Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Clinician Awarded Top Honor in Clinical Care

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded Jesse Brown VA Medical Center physiatrist Dr. Jacqueline Neal the Mark Wolcott Award for Excellence in Clinical Care Delivery.

The Wolcott Award for Excellence is presented to a VA health care practitioner who is deserving of special recognition for their contributions in enhancing clinical care. The award is the highest honor for healthcare providers within the VA.

Dr. Neal is a physiatrist in the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. Dr. Neal has worked extensively and tirelessly to improve the lives of Veterans, including developing and implementing an early mobility program in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that has made it possible to mobilize even some of the sickest patients. Additionally, Dr. Neal developed an ICU Survivorship program, as well as a Post-Covid Clinic at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. These programs have benefited numerous Veterans through a multidisciplinary approach that addresses the individual needs of Veterans in a holistic way.

"Dr. Neal has tenaciously demonstrated excellence in the delivery of clinical care by creating and executing a spectrum of programs aimed at restoring and maintaining functionality in hospitalized Veterans," said Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Director, Rick Ament. "Dr. Neal represents the very best of Jesse Brown and we are very proud of the work she does to improve the lives of our Veterans."

Along with practicing at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Dr. Neal is also an Assistant Professor at both the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the University of Illinois College of Medicine.