Senate recommends bill for improved NIH rehabilitation research

The U.S. Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee recently voted to pass legislation to improve, coordinate and enhance medical rehabilitation research at the NIH.

The “Enhancing the Stature and Visibility of Medical Rehabilitation Research at the NIH Act” (S. 800), sponsored by Sens. Mark Kirk, R-Ill.; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.; and Susan Collins, R-Maine, calls for the development of a comprehensive research plan at the agency to conduct, support and coordinate research for the recovery of stroke victims and to help patients return to work. The bill also will establish a standard of care, opening access to specialized and intense care for patients struggling to recover from debilitating disabilities.

Mark Kirk

“The NIH strategic plan — which addresses the most complex war-time injuries, stroke, traumatic brain injuries and others — has not been updated since 1993,” Bennet said during the hearing. “This bill will set up benchmarks that the NIH has to meet and elevate rehabilitation research to senior-level expertise at the agency.”

Kirk, a stroke survivor, called for a higher standard of care for other Americans who have had strokes.

“After my stroke, intense rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago helped me get back on my feet and back to work,” Kirk said in a press release. “Every American should have the same access to quality rehab and care that I did. I thank my colleagues on the [Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)] Committee and look forward to passing this bill on the Senate floor.”

According to Bennet, the bill has been endorsed by leading members of the disability research community, including the March of Dimes, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the American Heart Association.

“Research into medical rehabilitation can help find new ways to improve recovery from stroke — a leading cause of serious, long-term disability,” Mark A. Creager, MD, president of the American Heart Association and director of the Heart and Vascular Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, said in a press release. “The association stands in support of this important legislation, which will provide hope for those stroke survivors who need therapy to walk, talk and live independently again. We commend Sens. Kirk and Bennet and the HELP Committee for advancing it.”

Mark A. Creager

According to Kirk, 75% of the 700,000 Americans who have a stroke each year will not return to work. Kirk said this bill will help those who are affected by stroke or other traumatic injuries to return to work and return to life as productive, healthy citizens.

“Coordination at the NIH is long overdue, and this legislation is a milestone for rehabilitation research,” Joanne C. Smith, MD, president and CEO of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, said in a press release. “Its focus is aligned with [our] mission, ensuring continued best-in-class, scientifically driven care that advances patients’ ability and function.”