Blogs

Maximizing Our Sphere of Influence

By Scott Laker, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 06-11-2025
Welcome to another issue of The Physiatrist, where we are focusing on promoting the specialty of PM&R. I hope you enjoy learning about all the ways that the Academy is setting the stage for an even brighter future. PM&R is the heart of whole-person care—a specialty built not only on healing, but on restoring. In every setting, from acute hospital rooms to community clinics, we stand alongside our patients to help them reclaim function, independence and quality of life. And yet, too often, the value of PM&R is underestimated. Despite our proven impact on outcomes, cost- effectiveness and patient satisfaction, many still ask, “What exactly does a ...

What Makes AAPM&R So Special? You, Our Members

By Scott Laker, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 05-12-2025
Welcome to the “Member May” issue of The Physiatrist where we celebrate more than 11,000 active members of AAPM&R. The Academy is the largest community of physiatrists in the world and our members represent every aspect of physical medicine and rehabilitation. As I reflect on those numbers, I can’t help but be proud of the Academy that we have built, but also the communities and patients we represent. There is strength in our numbers, but our shared commitment to our patients is what makes PM&R so special. Physiatrists are shaping the future of medicine – AAPM&R members are creating cutting-edge research that will be the breakthroughs of tomorrow. ...

Defending PM&R: A Vital Specialty in Modern Healthcare

By Scott Laker, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 02-13-2025
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a unique and critical medical specialty that focuses on enhancing and restoring functional ability and quality of life to individuals with physical impairments or disabilities. Despite its invaluable contributions, PM&R often faces misconceptions, underappreciation and challenges in asserting its relevance within the broader medical community. The Role of PM&R: A Holistic Approach to Care At its core, PM&R is centered on function, aiming to help patients achieve their highest potential for independence and quality of life. Physiatrists treat a diverse patient population, including individuals recovering ...

The Road Ahead for the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R)

By Scott Laker, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 12-06-2024
Welcome to this month's presidential column entitled, “The Road Ahead.” I'm excited to lead the Academy this year as we face many of the challenges we all share together. As an introduction, I am the proud father of twin daughters and the lucky husband to a physical therapist/travel agent. I was raised in Tampa, Florida completing my undergraduate education at Florida State University, medical school at the University of Miami, and my residency and fellowship training at the University of Colorado. I began my faculty career at the University of Washington working closely with Stan Herring, MD, FAAPMR and his colleagues in the early rollout of the Lystedt Law ...

Let Us Toast to “The Power of PM&R” and the Unwavering Dedication of Physiatrists Everywhere!

By D.J. Kennedy, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 10-11-2024
It feels like just yesterday when filled with anticipation and excitement I was penning my first presidential column. The journey since then has been a profound personal and professional experience. It has been a year of growth, learning and forging deeper connections within our vibrant community of PM&R physicians. The camaraderie developed during my tenure as president, along with the bonds formed throughout the years of volunteering, are some of my most valued relationships. These peer connections have not only enriched my personal life, but have also significantly influenced my professional growth and leadership skills. Now as I sit down today to write ...

United in Advancing Physiatry

By D.J. Kennedy, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 09-13-2024
With transformation in healthcare and the world around us, I believe we have grounding solace in the interconnectedness of our professional passion as physiatrists. As physiatrists, we provide essential patient care that has a massive positive impact on the patients we treat, as well as the communities where we live and practice. Through these individual actions, we are all clearly promoting and advancing our specialty. Additionally, when we combine our efforts as a collective group through the AAPM&R, we unite to have even more of a global impact. Thus, amid the current political whirlwinds and the ever-changing landscape of guidelines, reporting measures ...

The Importance of Investing in Yourself and the Specialty

By D.J. Kennedy, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 08-05-2024
As we are all keenly aware, the healthcare landscape is ever- evolving and PM&R is at a pivotal juncture. Challenges are numerous and include physician shortages, changes in reimbursement models and increasing complexity of healthcare delivery systems. Fortunately, PM&R has always been at the forefront of multidisciplinary, team-based and patient-centered care. We are also experts in navigating the complexities of our healthcare systems and have a long history of prioritizing value-based care and patient-centered outcomes. Our expertise aligns perfectly with the goals of modern healthcare systems, and positions us well to advocate for our patients, our ...

Supporting and Guiding PM&R Through Healthcare Transformations

By D.J. Kennedy, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 07-19-2024
As July arrives and the full heat of summer is upon us, we find ourselves close to the midpoint of the year, a time that often prompts reflection. The days are long, filled with the relentless energy of the sun, and yet the year seems to be moving at a rapid pace. It seems like yesterday that I was writing for the December 2023/January 2024 issue of The Physiatrist. In that issue, I highlighted five of the strategic goals for AAPM&R to help guide the advancement of our specialty. Among these was the commitment to “Support and guide PM&R physicians in their practices for optimal success in healthcare transformations.” We recognize that in rapidly-changing ...

The Power of PM&R: Working Together, We are Stronger

By D.J. Kennedy, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 05-07-2024
The strength of PM&R lies in our unity. When PM&R physicians come together under the umbrella of AAPM&R, we become a formidable force, capable of driving meaningful change and advancing the impact of our specialty within healthcare. To date, more than 15,000 physicians have been board-certified in PM&R. We all bring our unique perspectives, experiences and expertise to the table, and we have an unparalleled opportunity to support and uplift one another. Fortunately, the Academy is focused on efforts to build and enhance the unity of our field. In 2023, AAPM&R launched Member May, a month-long initiative offering members the chance to participate ...

Giving Back and Making a Difference for My Specialty

By D.J. Kennedy, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 04-09-2024
Volunteering is often seen as a selfless act, a way of giving back to the community or contributing toward a cause that one is passionate about. However, the benefits of volunteerism extend far beyond the personal level, offering a multitude of rewards. These benefits include but are not limited to professional satisfaction, camaraderie and networking opportunities, in addition to the sense of fulfillment that comes from giving back and making a difference. In the context of my professional volunteerism journey, I have found that service to a society like AAPM&R offers a dual benefit of aligning my professional and personal passions. I started volunteering ...

Join Your Academy in Advocating for PM&R

By D.J. Kennedy, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 02-09-2024
The first pulse you check is yours." This sage advice was given to me as a trainee before running my first code. It's a stark reminder that, in the high-stakes world of healthcare, the well-being of those who heal is paramount. Yet, the persistent challenge of physician burnout has cast a long shadow over all of us who dedicate our lives to healing. A litany of issues is contributing to this epidemic. One is the clear loss of autonomy in medical decision-making due to the business of medicine interfering with the doctor-patient relationship. The art and science of medicine, once entrusted to the discernment of physicians, now faces interference from those who ...

Supporting the Physiatrist, Strengthening the Specialty

By D.J. Kennedy, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 12-12-2023
Dear Illustrious Colleagues, It is with mixed emotions that I write this column. While I have great excitement regarding AAPM&R and the future endeavors of the Academy, I have also been asked to talk about my background given many of you do not know me. Like most, I find discussing my life story difficult, but I know embracing the strengths we have due to our diverse backgrounds makes us better, so here it goes. I grew up in a log cabin house that my parents built and still live in, on a dirt road in a rural county in the panhandle of Florida. My family roots run deep, as my brother and I were the sixth generation from the same county. While we didn’t have ...

PM&R BOLD: Working Together to Overcome the Barriers to our Vision

By Steven Flanagan, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 10-06-2023
A year has seemingly flown by since my first presidential column. Over the past 12 months, I have written to you about the Academy’s vision for physiatry, embedded in PM&R BOLD. Our goal is simple: ensure PM&R thrives well into the future by increasing awareness of physiatry’s vital, essential and indispensable role in achieving the triple aim of medicine. Achieving what is important is not always easy, noting the Academy and our members need to overcome several barriers to reach the goals where physiatrists are viewed as: • The essential medical experts in value-based evaluation, diagnosis and management of neuromuscular and disabling conditions, ...

How Your Academy is Addressing Physiatric Workforce Needs

By Steven Flanagan, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 09-05-2023
Several years ago, I attended a brain injury meeting in Galveston, Texas. We discussed the challenges of meeting the long-term care needs of people with traumatic brain injury. Epidemiological data estimated there were between 3 to 5 million people in the United States with a chronic problem related to TBI. Physiatric training in TBI is by far the most comprehensive of any medical specialty. Yet at that time, only 25% of the 10,000 physiatrists in the country treated individuals with brain injury. Furthermore, the percentage of those physiatrists’ practices dedicated to brain injury medicine was uncertain. The math was simple: a group of 2,500 physiatrists was ...

Data, the AAPM&R Registry and Your Future

By Steven Flanagan, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 08-04-2023
Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU-Langone Health, where I currently serve as Department Chair, is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its founding. Howard Rusk established the first university-based rehabilitation hospital in the United States in 1948, growing a department based on his experiences as an Air Force physician during World War II. He learned valuable lessons attending to sick and injured service personnel during the War, including the importance of treating the whole person and avoiding unnecessary periods of prolonged rest. Dr. Rusk knew then what we now take for granted; exercise should be incorporated into treatment plans! One decade after he established ...

Power in Numbers

By Steven Flanagan, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 07-07-2023
One of my favorite Annual Assembly memories is the special President’s Reception held at Universal Studios’ Harry Potter World. Despite my age, I am admittedly a big fan of the books, movies and Broadway play (and I regularly beat my niece and nephew in Hogwarts trivia). As most of you undoubtedly know, the book series speaks of good triumphing over evil and the many challenges faced in achieving an important goal. In one book, Harry senses he is alone in his struggles, only to discover he has countless allies eager to assist in achieving a just outcome. Phrased slightly differently, Harry’s friends, schoolmates and teachers shared his vision and were strong ...

House Passes Employer Health Plan Legislation

By AAPM&R Health Policy Team, (AAPM&R Staff) posted 06-28-2023
Before leaving for a two week recess, the House of Representatives passed the CHOICE Arrangement Act (H.R. 3799) by a 220-209 party-line vote. The bill would codify two Trump-era regulations intended to lower the cost of employer- sponsored health insurance. The first would allow companies to offer association health plans, and the second would allow employers to provide tax-free contributions through individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements (ICHRAs) to help employees pay for health coverage in the individual market. Democrats have argued that these policies can be used by employers to discriminate against certain classes of employees. The Congressional ...

Appeals Court Weighs Fate of ACA’s Preventive Services Mandate

By AAPM&R Health Policy Team, (AAPM&R Staff) posted 06-16-2023
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments last week regarding a lower court’s March decision on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive services coverage mandate. The plaintiffs argued in support of the nationwide suspension of the law’s requirements for no-cost coverage of certain preventive services, while the Biden administration characterized the March decision as a “legal error.” The Department of Justice argued that while no harm would be done to the plaintiffs by putting the nationwide injunction on hold, great harm would be done to the millions of individuals with employer-sponsored insurance or coverage through the individual ...

Debt Limit Deal Signed into Law

By AAPM&R Health Policy Team, (AAPM&R Staff) posted 06-07-2023
Congress passed legislation last week to suspend the debt ceiling until 2025. Passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act ( H.R. 3746 ) ends the most significant standoff over the nation’s borrowing limit since 2011. The debt ceiling deal was passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday 314-117 with support from 149 Republicans, including eight hard right Freedom Caucus members, and 165 Democrats. The Senate approved the measure on Thursday in a 63-36 vote with support from 44 Democrats, 2 Independents, and only 17 Republicans. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on June 3, two days before the government would have defaulted on its debt obligations ...

PM&R, No Longer the Best Kept Secret in Medicine

By Steven Flanagan, MD (Physiatrist Member) posted 06-02-2023
During the first two and a half years of medical school, I struggled to choose a specialty that truly fit my passion for medicine. I was fascinated with everything neurological, including behavior, but also yearned for a practice that permitted long-term relationships with patients and their families. Naturally, I considered neurology, family medicine and psychiatry, and thoroughly enjoyed my training in those clerkships. Late one evening during my medicine clerkship, my classmates and I shared our future career aspirations. It was then I became aware of physical medicine and rehabilitation as a specialty choice. Previously unbeknown to me as a field of medicine, ...