Las Vegas – September 03, 2026 -- Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) opened its 2026 Healthcare Summit + Expo at the Horseshoe Hotel, drawing more than 400 healthcare professionals to advance clinical care for spinal cord injury, MS, and ALS. The event runs through September 2 and features 110 speakers and 60 exhibitors, with remarks from Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins.
Summit connects 400 clinicians to close gaps in SCI/D care
PVA National President Robert Thomas said healthcare for veterans with traumatic spinal cord injuries and diseases like MS and ALS extends from research through rehabilitation and long-term community life. PVA, founded in 1946, is the only nonprofit Veterans Service Organization with access inside all 25 VA SCI/D Centers, a position that has shaped its 80-year investment in research, clinical education, and advocacy.
Six clinicians to receive PVA Clinical Excellence Awards on September 2
The Summit will honor six clinicians for advancing SCI/D care nationwide. Honorees include Marinella Galea, MD, Chief of Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in Bronx, New York, recognized for more than two decades of leadership in specialized care and research. Nicholas Wendel, PT, DPT, NCS, of VA Boston Health Care System's West Roxbury VA, was cited for deploying innovative rehabilitation technologies to improve veteran mobility.
Other honorees include Beth Whittington, MD, a neurologist at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis who expanded telehealth access for ALS care; Ginger Willoughby, RN, of the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, recognized for care coordination and staff development; Felicia Skelton, MD, MS, of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, honored for advancing virtual access and patient safety in SCI primary care; and Liam Kiernan, PT, DPT, NCS, OCS, of the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado, recognized for integrating advanced rehabilitation technologies into clinical practice.
Ten industry sponsors back the clinical education event
Lindsay Perlman, director of PVA's Research and Education Department, said the Summit gives VA and community clinicians dedicated space to collaborate and rethink patient care approaches away from daily clinical demands. This year's sponsors include Biogen, First Nation Group, Genentech, Maxim Healthcare, NMEDA, Novartis, ONWARD Medical Inc., Permobil, Quantum, and Shionogi.