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Cheri Blauwet, MD, Shirley Ryan Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾¡¯s chief clinical officer and senior vice president, was a featured expert at the recent World Medical Innovation Forum.
Dr. Blauwet participated in a panel ¡ª entitled ¡°¡± ¡ª along with other distinguished leaders in medicine and biotech research. During the panel, they discussed a range of emerging tools like advanced communication technologies and assistive devices that are reshaping patient treatment.
After the panel concluded, Dr. Blauwet participated in a .
At the outset of this discussion, Dr. Blauwet noted that the disability community is far from ¡°a small subset of society or a niche group of people.¡±
¡°Disability affects everyone at some point in their life, whether in a permanent way or a temporary way,¡± she said. ¡°Particularly with our aging population and increased survivorship from many chronic conditions like cancer and heart disease, the national and global prevalence of disability is increasing.¡±
This rapidly increasing population represents new opportunities to meet healthcare needs via assistive devices like exoskeletons, brain-computer interfaces, communication technology and more.
¡°This is a really hot area of tech and innovation,¡± said Dr. Blauwet. ¡°It¡¯s a really great time to think about how we can design new tools and technologies for the disability community.¡±
The World Medical Innovation Forum is hosted by Mass General Brigham in Boston.
Dr. Blauwet joined Shirley Ryan Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾ in September 2025. In her role, she provides clinical and strategic leadership across Shirley Ryan Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾¡¯s entire enterprise ¡ª the organization¡¯s downtown Chicago flagship hospital, more than 30 sites of care in Chicagoland, and partnerships with hospitals across the nation and internationally. She ensures world-class quality, safety and performance throughout all aspects of Shirley Ryan Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾¡¯s medical practice.
Dr. Blauwet is a longstanding champion of accessibility. She is a seven-time Paralympic medalist, representing Team USA in wheelchair racing. Additionally, in recognition of her impact, in 2025 she was named to Forbes¡¯ inaugural "Accessibility 100."
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