David Ripley

MD, MS, CRC, FAAPM&R — Chief Medical Officer

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David Ripley, MD, MS, CRC, FAAPM&R, is Chief Medical Officer of HealthBridge and has been actively involved in the care of persons with brain and spinal cord injuries for over 20 years.

Prior to joining HealthBridge, he served as Section Chief of Brain Injury Medicine and Rehabilitation and Medical Director of Worker’s Compensation Physician Practice at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago). He also held an academic appointment at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and was Program Director of the James and Carmela O’Boyle Fellowship in Brain Injury Medicine where he was instrumental in overhauling the brain injury treatment program.

During his tenure at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Dr. Ripley evaluated and managed patients throughout the entire continuum of care. Under his direction, the Disorders of Consciousness initiative (the Amicous Program) developed into one of the nation’s largest and most recognized disorders of consciousness programs.

Prior to the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Dr. Ripley practiced at Craig Hospital in Englewood, CO, where he led both Spinal Cord Injury and Brain Injury rehabilitation teams, and held an academic appointment at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dr. Ripley’s research has involved investigating the effects of pharmaceutical agents on functional measures after injury, as well as the impact of brain injury on hormonal function. His work was the recipient of the President’s Research Citation Award by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2006. He has served as the Chair of the Brain Health & Injury Subcommittee of the Veteran Administration’s Rehabilitation Research and Development Merit Review Grant Programs since 2019. He is very active in the AAPM&R, serving in numerous roles in leadership and education.

Dr. Ripley has received Castle Connolly “Top Regional Doc” award for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) every year since 2014. He has been recognized as a Top Doctor by Chicago Magazine and Illinois Magazine. In 2017, he was awarded the Albert Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors individuals who have demonstrated leadership, excellence and longevity within their respective industries and professions.

Dr. Ripley served his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned his medical degree from Medical College of Georgia in 1996, his master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from Georgia State University, and his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Emory University. He is Board Certified in both PM&R and Brain Injury Medicine.