Fall 2024 Edition

Six athletes connected with TIRR Memorial Hermann qualified for the 2024 Paralympics, held this summer in Paris. The groupshooter Jazmin “Jaz” Almlie, triathlete Mark Barr, basket- ball player Kaitlyn Eaton, swimmer Ahalya Lettenberger, basketball player Fabian Romo and para- athletics track competitor Chelsea Stein—competed in their respective sports during the event from Aug. 23 through Sept. 9, following the Olympics, which also took place in Paris.

“We are incredibly honored that TIRR Memorial Hermann is again recognized by physicians and U.S. News & World Report as the No. 2 rehabilitation hospital nationally and as the best rehabilitation hospital in Texas,” says Rhonda Abbott, senior vice president and CEO of TIRR Memorial Hermann.

The Physical Therapy (PT) Neurologic Residency and Occupational Therapy (OT) Neurologic Fellowship programs at TIRR Memorial Hermann have produced some of the leading practitioners in these vital specialties in the United States, with graduates placed both within the Memorial Hermann and at other top rehabilitation medicine hospitals nationally.

A multidisciplinary team is using a surgical procedure called osseointegration to provide people with limb loss like Louisiana native Wayne Moorehead with a new lease on life.

Sheng Li, MD, PhD, a renowned physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) specialist at TIRR Memorial Hermann, is performing a groundbreaking procedure known as cryoneurolysis to treat spasticity.

This issue of the TIRR Journal focuses on the theme of resilience, and our patients are living embodiments of the term. As one of the largest rehabilitation hospitals in the country, we see patients with the most complex diagnoses and injuries come through our doors.

Social determinants of health—economic and environmental conditions that impact people’s health, daily lives and quality of life—can result in serious disadvantages for many individuals, particularly those from underserved racial and ethnic groups.

Scientific research needs to refocus on causality in order to sidestep traps that may ultimately compromise findings.

TIRR Memorial Hermann is thrilled to welcome Annie! A Golden Retriever, Annie is trained to respond to as many as 45 cues that are “very task-specific that can be used to accentuate what’s already happening in therapy” for patients, according to Tara H. Haas, MS, OTR, the facility dog program coordinator at TIRR Memorial Hermann.

Phong Lam is a dedicated nurse with more than a decade of experience offering steadfast support to patients and their families as they navigate the challenging journey of rehabilitation. With a focus on traumatic and acquired brain injuries as well as stroke, Lam’s unwavering commitment to patient care shines through his compassionate approach, making a lasting impact on patient recovery.

Patients at TIRR Memorial Hermann are living examples of resilience, the theme of this issue of the TIRR Journal.