Cookeville Regional welcomes new inpatient rehab medical director

Dr. Harrison Falwell never planned to be a doctor. But that changed when his mother passed away suddenly when he was 18 years old.

“I wanted to know as much about the human body as possible and felt inspired to pursue medicine,” he said upon his decision to go into the field of medicine and specialize in internal medicine.

Falwell is the new medical director of inpatient rehabilitation services. He earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He went on to complete his residency at the University of Louisville, department of internal medicine where he was responsible for patients in the acute setting at University of Louisville University Hospital, Jewish Hospital and the Rex-Robley VA Medical Center.

He also cared for patients on a long-term basis through the primary care clinic and taught younger residents and medical students.

“In rehab medicine, you get to care for a wide variety of patients who are at a very low point in their life,” he said. “I like to care for people in a holistic manner, addressing not only the physical needs, but also the emotional and spiritual needs in my patients as I believe that healing is multidimensional.”

As medical director, he coordinates the medical care of his patients, including managing medications, lab work, and any acute conditions or chronic conditions. He also wants to ensure that the patient and their family have a good understanding of the current condition of the patient and how to best care for them moving forward.

“Everyone is dedicated towards the overall wellness and improvement of the patient,” he said of the rehab team. “What I enjoy is seeing the rapid improvement and developing a close relationship with the patient while they are under my care.”

He chose Cookeville Regional to practice because it’s a smaller hospital with a warm environment but also has a lot of opportunities for growth.

“The thought of making a big impact not only in the lives of individuals but also the community is very exciting,” he said.

When he’s not working, he enjoys reading, learning, exercising, hiking, trying new restaurants and playing with his two cats.