April Construction Updates

Photo: B-500 Siding Panels begin installation on the west side of the building.

Construction crews of the new Polytrauma and Blind Rehabilitation Center (B-500) have begun installation of the windows and the siding panels on the exterior of the building. The new center will overlap the original WBRC footprint on the Palo Alto VAPAHCS campus. This will be the VA's first and only Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center to be combined with a Blind Rehabilitation Center.

Photo: B-500 windows begin installation on the east side of the building.

 At 174,000 square feet, this new facility is the largest consolidated rehabilitation center in the VA and will include 24 beds for the polytrauma program, 32 beds for the blind rehabilitation program, and 12 beds for the polytrauma transitional rehabilitation program. The center will also have an outpatient physical therapy/occupational therapy clinic, an outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic, and clinical programs for Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans.

Image: Draft Rendering of the finished B-500 front entrance area.

Construction is anticipated to complete in late 2014 with the building becoming operational in Spring of 2015.

CLICK HERE to view additional construction pictures

CLICK HERE for construction updates

CLICK HERE to read the project's news release

WBRC Welcomes New CNVR Program Coordinator

Photo: Ms. Leanne Wakefield, new WBRC CNVR Coordinator

 

WBRC is proud to announce that Ms. Leanne Wakefield has accepted the position of WBRC Comprehensive Neurological Vision Rehabilitation (CNVR) Program Coordinator.  Ms. Wakefield started the position on Feb. 24^th, 2014.  Ms. Wakefield has a Master’s of Social Work from University of Southern California and a Master’s of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from CSU Fresno. She is a certified rehabilitation counselor and also a certified case manager.  She has over seven years of experience working at a level I trauma and burn center within acute medical and acute rehabilitation units providing case managed and social services.  Welcome to the WBRC Team Leanne!

 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the WBRC CNVR Program

WBRC Welcomes New Administrative Officer

Photo: Mr. Mark Edwards, new WBRC Administrative Officer

WBRC is proud to announce that Mr. Mark Edwards has accepted the position of WBRC Administrative Officer.  He started the position on Feb. 10th, 2014.  Mr. Edwards is a 14 year veteran of the United States Navy.  He enlisted in the Navy in 1990 as an Aviation Electrician’s Mate (AE).  Mr. Edwards earned a commission in the Navy through the NROTC program at Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania from 1993 to 1997.  In his 14 years of active duty, he served on three ships: the USS America (CV-66) assigned to aircraft squadron VAW-123, the USS Estocin (FFG-15) as the Communications Officer, and the USS-Nimitz (CVN-68) as the Electrical Officer.  He also subsequently served as a Human Resources Officer for 5 years and attended graduate school at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California.  Mr. Edwards previously worked for the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting in September of 2009 where he worked as an administrator in the Surgical Clinics.  Mr. Edwards was then was competitively selected by the Human Resources (ER/LR) Department at the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh in October of 2013 prior to being selected for the WBRC Administrative Officer position in November 2013.  Welcome to the WBRC Team Mark!