Clinical Excellence Awards - 2024

Dr. Cesar A. Colasante-Garrido is an attending physician at the Syracuse, New York VA Medical Center and the neighboring academic hospital, Upstate Medical University. He is a triple boarded physician in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, and Wound Medicine and Surgery. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications across topics in PM&R and is active in research at the Syracuse VAMC. His knowledge in neurogenic bowel led to the successful implementation of the first surface rectal neurostimulation approach to manage neurogenic bowel – a unique and highly innovative technique showing potential to improve quality of life for those with SCI. Dr. Colasante’s groundbreaking research was recently accepted to be published in the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. Because of his expertise in Wound Medicine and Surgery, Dr. Colasante became a co-inventor of a patented method that uses intraoperative 3D visualization technology for reconstructive wound surgery, which has been instrumental for wound healing and care. A unique area of Dr. Colasante’s expertise is 3D printing. He has used his skills to develop numerous customized adaptive equipment and prosthetic devices, including the creation of a prosthetic helmet for a patient with a cranial deformity, which was published in the PM&R Journal.

Leah Darling is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and ALS Clinic Coordinator at the Richard Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Leah has dedicated 16 years serving Veterans with ALS. When ALS became a 100% service-connected condition in 2008, there was no plan or special funds in place to deliver care. Leah Darling was identified early on as a leader who could help drive and support this mission. In 2023, Leah co-authored the innovative “National ALS Resource and Guidebook” as a standard for Coordinators and clinics across the nation, further advancing the overall system of care.

She was an integral part in creating the Indianapolis VA’s ALS Clinic, and she was the inaugural winner of the “I AM ALS Veterans’ Team Champion Coin.”

Dr. Marika Hess has been the Associate Chief of the SCI/D Service at the VA Boston Healthcare System since 1999. She is also a triple boarded physician, in PM&R, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Care. With her expertise, Veterans with SCI/D receive the full spectrum of lifelong care, from the initial injury and post-acute care to rehabilitation through end-of-life care, always delivered with a caring, compassionate, and Veteran-centered approach. In addition to her role at VA Boston, Dr. Hess is the Associate Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Residency and Fellowship Program for both Harvard Medical School and Tufts University School of Medicine. She has presented locally, nationally, and internationally, and is published widely on topics of best practices for palliative care and SCI, sexual health after SCI, and SCI-related wound care. Dr. Hess is no stranger to awards, she received the Gold Heart Award from the VA Boston Healthcare System, and multiple Special Contribution and Super Team Awards. She also has received Teacher of the Year awards on multiple occasions for Tufts University’s PM&R residency program.

Stephanie Matthews is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker-S, who works as the Spinal Cord Injury Coordinator at the Central Texas VAMC SCI Spoke, located in Temple, Texas. Temple is officially a spoke site of San Antonio, yet it is centrally located between the three SCI Hubs of Texas – Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Working out of Temple, she coordinates care with Veterans using all three Texas Hubs.

Stephanie continues to provide pro bono clinical social work supervision to three LMSWs to earn their 100 supervision hours and 3,000 clinical hours. Outside of mentoring on a volunteer basis, Stephanie tirelessly serves Veterans across Texas, providing both counseling and casework to assess and meet their psychosocial and economic needs. Her attention to detail has helped increase the SCI census count at the Temple VAMC by more than 80 percent. Her care is described as well-coordinated with attention to all details, fluid, effective, and approachable for all disciplines, Veterans, and family members. In a scenario that we all know is challenging, she successfully petitioned and won the addition of eight new parking spots dedicated to SCI patients where there were previously only two assigned spots.

Anna Toth is a Clinical Nurse Practitioner for both inpatients and outpatients at the Minneapolis SCI/D Center. Anna has been in the VA system since 2003 in various roles, and holds an adjunct position through Saint Catherine’s University where she teaches undergraduate nursing students primarily in the inpatient clinical setting. She is also currently enrolled as a PhD student at the University of North Dakota. She serves as Secretary on the APRN council board, and she also serves on the Minneapolis VAMC’s Rehabilitation & Engineering Center for Optimizing Veteran Engagement & Reintegration (RECOVER) team. This team, to which she actively contributes, consists of clinicians from various disciplines, along with engineers and specialists who develop, design, and test new adaptive devices for catastrophically disabled veterans. She is currently working on the development of a modified noninvasive ventilator mask for patients with upper extremity dysfunction. Anna is also dedicated to advancements in wound care. She applied her experience in wound care to help develop the HABIT Camera, which was designed and built in Minneapolis. The HABIT camera is a small wireless device which Veterans use to monitor their skin integrity and easily communicate complications or concerns to clinicians. This camera is now a licensed product used across the country.

Dr. Dianna Neal is a staff physician on the SCI/D team at the Charlie Norwood VAMC in Augusta, Georgia. Dr. Neal is board certified in Family Medicine, and she repeatedly demonstrates why this specialty is critical in delivering exceptional care to Veterans with SCI/D, especially with age-related illness and health complications. Dr. Neal is deeply involved with adaptive sports and rec therapy, and consistently encourages Veterans to be active in their daily lives to minimize health complications related to both age and their injury or disorder. She has been an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team that has restructured and expanded their Outpatient Clinic Program, which provides specialty clinics and comprehensive primary care to Veterans across five states. Dr. Neal remains laser-focused on partnering with her patients and their caregivers, prioritizing Whole Health initiatives, and empowering them to manage self-care and make decisions to improve their health and quality of life. She brings her family medicine expertise to help Veterans with all aspects of their injury, including reducing pain and spasticity, bowel and bladder dysfunction, blood pressure management, cardiac issues, and mental health care. Her care is consistently delivered to all Veterans with compassion, respect, and professionalism. A fierce advocate for their needs, she ensures they feel valued, heard, and understood with every interaction.