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Texas Medical Center
Specialty
Physical Medicine and Rehab
Phone: 832-826-6106 (Main) | 737-220-8200 (Austin)
Fax: 832-825-8978
Address
6701 Fannin Street
16th Floor, Mark Wallace Tower
Houston, TX 77030
Christian M. Niedzwecki, DO
Medical Director, Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit
Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine
Education
| School | Education | Degree | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Fellowship | Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine | 2010 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems | Residency | Physical Medicine and Rehab | 2009 |
| John Peter Smith Hospital | Internship | Transitional | 2004 |
| University of North Texas Health Science Center | Medical School | Doctor of Osteopathy | 2003 |
| University of North Texas Health Science Center | University | Master of Science | 2003 |
About
Dr. Niedzwecki has been caring for children with functional disabilities for over 10 years. He sought out specific training to clinically care for children with acquired brain injuries, acquired spinal cord injuries, chronic disabilities, and cerebral palsy.
He has undertaken training in research (acquired brain injury), quality improvement through functional outcomes, and translational comparative effectiveness research. This training has led to publications with numerous subspecialties in pediatric and adult medicine.
As Medical Director for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH), he is one of the leaders of the large team that attained national and international accreditation for the Pediatric Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Program at TCH from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) in 2014 and 2017.
Currently, he leads the Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury clinic at TCH, is Medical Director of the Pediatric Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, is an active member of the Hospital Quality Operations Council, and is one of the Hospital sub-committee leaders for the federal Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) initiative.
Clinical Interests:
Pediatric Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury, Pediatric Traumatic and Acquired Spinal Cord Injury, Pediatric Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation
Research Interests:
Functional outcomes following Pediatric Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury, Pediatric Traumatic and Acquired Spinal Cord Injury, Pediatric Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation.
Board Certifications:
American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Brain Injury Medicine, Certified, October 2016
American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Certified, October 2012
American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Certified, July 2011
American Board of Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Certified, October 2009
Dr. Niedzwecki also see patients at our Austin location on a very limited basis. Please call the Austin office at 737-220-8200 to schedule an appointment.
Organizations
| Organization Name | Role |
|---|---|
| American Academy of Pediatrics | Fellow 2004-Current |
| American Academy of Pediatrics | Texas Chapter, 2012-Current |
| American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Fellow 2004-Current |
| American Congress of Rehabilitation | Member 2014-Current |
| Association of Academic Physiatrists | Member 2014-Current |
| EMS for Children Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC) trauma domain team | Member 2017-Current |
| International Brain Injury Association | Member 2017-Current |
| International Pediatric Rehabilitation Collaborative | Steering Committee Member 2015-Current |
Selected Publications
Niedzwecki CM, Marwitz JH, Ketchum JM, Cifu DX, Dillard CM, Monasterio EA (2008). Traumatic brain injury: a comparison of inpatient functional outcomes between children and adults. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation 2008; 23(4), 209-19.
Bennett TD, Niedzwecki CM, Korgenski EK, Bratton SL. Initiation of Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy in Children with Traumatic Brain Injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2013 July; 94(7):1268-76.
Schober ME, Requena DF, Davis LJ, Metzger R, Bennett KS, Morita D, Niedzwecki CM, Yang Z, Wang KK. Alpha II Spectrin Breakdown Products in Immature Sprague Dawley Rat Hippocampus and Cortex after Traumatic Brain Injury. Brain Research 2014; 1574:105-12
Lam SK, Niedzwecki CM, Daniels BS, Mayer R, Vakharia MM, Jea A. Acute Spinal Cord Injury Associated With Multilevel Pediatric Idiopathic or Inflammatory Intervertebral Disk Calcification (PIIVDC). Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics 2016; 17:182-186.
Schneider NM, Steinberg DM, Grosch MC, Niedzwecki CM, Cline VD. Decisions about discussing traumatic loss with hospitalized pediatric patients: A needs assessment of a multidisciplinary medical team. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology 2016;4(1):63-73.
Niedzwecki CM. “Rehabilitation of the Child with Injuries.” Pediatric Trauma: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment Second Edition. Eds. Wesson D, Naik-Mathuria B. 2017
Niedzwecki CM, Risen S. “Trauma to the Nervous System.” Rudolf’s Pediatrics, 23rd Edition. Eds. Lotze, TE, Clark, G. 2017
Niedzwecki CM, Roge DR, Schwabe AL. “Cerebral Palsy.” Braddom’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 5th edition. 2016
* Texas Children's Hospital physicians' licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician's office and were not verified by Texas Children's Hospital.