Member Councils Bring Academy Members Together

Academy leaders have been working to find a new way to engage members and offer them the opportunity to build a sense of community within the Academy. After several years of evaluation and consideration, the board of governors is proposing a method for the membership to evolve into communities that generally reflect physiatric clinical practice.

What are Member Councils?

Member Councils are divisions or constituencies of the Academy membership that allow members to share common clinical interests and to work together to meet the needs of members in those clinical areas. Councils are a new benefit of membership; members do not need to pay an additional fee to join a Member Council.

This new structure is beneficial to members because it

• creates a way for all Academy members to interact with each other, to have a voice within the Academy, and to have greater access to Academy leadership and staff;

• provides an opportunity to find a community of colleagues with like-minded clinical, educational, research, and advocacy concerns;

• improves the structure for leadership development and in turn provides an opportunity to participate in decisions at a national level within the Academy itself; and

• allows development of clinically specific rehabilitation research, Annual Assembly courses, and journal support.

Each Council will have an identical governance structure, identical voice, input, and impact within the Academy, and identical responsibilities to their clinical constituencies and the specialty as a whole. Responsibilities will include encouraging submissions to the Academy journal, PM&R; developing educational resources, practice guidelines, and programs; promoting and recognizing research; developing frequent communications; and promoting member awareness and feedback.

Where do residents fit in?

Residents are encouraged to participate in all Councils. It is difficult enough to choose a career path within the limitations of residency training programs. Councils offer an opportunity to explore areas of physiatry that may not be otherwise available, and residents can explore those areas with leading physiatrists in those fields.

The five Member Councils are as follows:

CNS Rehabilitation

Encompasses injuries to the central nervous system, including traumatic and non-traumatic onset, and associated sequelae.

Clinical examples: SCI, TBI, stroke, spasticity

Musculoskeletal Medicine

Encompasses musculoskeletal and spinal column disorders associated with occupational and sports injuries and age-related dysfunction.

Clinical examples: Spine, manual medicine, sports, occupational medicine, electrodiagnostics, performing arts, osteoporosis, scoliosis, arthritis, stenosis

Medical Rehabilitation

Encompasses all rehabilitation issues not identified in other councils, and includes rehabilitation of major trauma, acquired cardiovascular, pulmonary, oncology, and pulmonary disorders, geriatrics, amputation and burns

Clinical examples: Amputation, cardiovascular, pulmonary, prosthetics, orthotics, electrodiagnostics, cancer, geriatrics, obesity, arthritis, burns

Pain Medicine/Neuromuscular Medicine

Encompasses chronic painful conditions involving the central and peripheral nervous systems and musculoskeletal system, either traumatic, non-traumatic or acquired

Clinical examples: Spine, manual medicine, electrodiagnostics, neuropathy/plexopathy, chronic pain, ALS, MD, Parkinson’s, MS, neuro-degenerative, hereditary sensori-motor, peripheral nerve

Pediatric Rehabilitation/Developmental Disabilities

Encompasses the care of childhood onset disabilities from birth through adulthood

Clinical examples: Spasticity, MD, CP, primary care of patients with developmental disabilities

Members can still be involved with non-clinically focused groups that formerly existed as special interest groups, or SIGs. These groups will become “Community Networks” and will include African-American Physiatrists, Physicians With Disabilities, International Rehabilitation, and Rural Physiatrists, to name a few. Community Networks will be Academy-wide, across Councils, but will be virtual groups, utilizing electronic networking almost entirely.

Where can I learn more?

Visit the Member Councils section to learn more.