Dr. Leslie Morse Named Chair of Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
She joins a program that was listed on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 “Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation” list.
After a comprehensive national search, Leslie Morse, D.O., has been named chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Dr. Morse comes from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, where she served as department chair and was a tenured professor. A respected spinal cord injury researcher whose work has been supported by 20 years of continuous federal funding, Dr. Morse was the executive medical director of rehabilitation shared clinical services at M Health Fairview, where she complemented the expansion of the organization’s clinical programs with new academic disciplines in cancer rehabilitation, pediatric rehabilitation, prehabilitation and spine medical management.
At the Miller School of Medicine and UHealth, Dr. Morse will lead an organization that cemented its place among the nation’s preeminent rehabilitation programs with the inclusion of the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 “Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation” list.
With 16 outpatient and inpatient locations, the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation provides care for more than 35,000 patients each year recovering from stroke, burns, spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries.
The Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis is a Center of Excellence, with nearly 200 researchers, clinicians and staff dedicated to finding a cure for paralysis at one of the premiere traumatic spinal cord and brain injury research programs in the country.
In her new role, which begins in June, Dr. Morse will oversee all clinical operations, uphold the department’s superior educational standards and foster innovative research while maintaining a culture of inclusion and equity. At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Morse shepherded a 464% increase in research funding while guiding her department to the medical school’s Gender Equity in Medicine and Science Award in 2020.
Under her leadership, the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine doubled the size of its practicum training program and fellowships. Her clinical staff increased by 182% during her tenure while maintaining its commitment to high-quality, evidence-based care and Dr. Morse successfully negotiated the union of four distinct health care systems as co-director of the Minnesota Regional SCI Model System Center.
“The reputation of the Miller School and UHealth is world-renowned,” Dr. Morse said. “I am honored to join this team of innovative clinicians, researchers and educators and hope to help advance the collective mission of providing the highest-quality training for the physician of today and of tomorrow.”
Tags: Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dr. Leslie Morse