John F. Butzer Center for Research and Innovation
At Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, research isn’t just about advancing science and medicine—it’s about transforming lives today. Our dedicated team of doctors, therapists, nurses, and healthcare professionals generates evidence-based, innovative treatments and applies them as quickly as possible to help patients recover from serious injuries or illnesses.
The discoveries gained from our research efforts often have an immediate and positive impact, restoring hope and independence for children and adults with physical disabilities.
Through the John F. Butzer Center for Research and Innovation, Mary Free Bed has built a robust infrastructure to support our physicians and staff in their research endeavors and foster scholarly activity. Our initiatives include original research, participation in multicenter studies, and sponsored clinical trials—all designed to advance rehabilitation care and improve patient outcomes.
By bridging the gap between research and real-world application, the John F. Butzer Center continues to drive innovation in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Current Studies
Defining Trajectories of Linguistic, Cognitive-Communicative and Quality of Life Outcomes in Aphasia
The objective of this study is to describe the trajectories of linguistic, cognitive-communicative and health-related quality of life outcomes following stroke in people with aphasia during inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation to 18 months following a stroke. A sample of 300 consecutively admitted stroke patients with aphasia recruited at three Midwest rehabilitation hospitals will complete measures of linguistic and cognitive-communicative performance and the Quality of Life Neurological Disorders Measurement instruments during rehabilitation and at three-, six-, 12- and 18-months post stroke. We will model outcomes as individual and group trajectories, allowing us to develop individual predictions that could inform clinical planning and decision-making for new patients. For more information, click here.
Principal Investigators: Leora Cherney, Ph.D. (Shirley Ryan AbilityLab); Allen Heinemann, Ph.D. (Shirley Ryan AbilityLab)
Institutional Review Board
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Learning Health System
Mary Free Bed is committed to becoming a Learning Health System, an organization that engages and includes all workforce members to improve clinical and administrative processes with the goal of creating beneficial outcomes for patients. Our goal is to have a fluid system for reporting, evaluating, trialing, engaging and implementing from all corners of the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network.
This iterative system will build on strengths already associated with Mary Free Bed: data warehouse, experienced and compassionate workforce, and engagement in the communities we serve.
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