About Michelle Carlson, M.D. and Catherine Brooks, OTR, CHT

The Cerebral Palsy and Neurologic Upper Extremity Service at The Hospital for Special Surgery was founded in 1993 by Michelle Carlson, M.D. and Catherine Brooks OTR. Dr. Carlson attended Cornell University Medical College and completed her residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). She also completed a year of fellowship training in hand surgery before becoming an attending Orthopaedic Surgeon at HSS, and Assistant Professor at Cornell Medical School. Dr. Carlson now applies her general training in orthopedic surgery and her specialized training in hand surgery to the patient population with cerebral palsy and neurological diseases, as well as treating general hand surgery patients. Dr. Carlson and Ms. Brooks have multiple ongoing research projects related to the treatment of cerebral palsy and neurologic diseases which they have presented at numerous national meetings. For an overview of these, go to the research section. Dr. Carlson also authored the chapter on cerebral palsy in the latest edition of Operative Hand Surgery ed. D. Green, 3rd edition. Ms. Brooks has been practicing as an occupational therapist since 1989. Her first five years of work were in neurological and developmental pediatrics at HSS, Easter Seals and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She completed Neurodevelopmental Treatment training in 1995. After her early years in developmental pediatrics, Ms. Brooks expanded to also treat children with various orthopedic injuries and diagnoses. She became a Certified Hand Therapist in 1998. Her background in pediatrics and expansion into orthopedics fostered special interest in combining the two areas to treat the orthopedic needs of patients with developmental and neurological diagnoses.

              Michelle Carlson, M.D.                     Catherine Brooks , OTR, CHT

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Hospital For Special Surgery

Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery has been the hospital of choice for countless numbers of individuals suffering from musculoskeletal conditions. These include, among others, arthritis and osteoporosis, spine and sports injuries, cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Their physicians are highly respected specialists who trained at top medical schools and hospitals and are board-certified in their fields. The training, experience and focused specialties of HSS doctors rank them among the most qualified anywhere in the world. Their skills and expertise are drawn not only from the high volume of patients who are treated here, but from the hospital's collaborative research and clinical efforts which are applied directly to patient care. In fact, many advances in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions had their origins in the pioneering efforts of our scientists and physicians. Since Hospital for Special Surgery is a teaching hospital, our patients also benefit from the exchange of ideas and information that flows between seasoned clinicians and new physicians. In 1996, the hospital opened a beautiful new inpatient facility overlooking New York City's East River. The seven-story hospital contains numerous patient amenities and state-of-the-art services. HSS has been recognized for its excellent medical care in The Best Hospitals in America, The Best in Medicine, and U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of America's Best Hospitals. To contact HSS, call 212-606-1000, or go to www.hss.edu.

Special Thanks

The work of the Cerebral Palsy and Neurologic Upper Extremity Service would not be possible without the support of some wonderful organizations and individuals.  Benefactors include The Tow Foundation and the Price and Farbman Families.  This site has also been generously supported by WeMedia, whose mission is to "empower persons with disabilities, their families and friends by being a conduit for education, knowledge, technology, entertainment, and numerous other services.  We also would like to thank the patients and family members who have been willing to share their stories and experiences for the benefit of others.