Dr. Steven Kirshblum serves as Medical Director of the West Orange campus and Co-Project Director of the Northern New Jersey Model Spinal Cord Injury System, one of only 14 federally-designated model systems in the United States. Dr. Kirshblum has delivered more than 500 lectures nationally and internationally. He also is a prolific writer and researcher who has written and co-authored more than 120 articles in peer-reviewed publications and completed over 40 book chapters, 80 abstracts, and monographs on his major research interests in spinal cord injury and education issues. He is editor of the textbook, Spinal Cord Medicine and has written a children's book on spinal cord injury. Dr. Kirshblum received his medical degree from the University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School and completed a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, where he was a chief resident. He became board certified in 1991. Serving as a professor of rehabilitation medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, he most recently was President of the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals while also currently being a member of numerous advisory boards and foundations for spinal cord research. In this interview, Dr. Kirshblum provides excellent insights into spinal-cord injury-related medical needs that require follow-up care, the notion of collaboration in care, communicating prognosis, workforce and postgraduate training, and what the future of PM&R might hold.
Alberto Esquenazi is chairman of the Department of Medicine and Rehabilitation and chief medical officer for MossRehab. As chairman of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, he also serves as a professor at Temple University School of Medicine. His specialties are amputee rehabilitation, mobility evaluation and treatment, and gait analysis. Dr. Esquenazi was instrumental in the development of ReWalk T, the first commercially viable upright device that enables wheelchair users to stand, walk, and climb stairs. His career has been characterized by high productivity in the area of research, which has been accompanied by his work being widely published in books and journal articles that have garnered awards for excellence. Active both nationally and internationally, he has lectured widely throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Apropos of his participating in this Rusk podcast series, it is worth noting that earlier in 2015 he was the recipient of the Rusk Award for Leadership and Innovation in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. In this interview, Dr. Esquenazi discusses the many ways technology is leading to dramatic effects on patient care as well as his work with Amputee Coalition of America among multiple other great insights into rehabilitation medicine.
Dr. Kathleen Bell is Chairperson of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She also plays a significant role as a leading investigator with the Texas Institute for Brain Injury and Repair. A nationally recognized leader in rehabilitation medicine, she is a specialist in neuro-rehabilitation. As a clinician, Dr. Bell focuses on rehabilitation after acquired brain injuries; traumatic brain injuries including concussions, strokes, and brain tumors; and anoxic and metabolic brain injuries. A nationally acknowledged researcher in the field of traumatic brain injury, she has been funded continuously by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Department of Defense, among other sources. She has been published extensively and has given presentations all over the world about her work. In 2014-15, she served as President of the Executive Board of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, her medical degree is from Temple University Medical School. This interview is split into two parts. In Part Two, Dr. Bell continues her discussion around EMRs as well as ICD-10, best practice guidelines, professional education, and the future of PM&R.
Dr. Kathleen Bell is Chairperson of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She also plays a significant role as a leading investigator with the Texas Institute for Brain Injury and Repair. A nationally recognized leader in rehabilitation medicine, she is a specialist in neuro-rehabilitation. As a clinician, Dr. Bell focuses on rehabilitation after acquired brain injuries; traumatic brain injuries including concussions, strokes, and brain tumors; and anoxic and metabolic brain injuries. A nationally acknowledged researcher in the field of traumatic brain injury, she has been funded continuously by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Department of Defense, among other sources. She has been published extensively and has given presentations all over the world about her work. In 2014-15, she served as President of the Executive Board of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, her medical degree is from Temple University Medical School. This interview is split into two parts. In Part One, Dr. Bell provides excellent insights on unique characteristics of PM&R, the AAPM&R, how the ACA is influencing care, and EMRs. Please listen next week for Part Two.