HSR Investigators Recognized for Excellence in Spinal Cord Injury Research

» Back to Awards List

September 8, 2026

Health Systems Research (HSR) is proud to announce that Drs. Felicia Skelton and Hilary Touchett received awards for their outstanding contributions to improving the health and care of Veterans with spinal cord injury and disease (SCI/D). Their work is important because VA provides care to more than 27,000 Veterans with SCI/D each year, making VA the largest healthcare system in the world to provide lifelong spinal cord care.

Felicia Skelton, MD, received the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Clinical Excellence Award at the PVA Healthcare Summit + Expo that was held from August 30 to September 2, 2026. This award recognizes clinicians who have achieved national recognition, shown exemplary leadership, and demonstrated professional achievement in their contributions and advocacy for Veterans with spinal cord injury, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), MS (multiple sclerosis) and other motor neuron diseases. Established in 1946, PVA is the only nonprofit Veteran Service Organization dedicated solely to helping Veterans with SCI/D, and diseases such as MS and ALS. An investigator with HSR's Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuEST), Dr. Skelton is also a staff physician in spinal injury care at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and an associate professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Dr. Skelton's research interests include secondary conditions in Veterans with SCI, implementation of clinical practice guidelines, antimicrobial stewardship programs, and Veteran and healthcare professional mindfulness and wellness.

Hilary Touchett, PhD, RN, CRRN, received the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals (ASCIP) 2026 Audrey Nelson Lectureship Award at the ASCIP Annual Meeting held September 6-9, 2026. This award is given to exemplary nurses in spinal cord injury. Dr. Touchett was nominated for this award for her leadership in nursing science in SCI research, including the integration of technology into behavioral health interventions to improve outcomes for Veterans with SCI/D. Technology offers new opportunities to improve health outcomes for these Veterans; however, innovations in virtual care and evidence-based behavioral interventions often create disparities in access and engagement for this patient population. Dr. Touchett is a researcher at HSR's Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt) and an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Blending clinical expertise with emerging technology, she advances research that brings virtual reality and digital tools into rehabilitation and mental healthcare for Veterans with SCI/D. Dr. Touchett's work imagines and builds a future where accessible, tech-enabled environments empower Veterans to engage in care anytime and anywhere, opening new pathways for lifelong health and wellbeing.