Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, M.D., to chair the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez MD

Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, M.D.

The Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) appointed Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, M.D., as chairwoman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, effective April 1. She succeeds Nicolas E. Walsh, M.D., who served as chairman for three decades and will continue in an emeritus role and as a part-time clinician.

Robert A. Hromas, M.D., FACP, dean of the Long School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs at UT Health San Antonio, announced the appointment.

Dr. Gutierrez is an accomplished academic physiatrist from the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, where she is the vice chair of quality, compliance and patient safety in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and program director of the brain injury medicine fellowship. She is also the medical director of the brain injury and stroke program at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital, rated the fourth-best hospital for rehabilitation in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Dr. Gutierrez grew up in South Texas, then moved to Houston where she earned her undergraduate degree at Rice University and her medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her PM&R residency training at the Baylor College of Medicine-UTHealth Rehabilitation Alliance. Her clinical expertise encompasses:

  • the care of patients with traumatic brain injury
  • stroke rehabilitation
  • interventional spasticity management.

At the McGovern Medical School, Dr. Gutierrez was elected chair of the Faculty Senate, where her work focused on developing wellness initiatives for faculty. She has won multiple awards for medical student and resident teaching and has had several administrative roles in the Memorial Hermann Hospital System.

Dr. Gutierrez is a passionate advocate for physiatry and for underrepresented groups in medicine via social media channels. She is the social media editor of the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Inspired by her upbringing in the Rio Grande Valley, she is dedicated to giving back to her community by mentoring students, trainees and young faculty from diverse backgrounds, and providing top-level clinical care for the underserved.

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The Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is named for Texas philanthropists Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long. The school is the largest educator of physicians in South Texas, many of whom remain in San Antonio and the region to practice medicine. The school teaches more than 900 students and trains 800 residents each year. As a beacon of multicultural sensitivity, the school annually exceeds the national medical school average of Hispanic students enrolled. The school’s clinical practice is the largest multidisciplinary medical group in South Texas with 850 physicians in more than 100 specialties. The school has a highly productive research enterprise where world leaders in Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cancer, aging, heart disease, kidney disease and many other fields are translating molecular discoveries into new therapies. The Long School of Medicine is home to a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center known for prolific clinical trials and drug development programs, as well as a world-renowned center for aging and related diseases.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, dba UT Health San Antonio, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 37,000 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields, and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit http://www.uthscsa.edu.

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