TIRR Memorial Hermann (the four initials stand for "Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research") is a 134-bed rehabilitation hospital, rehabilitation and research center, outpatient medical clinic and network of outpatient rehabilitation centers in Houston, Texas that offers physical rehabilitation to patients following traumatic brain or spinal injury or to those suffering from neurologic illnesses. In 2014, U.S. News & World Report named TIRR Memorial Hermann to the list of America's Best Hospitals for the 25th consecutive time.
TIRR Memorial Hermann's main campus offers inpatient rehabilitation in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. There are 5 outpatient rehabilitation locations in the greater Houston area, including Kirby Glen, Memorial City, Greater Heights, Sugar Land, and The Woodlands.
TIRR Memorial Hermann is a teaching hospital for Baylor College of Medicine and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
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History
TIRR Memorial Hermann traces its roots back to the early 1950s when polio was at the height of its epidemic in the United States. At the beginning of that decade, William A. Spencer, M.D., established one of the first polio treatment centers in the nation in Houston. The Southwestern Poliomyelitis Respiratory Center was dedicated to patient treatment and research and performed groundbreaking work.
Dr. Spencer was notably involved in developing the physiograph, a device recognized in the March 22, 1954 issue of Life magazine for its ability to record vital functions. This technology advanced teaching and research efforts and is credited as an early example of the sophisticated monitoring systems we use today.
With the discovery of the polio vaccine in the 1960s, the expertise developed by this nationally recognized respiratory center was applied to rehabilitating catastrophically injured patients.
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Awards and rankings
U.S. News & World Report
For 25 consecutive years, TIRR Memorial Hermann has appeared on the list of America's best rehabilitation hospitals published by U.S. News & World Report magazine, since the survey began. In 2016, TIRR Memorial Hermann was ranked the #2 rehabilitation hospital in the nation.
Joint Commission & Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
TIRR Memorial Hermann has earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities Accredited in:
- Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs - Hospital (Adults)
- Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs - Hospital (Children and Adolescents)
- Interdisciplinary Outpatient Medical Rehabilitation Programs (Adults)
- Interdisciplinary Outpatient Medical Rehabilitation Programs (Children and Adolescents)
- Vocational Services (Adults)
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
TIRR has earned accreditation for Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program
American Nurses Credentialing Center
In 2013, TIRR Memorial Hermann was recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) with the Pathway to Excellence designation.
Academic affiliations
TIRR Memorial Hermann is home to the Baylor College of Medicine/University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Alliance (BCM/UTHSC-H PM&R Alliance). Formed in 1996, The BCM/UTHSC-H PM&R Alliance provides the largest physical medicine and rehabilitation residency training program in the nation, with 41 residents and seven postgraduate fellows in 2009. The Alliance has 70 faculty and works at all of the nine major health care institutions in the Texas Medical Center.
Research programs
TIRR Memorial Hermann is one of fourteen sites in the U.S. to have the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems programs.
Brain Injury Research Center
Founded in 1987, the Brain Injury Research Center (BIRC) at TIRR Memorial Hermann studies recovery from brain injury. BIRC at TIRR Memorial Hermann was one of the original TBI Model Systems sites. The TBI Model System program now consists of 14 centers around the United States.
BIRC is a collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science at Houston, other academic institutions and funding from the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations to conduct groundbreaking research on recovery from brain injury and interventions to improve outcomes for persons with brain injury.
Spinal Cord Injury
The Model Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) System program, sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and the United States Department of Education, provides assistance to establish innovative projects for the delivery, demonstration, and evaluation of comprehensive medical, vocational, and other rehabilitation services to meet the needs of individuals with spinal cord injury.
Independent Living Research Utilization
Established in 1977, the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) provides comprehensive resources necessary to achieve an advanced level of independence once a rehabilitation patient is discharged from care. The ILRU program at TIRR Memorial Hermann is a community-focused model led by Lex Frieden, regarded worldwide as one of the leading experts in disability policy, the current chairperson of the board of the National Council on Disability (NCD) and president of Rehabilitation International.
ILRU serves as a comprehensive information resource on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Housed at ILRU, the ADA Resource Center provides training, technical assistance and informational resources to employers, consumers, architects, businesses, media and disability organizations. ILRU is funded through private foundation grants and grants from numerous public agencies, including the United States Department of Education, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the United States Department of Labor.
The UTHealth Motor Recovery Lab at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital
Research at The UTHealth Motor Recovery Lab at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital is dedicated to enhance motor recovery of the upper extremity after neurological disorders, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury. Specific interests include robotic rehabilitation, breathing-controlled electrical stimulation, and spasticity.
Notable physicians and professionals
- Lex Frieden - disability policy expert, disability rights activist, architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act and director of the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) program at TIRR Memorial Hermann
- Paul Randall Harrington, M.D. - designer of the Harrington Rod, the first device for the straightening and immobilization of the spine inside the body
References
Bibliography
- U.S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare (1995). American Rehabilitation. United States Rehabilitation Services Administration. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
- Heather Green Wooten (2009). The Polio Years in Texas: Battling a Terrifying Unknown. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press.
- Richard Verville (2009). War, Politics and Philanthropy: The History of Rehabilitation. University Press of America.
External links
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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