Sports Medicine Center-Medical College of Georgia

Over 25 years ago, Georgia Rehabilitation Institute asked: What happens to people with disabilities after acute and rehabilitative care? Where do they live? How do they work? How is their quality of life? Our staff, volunteers and donors work together to respond to this need in our community. Walton Rehabilitation Hospital is an acute rehabilitation hospital in the Medical Corridor of Augusta, Georgia. It was part of our operations for 25 years, and today HealthSouth owns the hospital. The hospital offers adult and adolescent inpatient and outpatient programs for persons recovering from stroke, head injuries, spinal injuries, chronic pain and other disabling illnesses and injuries. Walton Community Services opened its first independent living community in 1996 and has grown to 15 independent garden apartment communities throughout the area. WCS provides homes for hundreds of persons with disabilities in the CSRA. Unique for the Augusta area, Harison Heights provides independent and supported living options for persons with disabilities who may require varying levels of care and assistance. Harison Heights opened its doors in 1999 and is operated today by NeuroRestorative. GRI founded Walton Options for Independent Living Inc. which was later separately incorporated as a private, not-for-profit, nonresidential Center for Independent Living (CIL) serving east central Georgia as well as areas of western South Carolina and the Low Country. Walton Options offers information and referrals to a wide network of services, promotes advocacy, and provides other services including Life Skills Training, peer support and mentoring services for people with disabilities. Walton Foundation for Independence was founded in 1998 to inspire philanthropy to support programs and services promoting an inclusive lifestyle for people with disabilities. It also offers its own programs including adaptive sports and camps for children with disabilities and their families.