History

The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation was founded in 1944, making  it one of the oldest departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) in the United States. The first chairman was Dr. Gordon Martin, recruited from Minnesota in 1944 to direct patient care and initiate an educational course in physical therapy.

Dr. Donald Rose was appointed chairman of the department in 1947. In the next 27 years under his leadership, remarkable changes came about, including the institution of the PM&R residency training program. Dr. Rose has held many collateral appointments and was recognized nationally in the field of PM&R as a Diplomate and Founding Member of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 1947. A Distinguished Clinician Award Winner, Dr. Rose has served on several editorial boards, and was President of both the American Academy and the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. By 1974, the department had expanded markedly in space, personnel and activities. An assistant professor position was filled by Dr. Charles Kelly, who Dr. Rose has given credit to laying a solid foundation for even more extensive change that came about under his successor, Dr. John Redford.

Dr. Redford served as chairman from 1974-1991 and has received national recognition as President of three academic societies, including the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine. During his tenure, Dr. Redford pioneered amputee and prosthetic rehabilitation and is recognized in the field for prosthetic and orthotic education.

Dr. Robert Rondinelli served as chair from 1991-2002. During his tenure he established affiliations with private hospitals for residency training. One of Dr. Rondenelli’s main focuses was on disability evaluations.  He is the chief editor of the edition of the Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, published by the American Medical Association.  He is currently the medical director of the Rehabilitation Institute in Des Moines, Iowa.

Dr. George Varghese joined the faculty in 1977. He has demonstrated an unflagging energy for clinical practice and teaching that continues to this day. Dr. Varghese authored numerous reports on burn rehabilitation, the effects of electrical injuries, and unusual peripheral nerve injuries following burns. Dr. Varghese pioneered a model rehabilitation program for burn patients that achieved national recognition. Dr. Varghese has remained steadfast and has inspired many medical students to become PM&R residents. His resident and medical student education activities are so well respected that he has won all of the major educational awards given by the medical school and the University. He also won the 2004 Distinguished Clinician Award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and has been repeatedly honored by the departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery for excellence in resident teaching. Thanks to his loyalty and his support, the residency continues to grow steadily. Dr. Varghese now into his 31st year of practice is currently serving as Chairman of the Department.