Dr. Greg Vigna’s interest in caring for patients with catastrophic injuries began early during his third year clinical rotations at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, as a medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine.
The first patient he was assigned during his general surgery rotation was a young man with acute paraplegia as the result of a gunshot wound to the mid-back. It was the job of the medical student to pre-round on the patient, gather necessary data to present in an organized fashion to the attending physician on morning rounds.
To Dr. Vigna’s dismay there was nothing in the general surgery text book which dealt with the acute management of spinal cord injury. Dr. Vigna hit the library and began extensive research regarding the issues of spinal shock, decubitus ulcers, bowel and bladder dysfunction, and rehabilitation issues necessary to care for this patient. Dr. Vigna, did this research in short order, presenting the case in a concise fashion including all the organ systems that are affected by a spinal cord injury. His experience with this patient prompted Dr. Vigna’s decision to pursue a career in rehabilitation medicine.
Dr. Vigna’s attention to detail has been evident since his days at University of the Pacific where he graduated Cum Laude in Biochemistry in 1988. He has displayed a consistent drive to know and understand all aspects of what a person experiences from both a medical and psychological standpoint following a catastrophic injury. Following medical school he completed his residency at a top five program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 1996. During his residency he had the opportunity to train at some of the leading hospitals in the country including The Methodist Hospital and Texas Institute of Rehabilitation and Research. At these institutions he learned from the leaders in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation how to manage the most catastrophic of all traumatic injuries.
Dr. Vigna began his career in Tampa, where he provided care at a rehabilitation hospital owned by HealthSouth, the largest rehabilitation provider in the country. There he developed a pediatric rehabilitation unit; began a spasticity management program providing state of the art treatments including intrathecal baclofen pumps and botox to pediatric and adult patients; and developed a busy outpatient pain practice for both acute and chronic pain patients. Dr. Vigna was recruited by HealthSouth to continue his medical career in Louisiana where he has served as Director of Rehabilitation and Medical Director of a ninety bed facility since 1999.
Dr. Vigna’s decision to become a lawyer came about not because of his lack of desire to be a doctor, but for his disdain for the changes that are occurring in the health care industry. Simply put, Dr. Vigna believes that private insurance companies and government insurance plans are rationing care to the detriment of disabled patients. As a Certified Life Care Planner,
Dr. Vigna understands the future needs and costs required to prevent complications and improve the lives of patients that have been altered by a catastrophic injury. He believes that by forming Life Care Solutions Group, he has the vehicle to achieve his goal of fighting for the needs of his clients. Contact him today for a free case evaluation.
