Dr. Talya Fleming is the Medical Director of the Stroke Recovery Program, Post-COVID Rehabilitation Program, and Aftercare Programs at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute. Dr. Fleming is double board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as Brain Injury Medicine from the American Board of Medical Specialties. She is a Core Assistant Professor at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and has worked at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute for almost ten years.
Dr. Fleming presents her clinical research nationally and internationally on the topics of stroke rehabilitation, modified cardiac rehabilitation for stroke survivors, neurorehabilitation, post-acute transitions of care, and healthcare delivery. She has been integral in the creation, design, and implementation of the JFK Johnson Stroke Recovery Program and related Stroke-HEARTTM Trials.
Her professional accomplishments are numerous. Most recently, she was awarded the Top Doctor Spotlight as a Castle Connolly Top Black Doctors distinction, along with the Castle Connolly Top Doctors in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Exceptional Women in Medicine distinction. In 2023, she was awarded the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) 2023 Distinguished Public Service, Health Equity, and Advocacy Award. In 2019, she was awarded the Association of Academic Physiatrists Excellence in Research Writing Award, for the article “Impact of a Stroke Recovery Program Integrating Modified Cardiac Rehabilitation on All-cause Mortality, Cardiovascular Performance and Functional Performance.” The yearly award recognizes the best paper published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. She received the Hackensack Meridian Health Outstanding Excellence Award for her research with the Stroke Recovery Program. In 2017, she obtained the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Volunteer Faculty Award.
She has presented at prestigious national and international conferences, including: The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) Scientific Sessions, American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM), American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R), Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP), International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM), Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and the World Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Conference. She currently serves as a select national committee member of the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association, Stroke Council, and Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery Committee.
Dr. Fleming is a selected member of several national strategic leadership committees addressing stroke and COVID-19. She is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AAPM&R), Multi-Disciplinary PASC (Post-acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection) Collaborative – appointed by the Board of Governors, who prioritized and committed to a plan to address the needs of those experiencing long term health issues due to COVID-19. Dr. Fleming is a member of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Stroke Interdisciplinary Stroke Interest Group – Health and Wellness Task Force, which promotes health management and health maintenance after stroke. During its tenure, she was also a member of the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) Women in Academic Physiatry Presidential Task Force to examine gender bias in leadership positions in women in medicine.
Dr. Fleming earned her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Spanish. She obtained her medical degree from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and completed residency training at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute. Through her clinical practice, research interests, and teaching responsibilities, Dr. Fleming helps to advance equity, inclusion, and justice for underserved communities.