Award announcements 2023

The second annual Jacob A. Neufeld Best Paper Award for 2023 was granted to Bethany L. Johnson-Kerner, Kathleen Colao, Nathan K. Evanson, and J. Michael Taylor for their paper “Attitudes and practices of specialty physicians regarding the return to school process after pediatric acquired brain injury.” This honor is given to the best research paper published in JPRM during the previous 12 months as determined by a committee from the JPRM Residents and Fellows Program. Papers are evaluated on: 1) the importance of the contribution to the clinical or basic science related to pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation; 2) the relevance to inform or produce meaningful change in clinical practice; 3) the quality of the research methodology, interpretation of the findings, and strength of claims; and 4) the quality of the writing style in terms of accuracy, clarity, readability, and organization. The article, published in Volume 16 Issue 3 of 2023, by Johnson-Kerner et al. highlights important gaps in hospital-to-school communication during school re-entry, as identified by specialty physicians. The award was presentedduring the 2023 AAPM&R conference by Nahyun Kim and Seella Nimmo, the JPRM Lead Fellows.

Dr. Maureen Nelson has been selected to receive the 2023 Gabriella Molnar Pediatric PM&R Lifetime Achievement Award. Strong leadership and mentorship abilities as well as her tireless quest to better the lives of the children in her care have guided Dr. Nelson’s compass throughout her career. She is an outstanding example of pediatric rehabilitation at its best, and her legacy will continue to transform our field.

On behalf of the JPRM Editorial Board, congratulations to Dr. Nelson and the authors of the Jacob A. Neufeld Best Paper!

Elaine L. Pico, MD, FAAP, FAAPM & R

Editor-in-Chief