Dr. Matthew Bartels Named Chair of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center

AND PHYSICAL MEDICINE AT MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER
AND ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Recognized Researcher to Drive Program Expansion

NEW YORK (July 1, 2013) – Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University today named Matthew N. Bartels, M.D., M.P.H., chair of the Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department at Montefiore, and professor and chair of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Einstein. Dr. Bartels joins from Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, where he has served as director of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and founder and director of the Human Performance Laboratory. He will assume his new position in September 2013.

Montefiore’s Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department is committed to restoring patient function to the greatest degree possible and improving independence through innovative clinical strategies and scientific research. Leading rehabilitation specialty care experts transform patients’ lives and reduce their length of stay through comprehensive services for a wide variety of needs. The department, which is made up of physiatrists, therapists, nurses, psychologists and researchers, is consistently listed in the top rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

"Dr. Bartels is a leader in rehabilitation medicine and we are extremely pleased he will be joining us to support the continued excellence and evolution of our department,” said Steven Safyer, M.D., president and chief executive officer, Montefiore Medical Center. "Rehabilitation medicine is an important part of the comprehensive, patient-centered care offered at Montefiore and is key to our achieving our goal of ensuring the best long-term outcomes for our patients.”

Dr. Bartels’ primary specialty is physical medicine and rehabilitation with an interest in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. His research focus is in three key areas – post-transplant outcomes, neuro-psychological rehabilitation for conditions like schizophrenia, and pulmonary mechanics in patients with respiratory issues. He has published more than 40 scientific papers and reviews and has made many professional presentations in the area of rehabilitation medicine both nationally and internationally.

"Dr. Bartels’ impressive publication record, his commitment to medical student and resident teaching, and his clinical accomplishments predict he will be a superb leader of our rehabilitation medicine department,” said Allen M. Spiegel, M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean of Einstein.

Dr. Bartels also is recognized for his commitment to educating future physicians, including those outside of his specialty of rehabilitation medicine. He serves as a clinical mentor to two first-year medical students each year and coordinates research teaching for the Rehabilitation residents. He also participates in lecture series events for fellows in the areas of Cardiology and Pulmonary Medicine, sharing the rehabilitation perspective for each specialty.

"I look forward to sharing my passion for rehabilitation medicine and academic research with this world-class team at Montefiore and Einstein,” Dr. Bartels said. "The mission of these two institutions, which are directly in line with my own as a physician, and Montefiore’s success as an accountable care organization are extremely appealing to me. Together, I am convinced we will grow this fundamental department as the medical center continues to touch more patient lives that are dependent on rehab services and research.”

Dr. Bartels received his Medical Degree in 1989 from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and completed an internship and two residencies in internal medicine and rehabilitation medicine at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

About Montefiore Medical Center

As the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore is a premier academic medical center nationally renowned for its clinical excellence, scientific discovery and commitment to its community. Recognized among the top hospitals nationally and regionally by U.S. News & World Report, Montefiore provides compassionate, patient- and family-centered care and educates the healthcare professionals of tomorrow. The Children's Hospital at Montefiore is consistently named in U.S. News' "America's Best Children's Hospitals." With four hospitals, 1,491 beds and 90,000 annual admissions, Montefiore is an integrated health system seamlessly linked by advanced technology. State-of-the-art primary and specialty care is provided through a network of more than 130 locations across the region, including the largest school health program in the nation and a home health program. Montefiore's partnership with Einstein advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. The medical center derives its inspiration for excellence from its patients and community, and continues to be on the frontlines of developing innovative approaches to care. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org and www.montekids.org. Followus on Twitter; like us on Facebook; view us on YouTube.

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2012-2013 academic year, Einstein is home to 742 M.D. students, 245 Ph.D. students, 116 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 360 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 2,000 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2012, Einstein received over $160 million in awards from the NIH. This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in diabetes, cancer, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Through its extensive affiliation network involving Montefiore, Jacobi Medical Center –Einstein’s founding hospital, and five other hospital systems in the Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island and Brooklyn, Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube.

Contact: Victoria Soto

VSoto@montefiore.org

718-920-4011

Follow us on Twitter: @MontefioreNYC

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