TIRR Memorial Hermann

TIRR Memorial Hermann
Memorial Hermann Healthcare System
Geography
Location	Located in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas, United States
Coordinates
Organization
Care system	Non-profit
Funding	Non-profit hospital
Type	Specialist
Affiliated university	Baylor College of Medicine and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Services
Emergency department	No
Beds	134
Specialty	Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation after traumatic brain or spinal injury, or for neurologic illness
Helipad	Yes
History
Opened	1950s
Links
Lists	[[List of hospitals in Texas |Hospitals in Texas ]]

TIRR Memorial Hermann (the four initials stand for "The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research") is a 134-bed rehabilitation hospital, rehabilitation and research center, outpatient medical clinic and network of outpatient rehabilitation centers in Houston, Texas that offers physical rehabilitation to patients following traumatic brain or spinal injury or to those suffering from neurologic illnesses. In 2014, U.S. News & World Report named TIRR Memorial Hermann to the list of America's Best Hospitals for the 25th consecutive time.

TIRR Memorial Hermann's main campus offers inpatient rehabilitation in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. There are 5 outpatient rehabilitation locations in the greater Houston area, including Kirby Glen, Memorial City, Greater Heights, Sugar Land, and The Woodlands.

TIRR Memorial Hermann is a teaching hospital for Baylor College of Medicine and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

History

TIRR Memorial Hermann traces its roots back to the early 1950s when polio was at the height of its epidemic in the United States. At the beginning of that decade, William A. Spencer, M.D., established one of the first polio treatment centers in the nation in Houston. The Southwestern Poliomyelitis Respiratory Center was dedicated to patient treatment and research and performed groundbreaking work.

Dr. Spencer was notably involved in developing the physiograph, a device recognized in the March 22, 1954 issue of Life magazine for its ability to record vital functions. This technology advanced teaching and research efforts and is credited as an early example of the sophisticated monitoring systems we use today.

In 1959, TIRR opened its doors in the Texas Medical Center. With the discovery of the polio vaccine in the mid-1950s, the focus of TIRR shifted to rehabilitation for patients with traumatic brain or spinal injuries, as well as those with neurologic illnesses. Today, TIRR Memorial Hermann continues to provide high-quality rehabilitation services and is recognized as one of the top rehabilitation hospitals in the United States.