Kessler Foundation Names First Recipient of Kessler Foundation Neurorehabilitation Award
Steven Benvenisti Honored for Outstanding Contribution to Public Awareness of Neurorehabilitation
WEST ORANGE, N.J.—Steven Benvenisti, Esq., partner at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, personal injury attorney and motivational speaker, has been named the first recipient of the Kessler Foundation Neurorehabilitation Award. The award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to social and public awareness of neurorehabilitation. The American Society of Neurorehabilitation (ASNR) Educational Foundation Board selects the honoree. Benvenisti will receive this award at the ASNR Foundation dinner on November 7, 2013 in San Diego at the Hard Rock Café.
“It is very humbling to receive an award on behalf of Kessler Foundation, especially since this wonderful foundation improves the lives of so many people dealing with the physical and cognitive disabilities caused by stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain and spinal injuries,” said Benvenisti. “In my practice as an attorney, I meet these patients immediately after the trauma that places them in the care of the Kessler team of professionals. It amazes me to see their dramatic improvements due in a very large part to the exceptional research discoveries and care of the Kessler Foundation.”
Benvenisti travels around the U.S. sharing the story of a catastrophic brain injury case, which he calls “The most significant case of his entire career.” He is also the author of Spring Break: A True Story of Hope and Determination, which details the case and the important role that neurorehabilitation plays in the lives of individuals with brain injury and their families. Benvenisti has received many awards for his presentation, including Proclamations by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
“People who hear Steven’s presentation are forever changed,” said Rodger DeRose, president and chief executive officer of Kessler Foundation. “They are inspired to change their views on what is possible with recovery after brain injury, both personally and professionally. His message is clear: neurorehabilitation is essential to recovery. Steven’s personal involvement in the field of brain injury was a decisive factor in recognizing him with the Kessler Foundation Neurorehabilitation Award. We are thrilled to see him acknowledged for his outstanding contributions to social and political awareness of brain injury.”
Kessler Foundation conducts rehabilitation research to improve the thinking, learning and memory of individuals with brain injury. Benvenisti is a two-time speaker at the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System’s (NNJTBIS) annual conference, for consumers and/or professionals. NNJTBIS, a cooperative effort of Kessler Foundation, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, is a comprehensive system of care, research, education and dissemination aimed at improving quality of life for people with TBI.
The annual ASNR meeting, sponsored in part by Kessler Foundation, provides a forum for rehabilitation professionals to discuss developments in neurorehabilitation. The ASNR Foundation dinner caps a day of scientific presentations on a wide variety of topics. Benvenisti’s keynote address will focus on how ASNR leaders can act individually, and within their organizations, to remove barriers to effective TBI care.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.
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Contacts:
Lauren Scrivo, 973.324.8384, 973.768.6583 - c, [email protected]
Carolann Murphy, 973.324.8382, [email protected]
