; and 1 in Neurorehabilitation) at Craig Hospital.
Dr. Groah received her MD from the Medical College of Virginia, and her MSPH from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She has a subspecialty certification in SCI, and has extensive experience in SCI rehabilitation, having published and presented nationally on related topics. She is currently serving as an expert panel member for the Paralyzed Veterans of American and has been integral in the development of their Clinical Practice Guidelines for Bladder Management after SCI.
Dr. Groah serves as the Project Director of the overall System of Care of the NCSCIMS to ensure an integrated and comprehensive program throughout the acute, rehabilitation, and follow-up care phases at NRH. As the Co-Chair of the Executive Committee with Dr. Healton, Dr. Groah provides overall direction for the NCSCIMS.
Together with Dr. DeJong, Dr. Groah directs the NCSCIMS Research Division that oversees the Practice-Based Evidence, SCI Navigator, and Modular research projects. With Dr Herr (see below) she directs the Acute Care Workgroup of the Clinical Services Division of the NCSCIMS and works towards facilitating relationships among EMS, ER, Trauma, Critical Care, and Neuroscience departments within WHC.
Acute Care Workgroup of the Clinical Services Division of the NCSCIMS
The Acute Care Workgroup (ACWG) is comprised of key Directors and Department heads from WHC who play an integral role in the provision of acute care as a part the NCSCIMS. The following individuals are key personnel of the multidisciplinary ACWG, who meet monthly to address NCSCIMS acute care goals and progress:
David Ciesla, MD – Director of Trauma Surgery, WHC
Daniel Herr, MD - Medical Director, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, WHC and AVP Scientific Affairs, MRI
Zachary Levine, MD – Director of Functional Neurosurgery, WHC
Ann Marie Madden, RN - Nursing Director for Critical Care and Emergency Services, WHC
Greg Marchand, MD - Associate Medical Director, MedSTAR Transport Services, Department of Emergency Medicine, WHC
Jill Schie, MS, OTR/L - Director, Acute Care Programs, NRH at WHC
John Starr, MD - Director of Spine Orthopedics, WHC
Lorelei Stellwag, RN - Department Head, Neurosciences, WHC
Sandeep Teja, MD - Associate Physician, Washington Brain and Spine Institute, WHC
Chris Wuerker, MD - Medical Director, MedSTAR Transport, Department of Emergency Medicine, WHC
Pamela Ballard, MD; NCSCIMS Executive Committee member, NCSCIMS Rehabilitation Workgroup Co-Director, NCSCIMS PBE-PU Project Co-PI
Dr. Pamela Ballard co-directs the Rehabilitation Care Workgroup of the Clinical Services Division of the NCSCIMS with Cathy Ellis, PT, and is a Co-Investigator on the Practice-Based Evidence project on the occurrence and prevention of PUs with Dr. DeJong. Dr. Ballard is currently the Medical Director of the SCI Program, Co-Director of the SCI Male Fertility Program, and Director of the Spasticity Clinic at NRH.
She has spent her entire educational and professional career in the Washington-Baltimore area and is acutely familiar with the community resources available to individuals with SCI. As a staff physiatrist at WHC and NRH since 1991, Dr. Ballard has been instrumental in the continual development and growth of the SCI Clinical Program and has been involved in numerous clinical trials. Additionally, she was recently appointed an Associate Professor at the Georgetown School of PM&R in 2005. Dr. Ballard received her MD from Howard University, and has a subspecialty certification in SCI.
Gerben DeJong, PhD; NCSCIMS Co-PI; NCSCIMS Co-Director Research Division; NCSCIMS Co-PI PBE-PU Project
Dr. Gerben DeJong is the Co-Principal Investigator of the Practice-Based Evidence project on the occurrence and prevention of decubitus ulcers, and co-directs the Research Division of the NCSCIMS with Dr. Groah. He is the director of the newly-formed Center for Post-acute Studies at NRH, and for 16 years served as the Director of NRH Research.
Dr. DeJong received his PhD in Public Policy from Brandeis University and has published over 200 scholarly articles and has presented on issues such as health care and outcomes for people with disabilities, the financing of health services, and the rehabilitation marketplace and associated practices. His extensive research portfolio has included rehabilitation outcomes, managed care and disability, and secondary health conditions.
Dr. DeJong is currently the PI of a research project with Dr. Susan Horn (see below) investigating the post-acute management of patients with hip and knee replacements in inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The methodology used in this study, which is taking a “best-practices” approach that identifies practice patterns associated with best outcomes across different types of patients and facilities, is the basis of the Practice-Based Evidence project proposed for the NCSCIMS.
Cathy Ellis, PT; NCSCIMS Director of Clinical Services Division; NCSCIMS Co-Director Rehabilitation Workgroup
Cathy Ellis, PT directs the Clinical Services Division of the NCSCIMS and co-directs the Rehabilitation Care Workgroup of the Clinical Services Division with Dr. Ballard. Ms. Ellis is the of SCI Rehabilitation Clinical Coordinator at NRH, serving as the Director of Inpatient Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Therapeutic Recreation, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Engineering. She is also the Director of Musculoskeletal Programs, and has 14 years of experience directing therapy services for SCI patients at NRH.
Ms. Ellis has 28 years of experience in acute, inpatient, outpatient and home care rehabilitation settings. She has been at NRH for over 20 years and is knowledgeable about and familiar with all inpatient rehabilitation and therapy services provided at NRH across the care continuum and among different settings. Ms. Ellis maintains the continuity of care within the NCSCIMS as a whole, and NRH specifically, and streamlines and integrates rehabilitation services for NRH SCI patients.
Matt Elrod, PT, MEd, NCS; NCSCIMS Clinical Specialist
Matt Elord, PT, MEd, NCS is the Clinical Specialist for the NCSCIMS Clinical Services Division and consults on all patients admitted to WHC with SCI. Mr. Elrod is currently the Program Coordinator of the Neuroscience Research Center at NRH.
He received his education and training in Exercise Physiology from the Citadel, and received his Physical Therapy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. He has over ten years experience working with individuals with SCI and is a Board Certified Specialist in Neurologic PT.
Mr. Elrod is currently the President of the DC chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association and is skilled in relationship building and collaborative efforts, having established research- and training-based relationships for the NRH Research Division with the PT departments at Howard, George Washington, and Marymount Universities. Mr. Elrod has worked as a PT in acute care, acute rehabilitation, and outpatient settings.
Jacqueline Ennis, PhD; NCSCIMS Director of Database Management
Dr. Jacqueline Ennis is the Director of Database Management for the NCSCIMS. Dr. Ennis is currently the Vice President of Outcomes Management and Program Evaluation at Medstar Research Institute. She received her PhD in Health Services Organization and Outcomes Research from the Medical College of Virginia and has over 25 years of research and administration experience. Dr. Ennis is responsible for the integration of administrative and clinical data systems throughout all MedStar Health hospitals and facilities, and as such, will be responsible for the overall management of the NCSCIMS database.
Brenda Gilmore, BFA; NCSCIMS Chair of Consumer Advisory Panel
Brenda Gilmore, BFA, chairs the NCSCIMS Consumer Advisory Panel. She is currently the SCI Life Consultant/Educator for the NRH RRTC on SCI and as such lectures to health professionals locally and nationally about living with a SCI. She has also been integral in the NRH Peer Mentoring Program, providing leadership and guidance to our peer mentors as an African-American woman who has lived with an SCI for over 25 years.
Ms. Gilmore is a former nationally-ranked (#2) wheelchair tennis player, and a skillful business woman, having established her own non-profit foundation in Prince George’s county, Maryland, of which she is currently the Executive Director. The Prince George’s Tennis and Education Foundation (PGTEF) was founded in 1993 and strives to develop academic, athletic, and life skills through programs that foster self-esteem and academic achievement. PGTEF programs include tennis instruction, competition, mentoring, educational assistance, and scholarships.
Samuel Gordon, PhD; NCSCIMS SCI Navigator Project Co-PI
Dr. Samuel Gordon is PI of SCI Navigator project.He has been a clinical psychologist on the SCI Unit of NRH for the past 15 years, and is the Co-Director of the Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit at NRH.
Dr. Gordon received his PhD from the University of Maryland and has many years of experience working with the underserved, minority, male population of the greater Washington, DC community, including VASCI survivors at NRH. He has published and presented on the psychological challenges faced by African-American women and men with SCI and has been active in community efforts to reduce the incidence of violence and other health risk behaviors among urban youth.
Dr. Gordon is currently the PI of the SCI Peer Mentoring Program, (PMP) one of the projects of the RRTC on SCI. For the NCSCIMS, he co-directs the SCI Navigator Project and provides supervision and peer mentor training for the SCI Navigator, much as he currently does for the mentors of the current NRH SCI PMP.
Ashley Harmon, MS; NCSCIMS SCI Navigator Project Co-I, NCSCIMS Follow-Up Workgroup Co-Director
Ashley Harmon, MS is a Co-Investigator of the proposed SCI Navigator project and co-directs the Follow-Up Workgroup of the Clinical Services Division of the NCSCIMS with Ms. Joan McPherson, RN. Ms. Harmon is a Case Manager and Rehabilitation Counselor at NRH and as such works with patients, caregivers, the rehabilitation team and others to coordinate a safe and effective continued care plan and maximize patient outcomes. She completed internships at both Craig Hospital and the Shepherd Center, and maintains involvement with the disability community on both a personal and professional level. A certified rehabilitation counselor, Ms. Harmon has a strong knowledge of the interdisciplinary team process and is the founder and co-leader of two SCI Support Groups serving both inpatients and outpatients at NRH. She has specific experience in SCI program development and process improvement in rehabilitation.
Edward Healton, MD, MPH; NCSCIMS Executive Committee Co-Chair
Dr. Edward Healton co-chairs the Executive Committee of the NCSCIMS with Dr. Groah. Dr. Healton is currently the Sr. Vice-President for Medical Affairs and Medical Director of NRH and Professor and Chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Interim Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Georgetown University Hospital and Medical Center. He also serves as the Director of the NRH Research Division which encompasses all research activities at NRH, and is the Director of the NRH SCI Program. Dr. Healton completed his postgraduate training in Neurology in the Columbia University residency program at the Neurological Institute of New York, and has over 30 years of clinical, academic, and administrative management experience. He has extensive experience in medical education and training, previously overseeing 18 residency and fellowship training programs, and currently two residency and three fellowship training programs between NRH and Georgetown. As Co-Chair of the Executive Committee with Dr. Groah, Dr. Healton provides overall direction for the NCSCIMS.
Susan Horn, PhD; NCSCIMS PBE-PU Project Co-PI
Dr. Susan Horn is Co-Principal Investigator on the Practice-Based Evidence (PBE) project on the occurrence and prevention of decubitus ulcers with Dr. DeJong. She is currently a senior scientist, Institute for Clinical Outcomes Research (ICOR), and vice president research, International Severity Information Systems, Inc. (ISIS), Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, she is Adjunct Professor, Department of Medical Informatics, and Research Professor of Physical Therapy at University of Utah School of Medicine.
Dr. Horn received her PhD in statistics from Stanford University. In 1979, Dr. Horn began developing severity of illness measures, which became the basis for the Comprehensive Severity Index (CSI), with inpatient, outpatient, hospice, rehabilitation, and long-term care components for adults and pediatrics. The CSI measures disease-specific, physiologic severity data for clinical practice improvement (CPI) and risk-adjusted outcomes. Dr. Horn has conducted CPI studies in pediatric asthma, congestive heart failure, pressure ulcers, diabetes, hospice, post-stroke rehabilitation, and falls, and published over 150 papers. She is currently collaborating with Dr. DeJong on a research project investigating the post-acute management of patients with hip and knee replacements in inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), which uses the same methodology as the proposed Practice-Based Evidence project on the occurrence and prevention of decubitus ulcers.
Donal Lauderdale, MSE, PMP; NCSCIMS Knowledge Translation Manager
Donal Lauderdale, MSE, PMP is responsible for the overall coordination and integration of KT work across the Clinical-Research continuum of the NCSCIMS. She leads Translation and Dissemination operational efforts, is responsible for production systems and operational planning, and works with Dr. Groah for strategic planning, quality, reporting and other evaluation activities.
Ms Lauderdale has a background in Computer Science and Engineering and holds professional certification in Project Management. Ms. Lauderdale was recently the Research Division Information Dissemination and Utilization Manager at NRH where she played a central role in defining knowledge translation as a discrete program function.
She has extensive experience in health information systems design and analysis and a multi-perspective understanding of the health care environment, having worked across a range of functions from systems to administration to direct patient care. Ms. Lauderdale has specific experience in the integration of technology into the assessment and management of pressure ulcers.
Inger Ljungberg, BS; SCI Clinical Data Collection Management, Peer Mentor Coordination
Inger Ljungberg, BS supervises the data collection, entry, and quality of the NCSCIMS database with oversight from Dr. Ennis. Ms. Ljungberg received her degree in Management Information Systems and Decision Science at George Mason University. Ms. Ljungberg was the database developer for the NRH SCI, Pediatric, and Stroke clinical databases, which track patient progress and serve as both clinical and research tools. She continues to populate, maintain, and analyze data for the SCI and Pediatric clinical databases while also serving as the NRH Peer Mentor Coordinator. In this role, she coordinates all SCI peer mentoring activities and supervises three Peer Mentors. Ms. Ljungberg also co-facilitates the monthly SCI support group at NRH and is currently involved in the establishment of an NRH Quad Rugby Team.
Joan McPherson, RN; NCSCIMS Follow-Up Workgroup Co-Director
Joan McPherson, RN co-direcst the Follow-Up Workgroup of the Clinical Services Division of the NCSCIMS with Ms. Ashley Harmon, MS. Ms. McPherson is currently the Physicians’ Operations Manager of the Outpatient Center at NRH and is a Registered Nurse with a BA in Management & Business. She has been an integral part of the daily administration and operations of the NRH Outpatient Center. Combined with over 35 years of nursing and hospital administration experience, she is knowledgeable about the continuing outpatient care process, and has the management skills, abilities, and experience of working with patients with disabilities that will help to facilitate and fully integrate continued care for NRH SCI patients across the rehabilitation spectrum.