About us

Penn's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, founded in 1897, is the oldest in the nation and has pioneered essential rehabilitation treatments, including prosthetics and orthotics, and computer-based vocational training. Its development was central to the growth of rehabilitation medicine as a specialty nationwide. Graduates of the program have shaped programs in rehabilitation medicine, playing a central role in the evolution of physical medicine and rehabilitation during the past 100 years.

More on the history of rehabilitation medicine at Penn.

As one of the top leaders in health care in the nation, we attract residents that are seeking the most diverse and comprehensive educational experience in the field of rehabilitation medicine. Below are some of the exceptional and unique qualities of our program:

• We have the oldest physical medicine and rehabilitation department in the United States.
• We have pioneered essential rehabilitation treatments, including prosthetics and orthotics, and computer-based vocational training.
• There is a strong institutional commitment to the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and to post-acute care across Penn Medicine. This translates into our commitment to support a strong and vibrant PM&R residency-training program across all of our teaching hospitals.
• The Penn PM&R department has trained many prominent and historically important physiatrists including Howard A. Rusk, MD, who is considered to be the founder of rehabilitation medicine.
• We rank among the highest PM&R departments nationally for NIH funding.
• We have a diverse faculty consisting of MDs, DOs, psychologists and PhDs.
• We collaborate with exceptionally strong physical, occupational and speech therapy departments.
• Our faculty includes specialists that represent the full spectrum of rehabilitation medicine including sports, spine, traumatic brain injury, women's health, cancer rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, hand, fluoroscopic spinal and ultrasound guided injections, amputee medicine, electromyography and general rehabilitation.
• Our chief residents are members of our departmental Program Evaluation Committee and have input into decisions affecting the educational program.
• Our graduates have consistently progressed to highly competitive fellowship and job positions in the fields of their choosing.

Please visit Penn PM&R’s Facebook page for our latest updates:

In 2008, Penn Medicine entered into a partnership with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network. The resulting alliance, Good Shepherd Penn Partners (GSPP), combines the resources of the innovative and nationally recognized Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network with those of Penn's world-class academic medical center. The mission of GSPP is to provide patient-centered rehabilitation and post-acute care based on a shared goal of returning patients to their highest level of physical functioning and improving the quality of their life.

State of the art facilities

Penn Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation facilities include:

• Penn Musculoskeletal Center: A state of the art medical center consisting of 49 exam rooms and supported by experts from multiple medical specialties.
• The Penn Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine (PIRM) Specialty Hospital at Rittenhouse: A state of the art medical center that consists of a 58-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital and a 38-bed acute care facility. Penn Therapy & Fitness: Provides outpatient rehabilitation services at 10 convenient locations throughout the Philadelphia area.
• Inpatient consultative services are also provided at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

A continuum of care

GSPP has instituted patient centered care protocols to facilitate the transition from acute medical and surgical care to inpatient rehabilitation care followed by a focused outpatient program. These protocols ensure continuity of care by reinforcing the patient's individualized care program, encouraging family and caregiver participation and providing continued access to the patient's originating case managers and clinicians at Penn.

GSPP provides inpatient and outpatient physical rehabilitation and specialized long-term acute care throughout the Philadelphia region. Rehabilitation at GSPP is designed as a continuum of care, providing cutting-edge personalized treatment plans to support every step of the recovery process. This visionary partnership of nationally recognized care providers empowers, guides and reassures our patients that they are receiving the best care possible at every step of their healing process.

Find a physiatrist today

Meet our team of Penn Medicine physiatrists. To request an appointment use our online form, or call 1-800-789-7366 (PENN) to schedule an appointment.

Penn Medicine’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation touches many lives. Those individuals who wish to give back – to help other patients or loved ones – may consider making a gift to the Department. Donations support ongoing excellence in patient care, research, and education, as well as new innovations and endeavors. Every gift makes a tremendous difference to the future of patient care.

Ways to direct a gift

Donors wishing to direct support to a specific area within the Department, or to make a celebratory or memorial gift, can contact Aiyana Pellegrino at aiyanap@upenn.edu or 215-746-8930.

Planned giving opportunities

Donors wishing to create a lasting legacy through philanthropy can generously support research, education, and patient care programs through financial and estate planning. Additional Questions Please Contact Aiyana Pellegrino at aiyanap@upenn.edu or 215-746-8930

Penn offers various giving options, including:

• Bequests
• Retirement gift plans
• Gifts of stock, bonds, and mutual funds
• Gifts that may provide income to you or to someone you name
• Online giving and credit card gifts

By mail

Mail check to:

Penn Medicine Development
Attn: Aiyana Pellegrino
3535 Market Street, Suite 750
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Make checks payable to: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

Please include a cover note detailing any specific information with regard to the gift.