Fall 2015 Edition

“This acknowledgment is a testament to our long-term legacy of leading medical rehabilitation, research, education and providing excellent care,” says Carl Josehart, CEO of TIRR Memorial Hermann. “It also demonstrates our continued innovation and the dedication of our affiliated physicians and staff to push the boundaries of rehabilitation. No matter how good we get, we’re always striving to improve.”

It’s always nice to be honored. Awards and recognitions also provide an opportunity to reflect on their meaning and value. They validate our accomplishments as medical professionals and remind us of the responsibility we have to our patients to improve access to care, to advance scientific knowledge and technology, and to practice evidence-based medicine.

More than half of the population with tetraplegia indicated that regaining arm and hand function would most improve their quality of life. Despite this evidence, a great deal of technology and research has focused on improving leg strength and retraining gait after SCI and not on upper-extremity strength and function. Furthermore, little research has been directed at understanding and optimizing interventions for the upper extremity when compared to gait training.

“During my stay at TIRR, a recreational therapist stopped by to ask me if I was interested in sports,” he says. “When I said I’d played football and basketball, she asked me if I’d be interested in wheelchair basketball. At first I said no because I really wanted to be out of the wheelchair. After a couple of months I went out and watched the Hotwheels practice and thought it looked like an exciting sport. I came back a couple of weeks later and practiced with them. Over time I picked up the game.”

Filoteo Salinas has seen enormous growth in the pediatric program during her three years at TIRR Memorial Hermann Adult and Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation at the Kirby Glen Center. She is currently involved in a new program called Camp Abilities, a social and communication skills camp for children ages 3 to 9. Camp Abilities provides a fun, structured and supportive setting for children with a variety of disabilities and disorders.

Six TIRR Memorial Hermann Outpatient Rehabilitation centers are now offering comprehensive pre-driving assessments for people experiencing functional vision changes due to a neurologic incident, trauma, surgery or the aging process. “Physicians who were assessing their patients themselves reached out to us for our experience in helping people regain the skills they need to drive,” says Lisa Lewis, OTR, outpatient rehabilitation clinical coordinator at TIRR Memorial Hermann Adult and Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation.

TIRR Memorial Hermann Researches featured in print, on the podium and poster presentations.

Gerard Francisco, MD, has been selected by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) to receive the organization’s 2015 Distinguished Member Award. Dr. Francisco is chief medical officer and director of the NeuroRecovery Research Center at TIRR Memorial Hermann and clinical professor and chair of the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth.

In this issue of the journal, we’re pleased to recognize eight individuals whose accomplishments stand out from the crowd. Among them is our chief medical officer Gerard Francisco, MD, who has devoted nearly two decades to improving the care we provide at our institution and advancing research and education at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. In October, Dr. Francisco was recognized with the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation’s Distinguished Member Award, which honors AAPMR members who have provided invaluable service to our specialty through contributions to PM&R-related organizations.