March 2025

Christopher L. White, MD - Named Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher L. White, MD, as Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), effective April 1, 2025. Dr. White currently serves as an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at MCW, the Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Fellowship Director and the Medical Director for the Froedtert Bluemound Rehabilitation Hospital.

Dr. White was selected for this role after a comprehensive national search. A special thanks to Joseph Gravel, MD, Chair of the Search Committee – as well as to the full committee membership – for their unwavering dedication of time, insights, and thoughtfulness in undertaking this key recruitment effort. Also, a special thanks to John Rhee, MD, for his valuable service as Interim Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation since July 2024.

Dr. White graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Southern Nazarene University (Bethany, OK) in 2005 and his MD degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2009. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2013 and a fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine at MCW in 2015. Dr. White's primary clinical and research interests include spinal cord injury medicine, musculoskeletal disorders, and neurorehabilitation. He is a nationally recognized expert in spinal cord injury care and has published extensively on topics such as functional electrical stimulation, autonomic dysreflexia and sports participation for individuals with spinal cord injuries. He also has published many abstracts, articles, original papers, book chapters and reviews, and has presented at numerous local, regional, national, and international lectures and workshops. Dr. White serves as a member of the American Spinal Injury Association, the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals and the Association of Academic Physiatrists and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. White also has significant medical student, resident, and graduate student teaching experience, and has mentored numerous students, faculty, residents, and clinical/research fellows. Dr. White has been recognized for his leadership and was the 2024 recipient of the Robert Boyle PM&R Teacher of the Year Award in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Please be sure to congratulate Dr. White on his ascension to this important leadership position at MCW!

Welcome Kari Winder- Education Program Coordinator II to our Department! 

On January 13th Kari Winder started her new role in our department as an Education Program Coordinator II. Kari will be coordinating student rotations and fellowships. She joins us from Advocate Aurora Health, where she spent the past 5.5 years supporting their Undergraduate Medical Education Office. With a professional background that includes time as an elementary teacher, retail management, customer service experience, and an MBA degree focused on Healthcare Management, Kari brings a diverse skill set to her new role.

Outside of work, Kari lives with her husband and their delightfully goofy 120-pound dog, a Newfoundland named Hercules. As a passionate reader, she enjoys discussing books and engaging in literary conversations. She also volunteers as the Outreach Ambassador Chair for the WI chapter of Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF). Drawing on her 32 years of personal experience living with type one diabetes, Kari oversees a team of 10 other volunteers and works to connect with newly diagnosed individuals and their families across the state, offering support and guidance. Please be sure to give Kari a warm welcome to our department if you haven’t already!

Welcome Dr. Haley Willarson as MCW Faculty 

Welcome Dr. Colton Sauer as MCW Faculty 

Dr. Heather Curtiss Promotion to Associate Professor

Dr. Peter Connelly Promotion to Associate Professor

Dr. Chen Cui Awarded MCW Research Affairs Committee Pilot Award

Dr. Chen Cui received a Research Affairs Committee Pilot Award for $35,000 to conduct his pilot study entitled “Low Dose Naltrexone in the Treatment of Central Neuropathic Pain After Traumatic 

Dr. Mary Elizabeth Nelson-Biersach Awarded Kohler Summer Academy of Global Health Research Summer Student

Published Manuscripts

Dr. Ryan Shields and Dr. Chris White had a manuscript titled, "An Unusual Spine Care Diagnosis: The Value of Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Spine Centers" published in Advanced Spine Journal: Vol. 43 : Iss. 1 , Article 7, available here.

Dr. Will Bataller and Dr. Chris White had a manuscript titled, “Readability Assessment of Patient Education Materials on Autonomic Dysreflexia" accepted to the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine.  The manuscript is in press and will be available online shortly.

Dr. Hans Anderson and Dr. Matt Durand had a manuscript titled, “Predicting Discharge Destination from Inpatient Rehabilitation Using Machine Learning” accepted to the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, available here.

Dr. Whitney Morelli's Student Awarded Top Abstract Award for AAP Presentation 

AAP 2025 Annual Meeting 

This year's Annual Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) meeting took place in Pheonix Arizona from February 25th to March 1st. Faculty, Residents, Research Coordinators and Education Coordinators from our department attended this year's conference.

Clinical Research Coordinator II, Sarah Golus and Drs. Angela Taylor, John McGuire, Karin Goodfriend, Chris White, and Charlotte Ball enjoy a baseball game during some down time at the AAP Conference. 

PM&R Celebrates "National Wear Red Day"

National Wear Red Day is an annual event that raises awareness about heart disease and stroke. On Friday, February 7th members of the PM&R Department wore red to show support for the patients we care for and the stroke research we provide. Thank you to everyone who wore red to show their support!

Making PM&R Bright: Holiday Office Decorating Contest Winner

Congratulations to Research Coordinator III, Alan Young who was voted winner of the 2024 Making PM&R Bright Holiday Office Decorating Contest for his “You’re a Mean one, Mr. Grinch” themed decorated desk! Alan also received a trophy for a job well done! Congratulations Alan! 

PM&R Philanthropy Case 

Please contact Meg Bilicki, Senior Director of Development  mbilicki@mcw.edu for more information.

To support Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation click on this link!

Department Mascot's Outfit for this Quarter

In this quarter's newsletter, our beloved department mascot, Randy the Rhino, shares a recent photo from a solo backpacking trip to Ireland to get in touch with his Irish roots. 

The answer to the riddle below will be provided in our next newsletter. 

"I’m tall when I’m young, and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?"

Answer to our last newsletter's riddle: "a doorbell"

Wellness Feature: Tips for Cutting Down on Sugar

Keeping tabs on how much sugar you’re consuming is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes. The empty calories from added sugars in desserts, sweetened beverages and candy can lead to weight gain and spikes in blood glucose levels.

The good news is that cutting down on sugar may be easier than you think. 

Toss the Table Sugar

Cut back on the amount of sugar you add regularly to beverages and foods including cereal, pancakes, coffee or tea. Try cutting the usual amount of sugar you add by half. Continue to decrease the sugar until your taste buds adjust.
 

Swap out the Sugary Sips

Water is best, but if you want something sweet to drink or are trying to lose weight, diet drinks, unsweetened iced tea, and other unsweetened beverages with flavors can be a better choice than sugary drinks.

Shop Wisely

Compare Nutrition Food labels and choose products with the lowest amounts of added sugars. Dairy and fruit products will contain some natural sugars. Added sugars can be identified in the ingredients list.

Go from Added to Natural

Instead of adding sugar to cereal or oatmeal, enjoy the sweetness from the natural sugars found in fruits. Try all the varieties: fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits. Many dried fruits can be sweetened so read labels carefully and choose the unsweetened options. Buy fruit canned in water or natural juice without added sugar. Avoid fruit canned in syrup, especially heavy syrup. 

Half it 

When baking cookies, brownies or cakes, cut the sugar called for in your recipe by one-third to one-half. Often you won’t notice the difference.

Use Flavor Extracts

Reduce some of the added sugar in recipes by using extracts, such as almond, vanilla, orange or lemon, to add some sweet scent without adding sugar.

Spice it up

Enhance foods with warm spices instead of all the added sugar. Try ginger, allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg.

Get Saucy

Switch out the added sugar in a recipe with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce.

Use Low-calorie Sweeteners when Necessary

Low- and no-calorie sugar substitutes mimic the sweetness of sugar, making them a good bridge if you’re trying to cut down on added sugars. These sugar substitutes can work as a short-term solution as you gradually train your palate to enjoy foods and drinks that are less sweet.

You can find more information on this topic here. 

Featured Healthy Recipe - Baked Oat Fruit Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 cup raw honey, or pure maple syrup
• 2 cups unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts of choice such as almonds
• 1 large banana, sliced
• 1 cup mixed fresh or frozen berries
• coconut oil for greasing pan

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees f. and grease a 9x13 baking dish with coconut oil.
2. In large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, protein powder, honey, vanilla, zest and milk, until frothy.
3. Add in your oats and stir well until evenly combined.
4. If time allows let mixture sit for 30 minutes to soak up the oats.
5. Next, fold in chopped nuts, sliced bananas, and berries.
6. Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared baking pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees f. for 30-35 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown and the center is set.
8. Once the oats are nice golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool a bit.
9. Cut into 6 even squares or bars.
10. You can easily store these squares between the layers of wax paper in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to one week.

*If you would like to share a favorite healthy recipe in next quarter's newsletter please email Rhiannon Shewczyk at Rshewczyk@mcw.edu

January is National Mentoring Month

National Mentoring Month is an annual campaign celebrated in January, dedicated to raising awareness about the power and impact of mentoring. It's a time to recognize and honor the contributions of mentors while encouraging individuals to become mentors themselves.

January Month-long Observations:

• Poverty in America Awareness Month
• Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Important January DE&I calendar dates:

• January 1 – New Year’s Day
• January 2 – Hanukkah ends at sunset (Jewish)
• January 1-3 – Gantan-Sai - Shinto 
• January 4 – World Braille Day
• January 7 – Coptic Orthodox Christmas
• January 13 – Maghi (Sikh)
• January 14 – Mahayana New Year (Buddhist)
• January 14 – Makar Sankranti (Pongal) - Hindu
• January 19 – World Religion Day
• January 20 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• January 24 – International Day of Education
• January 26 – International Customs Day
• January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day
• January 29 – Chinese New Year - Buddhism
• January 29 – Chinese New Year (Year of the Snake)

February is Black History Month

Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora, initially lasting a week before becoming a month-long observation since 1970.

February Month-long Observations:

• American Heart Month 

Important February DE&I Calendar Dates:

• February 1 – National Freedom Day
• February 2 – Imbolc - Wicca/Paganism
• February 2 – Lughnasadh- Wicca/Paganism
• February 4 – Rosa Parks Day
• February 10 – International Epilepsy Day
• February 11 – International Day of Women & Girls in Science
• February 11 – Safer Internet Day
• February 14 – Valentine’s Day
• February 15 – Nirvana Day (Buddhist)
• February 15 – International Childhood Cancer Day
• February 17 – Family Day (Canada)
• February 20 – World Day of Social Justice
• February 24 –Magha Puja Day
• February 26 – Maha Shivarati (Hindu)
• February 28 –  Ramadan begins (Islam)

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

In 1987, President Reagan recognized March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to increase “public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities” and to provide the “encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), developmental disabilities are defined as impairments in physical, learning, language or behavior areas, and include:

• Autism spectrum disorders

• Cerebral palsy

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

• Learning or intellectual disabilities

• Hearing loss

• Vision impairment

• Other developmental delays

March Month-long Observations:

• Ethnic Equality Month
• Gender Equality Month
• Greek-American Heritage Month
• Irish-American Heritage Month
• National Colon Cancer Awareness Month
• National Kidney Month
• National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness and Education Month
• National Women’s History Month

Important March DE&I Calendar Dates:

• March 4 – Mardi Gras
• March 5 – Equal Pay Day
• March 5 – Ash Wednesday
• March 7 – Employee Appreciation Day
• March 8 – International Women’s Day
• March 13 – Purim (Jewish)
• March 14 – Pi π Day
• March 14 – Holi (Hindu)
• March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
• March 19 – Naw Ruz - Baha'i
• March 19 – Ostara – Wicca/Paganism 
• March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
• March 25 – International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
• March 30 – Navratri begins (Hindu)
• March 31 – International Transgender Day of Visibility

COVID-19 Guidelines 

MCW and our affiliate hospital partners are committed to containing the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. MCW includes COVID-19 vaccination in our Mandatory Vaccination Program requiring students and learners who participate in clinical care to be fully vaccinated or have an approved exemption accommodation to be considered compliant. The COVID-19 vaccine requirement has been discontinued for employees effective June 13, 2023, following recent guidance from the CDC and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

Learners who participate in clinical care will submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to commencement of their educational program at MCW or MCWAH (residents). To be compliant, individuals must have received both doses of a two-dose vaccination.

To submit proof of vaccination, please send a picture or screenshot of one of the following documents to IOHCovid@froedtert.com:

• CDC vaccine card
• Epic record
• Wisconsin Immunization Registry record (or other state registry)

MCW continues to strongly recommend COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters to protect against COVID-19, but vaccination is not required as a condition of employment with MCW. While COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required for employees at this time, MCW reserves the right to modify requirements under this program at any time.

Learners who obtain boosters somewhere other than Froedtert IOH should submit their documentation to IOHCovid@froedtert.com with the subject line, “ COVID Vaccine Records.” Additionally, School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy students should upload documentation to CastleBranch, and Graduate School students should email it to Angela Backus.

You can learn more information here.

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