Welcome to the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine

Vision: A world where all people can fully participate and thrive

Mission: Together we achieve and advance the highest quality rehabilitation care, training, and research

Values: Integrity, Inclusion, Innovation, Impact

The UW Department of Rehabilitation was founded in 1957 by Justus F. Lehmann. Since then, our dedicated faculty and staff have provided the highest quality patient care, education and research in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

We provide inpatient rehabilitation care at the University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the Veteran’s Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System. In addition, we have musculoskeletal, neurorehabilitation and other outpatient clinics located throughout the Seattle region.

Our highly regarded education and training programs include residency programs in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Psychology and Physical Therapy. We participate in medical student education and have fellowship programs in several areas. We offer graduate degree programs including the Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Occupational Therapy, and Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics degrees, as well as a PhD in Rehabilitation Science.

Research is a major focus of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. We are among the nation's leading recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other federal, state and foundation research funding. Our research makes UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine a leader in the field and improves the lives of our patients.

Department faculty have leadership roles in the UW Disability Studies Program. The department offers a range of community engagement activities and community programs that work directly with individuals and organizations. Many of our programs work to educate organizations, businesses, and the public about disability rights and responsibilities. We also feature programs that work directly with individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities to provide support, assessment, training, and access to assistive devices.