A recent news release announced that Paul F. Pasquina, MD, retired Army colonel, has been chosen to chair the newly-established department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) in the F. Edward Hebert School of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). Pasquina is chief of the department of Orthopeaedics and Rehabilitation at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, director of the Center for Rehabilitation Science Research at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

According to the release, Pasquina is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point. Pasquina went on to pursue his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and completed an internship at Eisenhower Medical Center, Augusta, Ga. The release also notes that Pasquina completed his residency in PM&R at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

USU reports that Pasquina’s contributions in amputee care assisted in allowing Walter Reed to introduce the clinical use and evaluation of, according to USU, the first motorized lower limb prostheses, sophisticated upper limb prostheses, and implantable microelectrodes to drive a prosthetic device.  Pasquina also reportedly helped shape Walter Reed National Military Medical’s (WRNMMC) sports and recreational program, driving rehabilitation program, brain fitness lab, service animal program, creative arts in healthcare, interdisciplinary amputee and TBI clinics, satellite interventional pain suite, vocational and community reintegration programs, Computerized Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN), Wheelchair and Seating Clinic, and musculoskeletal ultrasound clinic.

Larry W. Laughlin, MD, PhD, F. Edward Hebert  School of Medicine dean, calls Pasquina the ideal choice to lead the new department, “Dr. Pasquina is a gifted and trusted physician, researcher, and educator with a solid history of contributions to our wounded, ill, and injured troops, military and civilian medicine, and to the University,” Laughlin says.

In his role as founding chair, Pasquina will seek to develop a new USU department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation that will be customized to meet the specific needs of the military in both education and research.

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Source: USU