April O’Connell is a Clinical Specialist in the Hand and Upper Extremity Therapy Department at NYU Langone Center for Musculoskeletal Care. As a member of the American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Therapy (ASSET) she has a strong interest in sports rehabilitation, especially as it pertains to professional and recreational athletes. She has lectured to orthopedic surgeons and therapists in current concepts of orthopedic rehabilitation of the shoulder, elbow and hand. She has been a guest speaker for Doctor Radio on Sirius Satellite on topics including football & baseball injury and prevention, golf, tennis and skiing injuries and was featured in Shape Magazine in May 2013. She earned her Occupational Therapy degree at Boston University, is a Certified Hand Therapist and is certified by the American Council of Sports Medicine (ACSM) as a Clinical Exercise Specialist. In this interview, April discusses the emerging field of hand transplantation and 3-D motion analysis using wireless technology.

Dr. Jonathan Whiteson is Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine; Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine; Medical Director of Rusk Outreach and Growth; and Medical Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation. His research interests include: cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation coping strategies during cardiac rehabilitation following cardiac surgery, pulmonary rehabilitation of individuals exposed to world trade center dust, and recognizing encephalopathy and delirium in the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation setting. In this interview, Dr. Whiteson discusses the occurrence of encephalopathy and delirium and the importance of coordination along the continuum of care.

Jena Harb is a board certified geriatric specialist and senior physical therapist, who most recently became a left ventricular assist device rehabilitation educator at Rusk. She has worked in acute care and adult inpatient acute rehabilitation settings with special interests in the areas of geriatrics and critical care medicine. Over the last several years she has worked primarily in the surgical and medical intensive care units, helping to lead an early mobility pilot project, which is now an accepted early mobility program in both the surgical and medical intensive care units. She has presented at multiple American Physical Therapy Association Combined Section Meeting conferences and is an active participant in clinical research at Rusk. She teaches at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, and Columbia University’s physical therapy departments. In this interview, Jena discusses the role of physical therapy in providing both inpatient and home-based care, teamwork with other members of the health professions, prevention, and key aspects of physical therapy research in rehabilitation.

Holly Cohen has been at NYU Langone Medical Center for almost 15 years. In 2006, she founded the Assistive Technology Service at NYU, which now reaches across all of the campuses. The focus of that Service is to improve the quality of life and independence of adults and children through technology use. Holly also started the Driving Rehabilitation program in 2007 and is currently the program manager of both services. Along with her clinical experience, she holds certification in assistive technology from the Rehabilitation and Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America and has a specialty certification in environmental modifications from the American Occupational Therapy Association. She has been an adjunct professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the Steinhardt School at New York University since 2005 and has lectured at national conferences focusing on technology use for individuals with disabilities. Her degree is in occupational therapy and she has taken graduate level courses within the Interactive Telecommunications department at New York University. In this interview, Holly discusses the many innovative ways in which assistive technology interventions improve the lives of patients in this interview.

Dr. Salvador Portugal serves as a Clinical Instructor at the NYU School of Medicine and is an Attending Physiatrist within the Rusk Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation as well as in Sports Medicine, he specializes in Interventional Spine & Sports Medicine. He provides comprehensive evaluation and non-surgical management of a multitude of musculoskeletal conditions, predominantly of the lower back and neck. Dr. Portugal also teaches medical students, residents, and sports medicine fellows. In this interview, Dr. Portugal provides insights on treating patients with medically complex health problems and how proper diagnosis is imperative, as well as his thoughts on the future of rehabilitation. 

Dr. Barbara Siminovich-Blok is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Rusk Rehabilitation. Her research interests include: integrative research in rehabilitation medicine, how traditional modalities and modern science collaborate to enhance patient outcomes, physiological stress markers to analyze the effectiveness of Integrative Modalities, and retrospective analysis of the effectiveness of integrative health therapies at NYU Langone. In this interview, Dr. Siminovich-Blok discusses integrative medicine with an emphasis on naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, and treatment of pain

Liat Rabinowitz is the Program Manager of Speech Language Pathology. She has worked as a speech-language therapist in the field of neuro rehabilitation for over 11 years; six of them at Rusk. Her experience has been in evaluation and treatment of adults with acquired brain injury with a specific area of interest in cognitive communication impairments and working with patients in disorder of consciousness. Most of her current work involves managing the Speech Language Pathology department, along with supervising and training staff. In this interview, Liat reviews when to initiate speech-language therapy, complementary modalities, and the identification of areas where additional research is warranted.

Geoffrey Hall is an accomplished operational strategist and executive leader with more than 15 years of experience cultivating, improving, and directing operations for various facilities throughout the healthcare industry. He is currently the Administrator for the top 10 nationally ranked Rusk Rehabilitation at the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. In this interview, Geoffrey discusses controlling health care costs through bundled payments, the use of technology in health care, conversion from ICD-9 to ICD-10, and Rusk's health involvement in China.

Dr. Ira Rashbaum is the Chief of Stroke Rehabilitation at Rusk where he cares for adult stroke inpatients and outpatients. He also provides care for adults with general outpatient rehabilitation needs, including chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders. In particular, he has an expertise in diagnosing and treating psychosomatic pain. He has served as chairperson of the Study Guide Committee of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, a position that placed him at the cutting edge of all aspects of rehabilitation medicine. He has been selected as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor every year since 2012. In this interview, Dr. Rashbaum discusses the importance of the multidisciplinary team to stroke care and the treatment of medically complex patients. 

Sofiya Prilik, MD is a Clinical Instructor at Rusk Rehabilitation and practices general and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Dr. Prilik’s work extends to two subacute facilities which work closely with Rusk and provide an opportunity to follow her patients throughout the continuum of care. After moving to the US at the age of 17, Dr. Prilik received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from NYU where she was awarded membership in the Phi Betta Kappa honorary society and was the recipient of the Founders Day Award, and her medical degree from SUNY Downstate.  In this interview, Dr. Prilik discusses two critical elements of medical care today: education and patient empowerment and how these translate to all those she works with in the clinical setting.

Maria Tafurt is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Rusk Rehabilitation. She is the Site Director at Rusk and Hospital for Joint Diseases where she manages an interdisciplinary staff that includes occupational and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, psychologists and neuropsychologists, recreational therapists, and child life professionals. She has authored or co-authored sixteen articles, abstracts and international presentations in her field. In this interview, she discusses innovative pediatric integrative approaches as well as electrical stimulation after stroke and the importance of teamwork to achieve optimal success. 

Joseph Taravella, MS, PhD is a licensed child and family clinical psychologist who serves as the Supervisor of the Pediatric Psychology Services and Co-Director of Psychology Intern Training at Rusk Rehabilitation. Along with a private practice in midtown Manhattan, he proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Kid Angel Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps underserved children and families from distressed communities, and is co-founder of Forward Footsteps, LLC, a publishing company with a focus on children, caregivers, and diversity with his colleague, Dr. Stacey Bromberg. In this interview, Dr. Taravella provides tremendous insights into dealing with grief, cyber bullying, and his own education from being on staff at Rusk. 

Jodi Herbsman, MS, PhD is the Program Manager of Acute Care Therapy Services at Rusk Rehabilitation where she manages the daily operations of Physical and Occupational therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, and Psychology services. Her position entails providing support, guidance, and supervision to acute care managers and assisting them with management of operational issues as needed. Among many interesting topics discussed in this episode, Dr. Herbsman delves into the importance of therapy in the acute care setting and her research in the areas of delirium and early mobility for these patients. 

Dr. Amit Bansal and Dr. JR Rizzo, two physicians at Rusk Rehabilitation, provide quick summaries of their presentations at this year's Annual Assembly. 

Dr. Julie Silver is an Associate Professor and the Associate Chair for Strategic Initiatives at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is on staff at Spaulding Rehabilitation hospital. She is recognized nationally and internationally as an innovator, academician, teacher, and an award-winning author who has published multiple books including two new books: the Essentials of PM&R which is here at the conference today at the Elsevier booth, and Before and After Cancer Treatment: Heal Faster, Better, Stronger (Johns Hopkins Press) which was just released and is for cancer survivors.
The Boston Globe recognized Dr. Silver’s important contributions to healthcare and society and awarded her the Top Innovator in Medicine. The Discovery Channel featured her work and the STAR Program in the show Innovations. She has been a guest on the Today Show, the CBS Early Show and Dr. Oz. Her work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the London Times and NPR. Each year hundreds of healthcare professionals from all corners of the nation come to Boston to attend the continuing education courses that she directs at Harvard Medical School titled “Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare “ and “Writing, Publishing and Social Media for Healthcare Professionals”. Her courses are among the highest-rated at Harvard.

Margaret (Meg) Waskiewicz is the supervisor of the Adult Outpatient Neurological occupational therapy unit where she primarily treats complex vision and concussion patients and has had an active role in the concussion center at Rusk.  Along with her clinical experience she also is an adjunct professor teaching both at NYU and LIU-Brooklyn. She will be speaking in the fall at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine conference and at the American Academy of Physical Medicine &Rehabilitation Annual Assembly Session. Last year, she was in China to provide education on the role of occupational therapy in rehabilitation and in a hospital setting. In this interview, Meg discusses acute and chronic visual problems stemming from traumatic brain injury and how occupational therapy modalities are being used in China.

Sonja Blum, MD, PhD, of Rusk Rehabilitation, primarily focuses on the clinical diagnosis and management of cognitive and psychiatric aspects of memory disorders. Her current research focus is on understanding the natural course and predictors of recovery of memory function after brain injury. In this interview, Dr. Blum discusses different injuries that can cause memory disorders and the therapies used to address them. 

​Megan Evangelist is a clinical specialist in occupational therapy. Her career in the acute rehabilitation setting began at the University of Rochester Medical Center, followed by two years experience as a burn and trauma therapist in acute care at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Along with her regular duties and responsibilities, she has made numerous poster presentations at the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference & Expo, the New York State Occupational Therapy Association annual conference, the Johns Hopkins Critical Care Rehabilitation Conference, and most recently at the American Delirium Society annual conference. In this interview, Megan discusses the treatment of patients with delirium, ways to improve patient care, and opportunities to enhance a unit's workplace culture.

Dr. Renat Sukhov serves as Clinical Associate Professor and Associate Medical Director of Pediatric Rehabilitation Service at Rusk Rehabilitation. He specializes in pediatric rehabilitation medicine with medical expertise also in the areas of spasticity therapy, acupuncture, hand rehabilitation, musculoskeletal disorders, swallowing disorders, neuromuscular rehabilitation, and concussion. In this interview, Dr. Sukhov discusses the challenges and opportunities of integrative medicine as well as treating patients who require complex care. 

Steven Flanagan, MD is Professor and Chairman of Rehabilitation Medicine and Medical Director of Rusk Rehabilitation. His specialty is brain injury. In his first interview, Dr. Flanagan provided tremendous insights into a number of critical topics in rehabilitation medicine and the broader health domain including healthcare reform, early mobilization in critical care, increasing quality and decreasing costs, access to care, international training/education, and treating medically complex patients. In this episode, Dr. Flanagan once again provides a first-hand look at several key areas including strategies for healthcare leaders to deal with consolidation, big data, electronic health records, postgraduate training, comparative effectiveness research, and best practices from the international domain. 

John R. Corcoran, MS, PhD is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Rusk Rehabilitation where he specializes in rehabilitation and pain management. He serves as the Site Director for Rehabilitation Therapy Services and is a Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities Medical Rehabilitation Surveyor who surveys rehabilitation hospitals both nationally and internationally. He also has a faculty appointment with the American Physical Therapy Association and teaches Health Policy and Administration in the Leadership in Physical Therapy's Program LAMP Leadership division. In this interview, Dr. Corcoran discusses various team approaches for pain management to minimize length of stay and to avoid hospitalization, as well as the importance of early mobilization in intensive care settings. 

​Dr. Jung Ahn serves as Associate Medical Director of Rusk Institute, Clinical Director & Inpatient Director of Rusk Institute, and Rehabilitation Medicine Service Chief at NYU Langone Medical Center. He is a graduate of Catholic University Medical College in Seoul, Korea. His Rehabilitation Medicine Residency training occurred at NYU Langone Medical Center where he also had a Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship. In this interview, Dr. Ahn reviews treatment for patients who have suffered from a spinal cord injury and the relationship between etiology and functional outcomes in cases of transverse myelitis.

Maneshka Perera is a Senior Occupational Therapist at Rusk Rehabilitation. She has worked with individuals with spinal cord injuries for the past six years and currently serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the New York Chapter of the Spinal Cord Injury Association. She has helped to cultivate a manual intervention that was developed by a physical therapy colleague to address trunk weakness in neurological patients, and is working towards integrating the technique into the occupational therapy scope of practice. She also has  co-authored a publication in OT Advance for occupational therapy practitioners, highlighting and introducing the technique and its ability to have an impact on activities of daily living. In this interview, Maneshka discusses successful efforts in treating patients who experience trunk weakness resulting from their injury. She also describes how teaching patients and their caregivers to incorporate the spinal mobility technique along with other resistive, aerobic and pulmonary exercises based on each individual’s level of injury is critical to success. 

Tara Denham, MS founded the renowned Vestibular Physical Therapy Center at Rusk Rehabilitation. A physical therapist, she is the Outpatient Physical Therapy Program Manager at the Rusk Rehabilitation Ambulatory Care Center and is a faculty member at NYU Langone. Tune in to hear a great discussion on vestibular therapy and the role it plays in concussions, as well as on evidence-based research in this area and the importance of effective training. 

Joseph Rath, PhD is Associate Director for Psychology Research at Rusk Rehabilitation, Training Director of the Rusk Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Research, and clinical assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at NYU School of Medicine. In this episode, Dr. Rath explains the clinical applications of problem-solving research in neuropsychological rehabilitation and the valuable work he is doing for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War illness.