December 7, 2007

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation welcomes new chief

The MGH Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has welcomed a new service chief, Ross D. Zafonte, DO, (left) who began his tenure as head of the service last month.

Zafonte, who came to the MGH from the University of Pittsburgh, holds a primary appointment at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where he is vice president of Medical Affairs, and an appointment as chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. In addition to managing the inpatient and outpatient clinical activities of Spaulding physicians throughout the network of regional rehabilitation facilities, Zafonte will develop the hospital's program aimed at treating and curing patients with paralysis. A recognized leader in rehabilitative medicine, Zafonte's clinical and research work has focused on rehabilitation from traumatic brain injury and recovery from physical disability. The author of numerous clinical publications, he currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation. He succeeds Joel Stein, MD, who had been serving as the department's interim chief.