The mission of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is to provide excellent clinical care, education, and research in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, leading to optimum quality of life for individuals with physical disabilities.

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation focuses on restoration of the body and mind after trauma or disease has occurred. In some cases the restoration is ongoing and the goal is to teach the patient how to live and cope with the effects of pain, or lack of function, and lead a full and productive life to the greatest extent possible.

Clinically, restoration and rehabilitation can be accomplished in different ways. Our philosophy is to assess a patient's bio/psycho/social needs and determine which diagnostic and treatment methods will provide the patient with the highest level of functional outcome. The approach is often inter-disciplinary.

Academically, we teach medical students basic treatment and assessment techniques and methods used in rehabilitation, along with advanced knowledge of anatomy. We train residents in the practice of physiatry and the diagnostic art of electromyography (EMG). We also offer a fellowship program to physicians desiring a refined knowledge of EMG and pain management.

Explore this website and meet our department members; learn about our residency/fellowship training programs and its sponsors, Sparrow and McLaren Hospitals; investigate our research projects completed and underway, and observe our COM clinical practices.

This is Mary Free Bed at Sparrow


Sparrow Hospital and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital have joined together to create Mary Free Bed at Sparrow, a joint venture providing advanced inpatient rehabilitation care for mid-Michigan patients. The rehabilitation unit at Sparrow includes 40 private patient rooms and two therapy gymnasiums. Enjoy this Grand Opening video, and hear directly from the first patients to benefit from our collaboration.

Mary Free Bed at Sparrow is #1 in Nation in Overall Quality of Care

For two years running (2019 and 2020), Mary Free Bed at Sparrow has been recognized by the Professional Research Consultants, INC (PRC) as the top performer in the nation in Overall Quality of Care. Our department is thrilled to be partners with Mary Free Bed at Sparrow and look forward to many more years of excellent collaboration, providing top-notch care for the Mid-Michigan community.

Congrats to our residents and attendings whose abstracts were accepted to AANEM, AAP, and AAPMR’s 2020 Conferences!

Please join us in congratulating our program’s contributors to this year’s AANEM, AAP, and AAPMR’s Annual Assemblies:

  • Monica Barnes, D.O.
  • Alexander Carrese, D.O., M.S.
  • Drew Parkhurst, D.O., ATC
  • Frederick Carington, D.O.
  • Stephen Sudekum, D.O.
  • John Tegtmeier, D.O.
  • Michael Andary, M.D., M.S.
  • Harnoor Tokhie, D.O.

“Top Poster”, Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting, March 2020

top poster 2020

Alexander Carrese joins Michelle Kvalsund in outreach trip to Zambia

Dr. Michelle Kvalsund, Assistant Professor with Michigan State University Neurology, divides her time between East Lansing and Zambia, where her clinical and research interests include improvement of neurological care in resource-limited settings. Our resident, Dr. Alexander Carrese, was fortunate enough to join her in Zambia for 2 months in the fall of 2019. Our program is thankful for its strong collaboration with MSU Neurology and Dr. Kvalsund, and this once-in-a-lifetime electromyographic opportunity.

doctors in Zambia