Finding Strength: The Spaulding Rehabilitation Podcast Spaulding Rehabilitation

In this episode, we spotlight two special figures in the evolution of brain injury rehabilitation: Dr. Mel Glenn and Marilyn Spivack.



Episode Guests:

Mel Glenn, MD has been a physician specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for over 40 years, and on staff at Spaulding Rehabilitation since 1998. He was Chief of the Brain Injury Division of the Department of PM&R from 2015-2023. He is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School (HMS.). From 1998 – 2008, Dr. Glenn was Project Director of the Spaulding/Partners TBI Model System at HMS, a research grant funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. He has been Medical Director of Brain Injury Services in MA for Mentor ABI/NeuroRestorative since 1991 and Medical Director of Community Rehab Care since 1996. Dr. Glenn was the editor of the Update on Pharmacology column of Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation from 1985 to 2013.



Marilyn Spivack is a brain injury advocate. She and her husband Dr. Martin Spivack co-founded the National Head Injury Foundation, which grew into what is known today as the Brain Injury Association of America and the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts. They founded the organization because their daughter, Deborah Price sustained a severe head injury on March 15th, 1975, which left her severely disabled and at the time, there were no dedicated TBI extended rehabilitation or cognitive services available. Marilyn served as President of the National Head Injury Foundation for almost 10 years from 1981 – 1991, and then continued her journey as a consultant and at Spaulding Rehabilitation as a Neurotrauma Outreach Coordinator, serving professionals, patients, and families seeking assistances with resources and services. She has served as Co-Chair of the Policy & Legislation Committee of American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine since 2006.



Episode Resources:

Episode Articles & Related Research


Twenty years of pharmacology

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations


Brain Injury Association of America
Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts

News & Services


NeuroRestorative | Rebuilding Lives After Brain Injury

In this episode we discuss findings about the kinds of head impacts that lead to neurodegenerative brain disease.



Episode Guests

Daniel Daneshvar, MD, PhD

Dr. Daneshvar conducts research on the long-term effects of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury, concussion, and repetitive head impacts, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Dr. Daneshvar's work has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Annals of Neurology, and Brain, and has been featured broadly including in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and ESPN. He also founded Team Up Against Concussions, the first scientifically validated concussion education program for kids. He is the Director of the Institute for Brain Research and Innovation at TeachAids, which created CrashCourse: a free, scientifically validated virtual reality and computer-based concussion education program. He received his S.B. from MIT and completed his M.D./Ph.D. at the BU CTE Center. His research resulted in the first dissertation in history to study CTE. He completed residency at Stanford University before joining the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Lisa McHale

Lisa McHale graduated from Cornell University, where she met her husband, Tom McHale, an All-American Defensive End for the Big Red. They married in 1990 and moved to Tampa, where Tom began his 9-year NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (and later the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins) and Lisa received a Master’s and Educational Specialist (ED.S) degree in School Psychology from the University of South Florida. Their eldest son T.J. was born in May 1994. He was joined by brothers Michael in January 1998 and Matthew in December 1999. Lisa first became aware of CTE in 2008 when her husband of eighteen years passed away in May and became the second former NFL player diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) by researchers at the CTE Center at Boston University School of Medicine. In early 2010, Lisa joined the team at the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF), first serving as the Volunteer and Family Coordinator. She currently serves as the Director of Legacy Family Relations for both CLF and the BU CTE Center, working remotely from her home in Tampa, Florida.



Episode Resources

Episode Articles & Related Research


Leveraging football accelerometer data to quantify associations between repetitive head impacts and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in males | Nature Communications
UNITE Brain Bank | CTE Center

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations


Homepage | Concussion Legacy Foundation
Brain Injury Association of America | BIAA

News & Services


The FRONTLINE Interview: Lisa McHale | Twin Cities PBS
Collective Force of Head Hits Increases Odds of CTE, Study Says | The New York Times

In this episode we discuss concussion education programs for school sports.



Episode Guests:

Daniel Daneshvar, MD, PhD

Dr. Daneshvar conducts research on the long-term effects of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury, concussion, and repetitive head impacts, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Dr. Daneshvar's work has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Annals of Neurology, and Brain, and has been featured broadly including in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and ESPN. He also founded Team Up Against Concussions, the first scientifically validated concussion education program for kids. He is the Director of the Institute for Brain Research and Innovation at TeachAids, which created CrashCourse: a free, scientifically validated virtual reality and computer-based concussion education program. He received his S.B. from MIT and completed his M.D./Ph.D. at the BU CTE Center. His research resulted in the first dissertation in history to study CTE. He completed residency at Stanford University before joining the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Esther Lovett

Esther is an analyst at Guidepost Growth Equity. She joins us in this episode because of her experience as an advocate for post-concussion syndrome. As an eighth grader in 2013, she experienced her first concussion while playing soccer. Over the next few years, Esther, who was an avid athlete playing soccer, hockey, and tennis, experienced a total of five diagnosed concussions. She shares her experiences to support others with insights, suggestions, and information on various platforms including her own website, Headstrong.



Episode Resources:

Episode Articles & Related Research


Athlete Enjoyment of Prior Education Moderates change in Concussion-Reporting Intention after Interactive Education | Inquiry
Evaluating the Effect of Concussion-Education Programs on Intent to Report Concussion in High School Football | Journal of Athletic Training
Participating in Two Video Concussion Education Programs Sequentially Improves Concussion-Reporting Intention | Neurotrauma Reports

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations


The Team Up Against Concussions Speech | Concussion Legacy Foundation
CrashCourse Concussion Education | TeachAids
Esther Lovett's Post-Concussion Syndrome Blog | Concussion Legacy Foundation
Headstrong Concussion
Concussion Story Wall



If you are interested in one of the articles highlighted on the show, but are having trouble accessing it, please reach out to us at SRNOutcomesCenter@partners.org.



Credits

Shonali Gaudino, OT, Host, Producer

Chuck Clough, Editor

This production is a collaboration between, and partially funded by, the Rehabilitation Outcomes Center at Spaulding and our Model Systems: the Boston-Harvard Burn Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPBU0008), the Spaulding-Harvard Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPTB0027-01-01), and the Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System Center (NIDILRR Award #90SIM0017-01-00).

In this episode, we hear about the state of the science of sports medicine in the elite para-athlete.



Episode Guests:

Cheri Blauwet, MD is an Associate Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, the Distinguished Chair in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Chief Medical Officer of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. She is an attending sports medicine physician at Mass General Brigham, where she also serves as Founding Director of the Kelley Adaptive Sports Research Institute. Dr. Blauwet is also a former Paralympic athlete in the sport of wheelchair racing, competing for the United States Team in three Paralympic Games (Sydney '00, Athens '04, Beijing '08) and bringing home a total of seven Paralympic medals. She is also a two-time winner of both the Boston and New York City Marathons.

Professor Wayne Derman is the Executive Head of the Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine, as well as the Head of Division: Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine (ISEM) at Stellenbosch University. He is currently a Co-director of the IOC Research Centre in South Africa and heads up one of two FIFA Medical Centres of Excellence in Africa. His research focuses on secondary prevention of chronic diseases of lifestyle, and injury and illness prevention in athletes including those with disabilities.



Episode Resources:

Episode Articles & Related Research


Consensus statement on concussion in sport: the 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport-Amsterdam, October 2022
Shoulder Pain, Function, and Ultrasound-Determined Structure in Elite Wheelchair-Using Para Athletes | Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Para sport translation of the IOC consensus on recording and reporting of data for injury and illness in sport | British Journal of Sports Medicine
Kelley Institute for Adaptive Sports Research | Spaulding Rehabilitation Network

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations


International Paralympic Committee

News & Services


USA goalball makes incredible comeback | NBC Sports



If you are interested in one of the articles highlighted on the show, but are having trouble accessing it, please reach out to us at SRNOutcomesCenter@partners.org.



Credits

Shonali Gaudino, OT, Host, Producer

Chuck Clough, Editor

This production is a collaboration between, and partially funded by, the Rehabilitation Outcomes Center at Spaulding and our Model Systems: the Boston-Harvard Burn Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPBU0008), the Spaulding-Harvard Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (NIDILRR Award #90DPTB0027-01-01), and the Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System Center (NIDILRR Award #90SIM0017-01-00).

Episode Description

In this episode we discuss the benefits and barriers to fitness in people with disabilities, inspired by the article More Than Just a Game: The Public Health Impact of Sport and Physical Activity for People With Disabilities.



Episode Guests

Cheri Blauwet, MD

Cheri Blauwet is an Associate Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, the Distinguished Chair in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Chief Medical Officer of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. She is an attending sports medicine physician at Mass General Brigham, where she also serves as Founding Director of the Kelley Adaptive Sports Research Institute. Dr. Blauwet is also a former Paralympic athlete in the sport of wheelchair racing, competing for the United States Team in three Paralympic Games (Sydney '00, Athens '04, Beijing '08) and bringing home a total of seven Paralympic medals. She is also a two-time winner of both the Boston and New York City Marathons.

Saul Fisher

On June 10th, 2018, Saul Fisher was about a mile from his home halfway through his 25-mile bike workout when he was hit by a car and his life changed in an instant. He states:

Kathleen Salas, PT, MHA

Kathleen Comfort Salas is a physical therapist with extensive experience working with clients with neurologic impairments. She began blending adaptive sports with her rehabilitation approach 30 years ago. In 2009 she led the expansion of Spaulding Adaptive Sports programs from Boston to the North Shore, where she ran programs until becoming the full time Boston Coordinator of Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers in 2021. Kathleen promotes the power of sport to enhance rehabilitation and achieve recreation goals, and empowerment for people with disabilities in all areas of their lives.



Episode Resources

Episode Articles & Related Research


More Than Just a Game: The Public Health Impact of Sport and Physical Activity for People With Disabilities (The 2017 DeLisa Lecture) | American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Functional and environmental factors are associated with sustained participation in adaptive sports | PM&R
Participant-reported benefits of involvement in an adaptive sports program: a qualitative study | PM&R
Developing a Virtual Adaptive Sports Program in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic | PM&R

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations


Move United: A nonprofit with a mission to ensure everyone, regardless of ability, experiences the life-changing power of sport and is included in their community
Global Sports Mentoring Program: Sport for Community (S4C), uses an immersive mentorship and cultural exchange model to focus on empowering people with disabilities through community-based sports initiatives
Commit to Inclusion: A global campaign to end the exclusion of people with disability from physical activity and all associated areas
National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD): A CDC-funded public health practice and resource center on health promotion for people with disability
ADA Checklists for Existing Facilities
Other health resources mentioned in the article: Healthy People 2020, NFL Play 60, Exercise is Medicine

News & Services


Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers Website: View the calendar and register as a participant or volunteer
SASC Stories of Strength: “Stories of Strength” highlight the power of early exposure to sport during rehabilitation
3-min video overview of SASC programs
New England Healing Sports Association
Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports
Windrush Farm: Therapeutic Equitation
NESN Sports Spotlight: Spaulding Adaptive Sports Ski Program
NESN Sports Spotlight: Spaulding's ExPD Program

Episode Description: In this episode, we talk about aphasia, the Spaulding-MGH Institute of Health Professions ICAP program, and the story of program participant Dana Lanzillo and his wife Jane. Stories are based on the article Outcomes of an interprofessional intensive comprehensive aphasia program’s first five years.

Episode Guests:

Esther Ayuk, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS is an Instructor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Coordinator and Clinical Supervisor of the Aphasia Center at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She is a certified brain injury specialist and has worked as a speech-language pathologist at Spaulding Rehabilitation since 2017. Her clinical research is focused on the standardized assessment of language and cognition across the continuum of care and the role of this information in predicting patient outcomes and influencing health-related quality of life.

Randie Black Schaffer, MD, MA is a physiatrist specializing in Stroke Rehabilitation. She founded the first Young Adult Stroke Rehabilitation Program in the country, which has been widely copied regionally and nationally. At Spaulding she started the Young Adult Stroke Service, she directs the SRH Inpatient Stroke Program and serves as Chief of the Division of Stroke and Neurology of the Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Harvard Medical School.

Lynne Brady Wagner, MA, CCC-SLP, MRMC, HEC-C serves as the Chief Learning and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Chair of the Ethics Advisory Committee and Associate Director of the Spaulding Stroke Wellness Institute at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. In her 25 years at SRN, she has fulfilled many roles including speech-language pathologist, Director of the Stroke Rehabilitation Program, and Director of the Clinical Scholars Program.

Mary Hildebrand , OTD, OTR/L is an associate professor and Director of the Tabor-Connor Family Occupational Therapy Center for Learning, Participation, and Rehabilitation (OT CLiPR) at the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Dana Lanzillo and his wife Jane were participants in the the S-IHP’s CAP program (twice!)

Marjorie Nicholas, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA is Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions and is a professor specializing in adult neurogenic communication disorders. She founded the MGH Institute's onsite Aphasia Center, which provides diagnostic and treatment services to adults with aphasia and related communication impairments. The Aphasia Center operates on the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA) model. Prior to joining the MGH Institute, she was a speech-language pathologist for over 15 years at the VA Boston Healthcare System. Dr. Nicholas became a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (FASHA) in 2017.



Episode Resources:

Episode Articles & Related Research

Outcomes of an interprofessional intensive comprehensive aphasia program’s first five years | Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation

Advocacy, Education, & Community Organizations

S-IHP's CAP Intensive Aphasia Program | MGH IHP