NYU Langone Hospital - Brooklyn Appoints New Chief of Rehabilitation Medicine

Rusk Rehabilitation oversees NYU Langone Health's comprehensive inpatient and outpatient programs throughout the New York metropolitan region to treat and guide recovery from accident-related trauma; fractures and other types of injuries; arthritis; joint replacements; spinal cord injury; brain injury; stroke; multiple sclerosis; Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders; pain disorders;  and cardiac and pulmonary conditions. Physiatrists (physicians trained in physical medicine and rehabilitation), coordinate care of teams of clinical specialists including physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, audiologists and neuropsychologists to provide a wide array of services individually tailored for children and adults.

"Dr. Fine is an extremely accomplished clinician and administrator to lead our exemplary rehabilitation team in Brooklyn," says Steven R. Flanagan, MD, the Howard A. Rusk Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU School of Medicine and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine for NYU Langone Health. "The department does a great job of restoring patients' functional abilities, enabling them to have a good quality of life after their initial injury or illness."

About Dr. Fine

Fine previously served as regional director for rehabilitation services at Elmhurst and Queens Hospital Centers, both part of NYC Health + Hospitals, and coordinated the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency program as associate program director at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Earlier, he was assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and clinically served as a staff physiatrist in the Denver Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center; the University of Colorado Health Science Center; and Denver Health Medical Center, where he was director of Rehabilitation Medicine.

A graduate of New York Medical College, Fine completed his internship at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center and his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Mount Sinai. He is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and in three subspecialties — pain medicine, spinal cord injury medicine and brain injury medicine.

"As rehabilitation specialists, we assist patients and their families in setting realistic, individualized goals to help them achieve optimal physical capabilities," Fine says. "Designing a concrete plan with daily goals can go a long way in improving a patient's quality of life.  I am actively involved in developing tools and smartphone applications that can help patients function more independently and adhere to recommended rehabilitation activity regimens at home."

According to Fine, also important is equipping patients and their families with knowledge to prevent or lessen accidents like falls, which are a major cause of injury and admission to the hospital, especially in individuals 55 years and older.

"Fear of falling and diminished physical activity have a significant negative impact on many of the body's systems," Fine says. "The goal of rehabilitation clinicians is to help people reconstitute and maintain their functional abilities as much as possible. Education and exercise are key ingredients."

Providing Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation

The specialized 30-bed acute care inpatient unit at NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn is a federally-designated and Joint Commission-accredited Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF), providing the most comprehensive rehabilitative care available. While most hospitals offer abbreviated therapy at the bedside following an illness or injury, NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn offers an intense three-hour daily therapy program. The unit cares for many patients transferred from other hospitals because of its use of innovative therapies and application of advanced technologies to achieve optimal goals designed for each individual patient.

In addition, Rusk Rehabilitation offers outpatient services at three locations:

• Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn at 60^th Street;
• Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn at 7^th Avenue; and
• Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn at Shore Road.  

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Fine to lead our critically important rehabilitation medicine department," says Bret J. Rudy, MD, executive hospital director and senior vice president for NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn. "His appointment underscores our commitment to enhance our existing services and to advance the excellence of Rusk Rehabilitation throughout the borough."

Fine's office is located at NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn, 150 55th Street Brooklyn, NY 11220. To make an appointment, please call 718-630-7425.

Media Inquiries:

Neal Gorman
Phone: 718-630-8316
[email protected]

Colin DeVries
Phone: 718-630-7414
[email protected]

SOURCE NYU Langone Hospital - Brooklyn