CARF medical rehabilitation director honored by ACRM and AMRPA

Chris MacDonell receives both Coulter Award and National Leadership Excellence Award

The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) awarded Chris MacDonell, CARF International’s managing director of medical rehabilitation and international aging services/medical rehabilitation, with the 2019 John Stanley Coulter Award. As the award recipient, Chris will present the award plenary, An Around the World Perspective: Moving the Needle on Rehabilitation Medicine and Research on November 5 during the opening session of the ACRM Annual Conference in Chicago. 

To be named the Coulter Lecturer is to be recognized as one whose professional achievements have contributed significantly to the field of rehabilitation, as did Dr. John Stanley Coulter, former president and treasurer of ACRM. Since 1951, the Coulter Lecture has been a highlight of the annual meeting of ACRM. In 2014, Ms. MacDonell was presented with a Distinguished Member Award and named a Fellow of ACRM. The Distinguished Member Award honors ACRM members who significantly contribute to the development and functioning of ACRM. The Fellow distinction is granted to members who not only demonstrate outstanding professional service to ACRM, but also make contributions of national significance to the field of medical rehabilitation. 

In a statement about the honors, ACRM said, in part, “Chris has represented CARF International at international, national, regional, and local meetings to promote and interpret standards and the use of accreditation as a quality business and clinical strategy throughout the continuum of care. She is part of the medical rehabilitation team responsible for the training of CARF surveyors and also the development and revision of CARF standards.”

Ms. MacDonell was also selected as the sole recipient of the 2019 National Leadership Excellence Award, which was presented to her yesterday at the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA) Fall Educational Conference & Expo, in San Diego.   

The purpose of the AMRPA National Leadership Excellence Award is to confer association-wide recognition on individuals who have exemplified outstanding service and made significant contributions to the field of medical rehabilitation. These accomplishments contribute to the advancement of the medical rehabilitation field nationally.

AMRPA Board Chair Rich Kathrins said of the recognition, “You were chosen because you exemplify leadership, integrity, vision, dedication, and excellence in the areas of transformative leadership, life-long service in the field, and advocacy at the state and national levels.”   

Chris has more than 40 years of experience in the human services field, and almost 30 years at CARF International.