Transforming the face of research: Craig Hospital names Dr. Candy Tefertiller as its first endowed chair of research

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Candy Tefertiller, PT, DPT, Ph.D., NCS, executive director of research and evaluation at Craig Hospital, is the first recipient of the hospital's Helen Phillips Levin Endowed Chair of Research, thanks to a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Colorado.

Funding for the endowed chair is part of a total grant of $2.1 million from the foundation and will help move Craig Hospital's translational research agenda forward. The total funding commitment will propel innovative research projects within Craig Hospital, create opportunities for collaboration with other institutions, and enable the hospital to establish a robust bio-repository, which will ultimately lead to earlier diagnosis of medical problems, customized treatments, and better health outcomes for people who have sustained a spinal cord injury or brain injury.

Craig Hospital's visionary partner for many years, the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Colorado has enabled the hospital to achieve many ambitious goals — from ensuring patients leave Craig with the durable medical equipment they need to attain the greatest possible dignity and independence, to dramatically expanding our facilities through the Vibrant Family Campus campaign, to creating the Peer Mentor and Soft Landing programs.

The new endowed chair of research will constitute a permanent, yet flexible, source of funding for Craig's research program. Earnings from the endowment will enable the hospital to attract leading researchers in their fields, obtain state-of-the-art technology and accelerate discoveries that will transform the lives of people affected by catastrophic neurologic injury.

"I am so appreciative of the generous gift from the Jay and Rose Phillips Foundation of Colorado to establish Craig Hospital's first endowed chair of research," Dr. Tefertiller says. "This gift will provide ongoing funding to support the Research Department's mission. The funds will be used to expand Craig's translational research portfolio, which will ultimately lead to better outcomes for those who receive care at Craig, as well as those in the greater community of SCI and BI."

As the endowed chair, Dr. Tefertiller will direct Craig Hospital's vision for the future of spinal cord and brain injury research and steer the hospital through this exciting journey of transformation. Under her leadership, Craig's growing research team will discover and test innovative interventions to improve life for its patients — and for people affected by SCI and BI worldwide.

Dr. Tefertiller will direct spending of the annual distributions. While these expenditures will be determined year by year, Dr. Tefertiller has already envisioned multiple strategic initiatives that will accelerate innovation through Craig' research program. Potential uses of endowment earnings include supporting junior researchers, launching new collaborations, and securing a place at the leading edge of SCI and BI scientific pursuits.

The Craig Hospital Foundation is deeply grateful to the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Colorado for their long-standing dedication to Craig Hospital. By fully funding Craig's endowed chair of research, the Foundation has the powerful opportunity to transform the future of research at Craig — and make a tremendous impact on SCI and BI science more broadly.

"We are honored to have this generous support from the Jay and Rose Phillips Foundation of Colorado and are very excited for the future opportunities it will provide," Dr. Tefertiller says.

About Craig Hospital

Craig Hospital is a world-renowned neurorehabilitation hospital and research center specializing in the care of people who have sustained a spinal cord and/or a brain injury. Located in Englewood, Colo., Craig Hospital is a 93-bed, private, not-for-profit care facility providing a comprehensive system of inpatient and outpatient medical care, rehabilitation, neurosurgical rehabilitative care, and long-term follow-up services. Half of Craig's patients come from outside of Colorado. Craig has been ranked as a Best Hospital for Rehabilitation by U.S. News & World Report for 33 consecutive years. Craig received the NDNQI Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality® in 2009, 2012 through 2015, 2020, and 2022 for the highest quality outcomes in nursing care in a rehabilitation facility. Craig also received its 4th recognition for excellence in nursing from the American Nurses Credential Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® in 2020, ensuring Magnet designation until the year 2025. Craig was voted by employees as a "Top Workplace" by the Denver Post in 2012 through 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022, was ranked in the top 150 places to work in healthcare by Becker's Healthcare in 2014, and was named a 2021 Top Workplace USA by Energage. For more information, visit craighospital.org.

About The Craig Hospital Foundation

As one of the only stand-alone, not-for-profit hospitals in Colorado, Craig Hospital relies on donor support to provide cutting-edge, holistic care. The Craig Hospital Foundation is an independent 501 (c)(3) that exists solely to support the hospital, its programs, and its patients. Operating in accordance with the philosophy of Craig Hospital, the Foundation builds lifelong relationships with contributors, raises funds, and dedicates its resources to further advance the needs of Craig Hospital and those it serves. Guided by a dedicated and civic-minded board of directors, the Craig Foundation offers members of the community many meaningful ways to support the hospital's work in helping people rebuild their lives. craighospital.org/foundation.

SOURCE The Craig Hospital Foundation