Dr. Phillip Bryant has been appointed chief of the division of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the U School of Medicine.
Bryant’s appointment was approved by the Board of Trustees on Monday, and he will assume the post July 1, replacing Dr. John Speed, the current acting chairman of the department.
“I have wanted to come to Utah for years, but this is the first opportunity that I felt prompted to accept,” Bryant said. “My family and I feel it is now appropriate to undertake this transition. We are very hopeful it will prove to be a wise choice for our family, and I hope the department will feel the same. I expect multiple challenges, but I am optimistic.”
He comes to Utah from the Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C., where he has been associate professor and chair of the physical medicine and rehabilitation department since 1998.
Bryant said, “It has been a rewarding experience to work in this setting. I have enjoyed significant support from the hospital and the university. I would very much like to see many of the gains we have made here incorporated into the program currently present at the University of Utah.”
Bryant wants the U rehabilitation program to become the finest of its kind in the West.
“One of my immediate goals is to help the division expand its impact on the university and the community,” Bryant said. “I firmly believe that the spectrum of services offered by a dedicated team of rehabilitation specialists can help many individuals with a variety of disabling illnesses or disorders achieve greater function and independence, and ultimately much more fulfilling lives.”
According to Bryant, rehabilitation medicine is not as well known or appreciated in some areas of the country as other medical specialties, but the Paralympics and other sports and recreation programs designed to promote the active participation of disabled persons in these activities has done much to heighten the awareness of how valuable rehabilitation services can be.
Bryant said the U division of physical medicine and rehabilitation is already blessed with stellar, dedicated physicians, nurses and therapists with expertise in the management of children with disabilities and injuries and both adults and children with injuries ranging from traumatic brain injury to amputations.
“My goal is to promote a greater sense of teamwork and camaraderie among these individuals and a heightened awareness of these services in the community so that rehabilitation services can be provided to a greater number of patients in a more timely and comprehensive manner,” Bryant said. He also wants to help impaired individuals return to their vocations and hobbies.
He received his doctor of osteopathy degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing. His undergraduate degree is from Stanford University. His postgraduate education includes cardiac rehabilitation, sports medicine, spinal cord injury and a fellowship in pediatric rehabilitation at the Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Lorris Betz said, “Bryant will be a valuable addition to our neuroscience center. He has demonstrated his ability as an effective and vigorous leader and has an outstanding vision for the future of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the university.”
Bryant has a wife and five children. Because his children have come to Utah for school, he has visited Utah on multiple occasions. He said he has grown to genuinely appreciate its majestic beauty, the people and the culture.