Message From the Chief Medical Officer

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.

Recognitions also have the effect of engaging others in discussions that may lead to a review of accepted standards and to new discoveries. In that sense, they stimulate all of us to improve the care we provide our patients.

In rehabilitation, perhaps more than any other specialty, the recognitions we receive as individuals and as institutions belong to our patients. Some recover in a matter of months; others take many years to learn to use a hand or walk again. They find the courage to conquer challenges creatively and succeed, which is why we share so many of their stories in each issue of the journal. Their accomplishments in the face of adversity are always our greatest reward.

Gerard E. Francisco, MD
Chief Medical Officer
TIRR Memorial Hermann
Professor and Chair, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth