Kessler Foundation Named Healthcare Hero in Four Categories by NJBIZ

Recognized for excellence in healthcare innovation, education, physician leadership, and workplace wellness

EAST HANOVER, N.J., May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, has been honored with multiple NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Awards in four categories: Innovation Hero, Workplace Wellness Hero, Education Hero, and Physician of the Year. The NJBIZ award program recognizes excellence, promotes innovation, and honors the efforts of individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of health care in New Jersey.

"Receiving recognition from NJBIZ's Healthcare Heroes Awards is a tremendous honor," stated Rodger DeRose, president and chief executive officer at Kessler Foundation. "We take great pride in our collaborative efforts and dedication to making a meaningful difference in the lives of people with disabilities in New Jersey, across the U.S., and around the world."

Kessler Foundation's Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation was honored with the Innovation Hero award for its work in transforming the treatment and rehabilitation of spinal cord injury. The Center achieved a historic milestone as the first in New Jersey to implant an epidural stimulator in an individual with paralysis from a spinal cord injury.

The Foundation's Center for Autism Research is the recipient of the Workplace Wellness Hero award due to its advancements in enhancing the workplace experiences of neurodiverse individuals, notably through the creation of Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and Expression (KF-STRIDE®). This program helps autistic young adults and adolescents identify their personal strengths and teaches them how to confidently express these strengths during job interviews and in the workplace.

John DeLuca, PhD, senior vice president of Research and Training at Kessler Foundation and professor within the Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Neurology at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, was honored with the Education Hero award. Dr. DeLuca's mentorship within the Foundation's postdoctoral program has shaped the career paths of many aspiring rehabilitation research professionals and continues to shift paradigms in rehabilitation treatment.

Steven Kirshblum, MD, chief medical officer at Kessler Foundation and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, a Select Medical hospital, and co-director of the Reynolds Center, has been honored with the Physician of the Year award. Dr. Kirshblum is nationally recognized as "the doctor who treated Superman," and expert in spinal cord injury rehabilitation and research. He also serves as Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Media Contact: Michele Pignatello, [email protected] 

SOURCE Kessler Foundation