PASSOR Activity Highlights

The Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation (PASSOR) was founded over fourteen years ago. Since then, it has grown in strength and membership. As an AAPM&R Council, PASSOR is a well-established and well-respected organization.

One of PASSOR's major thrusts is musculoskeletal medicine education and practice issues. PASSOR will be your voice representing the special needs of the musculoskeletal medical practitioner. PASSOR will market physiatrists aggressively as the most capable and appropriate musculoskeletal physicians, so that we are not forgotten in the turmoil of health system reform. If you want your voice to be heard on the issues that are integral to your medical practice, then you must join PASSOR.

If you practice musculoskeletal medicine, PASSOR needs you and you need PASSOR. 

The following are some of the benefits of PASSOR membership and ongoing PASSOR projects:

• PASSOR has appropriated $20,000 per year earmarked for research in the fields of spine, sports, and occupational rehabilitation. The intent of this award is to offer support to PASSOR members willing to invest time and effort in scientifically sound research projects.  
• PASSOR developed a step-by-step guide to establishing non-accredited training programs (fellowships).
• PASSOR has developed a scope of practice document for physical medicine and rehabilitation. This document delineates physiatry's scope of practice including various areas of training and practice of physiatry of interest to the general public, insurers and other payors, and primary care and subspecialty physicians.
• PASSOR has created a document that outlines guidelines to assist hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to assess the qualifications of a physical medicine specialist who is not qualified through their ACGME approved residency program to perform selective spinal injections.
• PASSOR has developed a resource center for post residency training, both for fellowships and for short-term elective placement to learn specific skills. Copies of these listings are available to all PASSOR members. Yearly updates are available. PASSOR has created a fellowship fund that will allocate $1,000 per month to help with traveling expenses for those in fellowships under the direction of a PASSOR member to travel to other PASSOR recognized fellowship/elective sites. In addition, PASSOR has developed fellowship guidelines that will designate fellowships as PASSOR Recognized, which indicates that they meet the minimum standards set out by the PASSOR Board of Governors.
• PASSOR developed a document, Musculoskeletal Practice After Residency, for residents graduating from PM&R residency training programs to assist in their career choices for musculoskeletal medicine. There are a wide variety of experiences available, and this document will attempt to sort out the scope of considerations, from fellowships to private practice, from academia to multi-specialty groups. The discussion included in the document examines some of these important decisions in more detail.

We hope you will share in our excitement and enthusiasm as you read about these PASSOR projects and member benefits. We welcome your membership and participation in PASSOR and in the future of musculoskeletal medicine.

Comments, Suggestions, and Questions