Message from the CEO

At TIRR Memorial Hermann, we are celebrating our return to No. 2 in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital rankings for 2021-2022. We have been here before, and with our 62-year legacy of strength in rehabilitation and the inclusion of quality metrics in this year’s ranking methodology, we are back again.

I would like to dedicate this incredible achievement to two remarkable groups of people. To the patients, families and individuals in our community with disabilities: your trust in TIRR allows us to break the chains of our own limitations. To our team members, affiliated physicians and volunteers: your dedication to creating breakthroughs for those we serve pushes our outcomes higher. We can accomplish nothing without all of you.

Supporting the community is an impactful part of our history. In the 1960s, we were among the founders of the independent living movement, a worldwide movement of people with disabilities working for equal opportunities, self-determination and respect. Our leadership came through the work of Lex Frieden, director of the Independent Living Research Utilization program at TIRR, who also was an architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Today, we are creating a strategic plan that will allow us to connect even more profoundly with the community in ways that improve the lives of people with disabilities.

There is more to come. Our clinicians innovate in every patient interaction, and our researchers are leading the way in the use of advanced therapies. We are creating an innovation hub, an incubator to accelerate progress in clinical and translational research in rehabilitation.

Now that Christine Adair, MBA, MOT, OT, has joined our executive team as vice president of operations and COO, the gang’s all here. Nicole Harrison, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, vice president and chief nursing officer, leads our accomplished nursing team. Gerard Francisco, MD, FAAPMR, is chief medical officer and professor and Wulfe Family Chair in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. As our CMO since 2009, he has recruited accomplished physicians and researchers, fortified existing programs and developed new programs to meet patient needs. Jessica Graham, MBA, vice president of finance and chief financial officer and an excellent strategist, is with us again, ensuring that we meet our financial goals.

Together, with the entire TIRR Memorial Hermann team, we are building on our foundation of excellence and moving forward to enhance independence and empower people with disabilities.

Rhonda Abbott, PT, FTPTA
Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
TIRR Memorial Hermann
System Executive for Rehabilitation Services
Memorial Hermann Health System