On Friday, January 25, at 12 noon, Senator Christine Tartaglione will conduct a press conference at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, bringing attention to Magee’s ability to treat wounded Veterans.

      The 96-bed rehabilitation hospital received authorization in April, 2007 to treat wounded Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the renowned therapists and staff are ready and waiting to utilize their skills, expertise, and passion to help our returning heroes.

      “Magee has highly trained medical professionals ready and willing to help.” wrote Tartaglione recently in a letter to state, local, and federal officials. “As a former patient, (Tartaglione was a patient in 2003 after a boating accident left her with a severe spinal cord injury) I can attest to the high standard of excellence Magee provides to each and every patient. And Magee has a successful record in treating many civilian injuries that parallel the brain trauma, amputations, fractures, and compression injuries that our soldiers are sustaining in battle.”

      Also scheduled to attend the press conference at the time of this release are Speaker of the House for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Dennis O’Brien, Magee CEO, Dr. Jack Carroll, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Guy Fried, and former Magee patient and Veteran, Brian La Freda. La Freda, a former Marine and Air Force Reserve Captain, suffered a spinal cord injury in 2006 when the cargo plane he was piloting experienced technical difficulties and he was forced to make a crash landing.

      The press conference will be held in the second floor conference room, and all attendees will be available to the press for questions and interviews.

      A founding member of the Jefferson Health System, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital is the Philadelphia region’s first rehab hospital. Along with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Magee Rehabilitation is one of 14 federally designated model Regional Spinal Cord Injury Centers. Magee Rehabilitation is also home to the nation’s first brain injury rehab program to be accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Celebrating its 50th year in operation in 2008, the hospital is authorized to treat wounded military personnel returning from war.