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2025 Annual Report
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Every physiatrist has a story. A moment that shaped how they practice. A patient who changed their perspective. A reason they chose PM&R and a reason they stay committed to it. When these stories come together, they show the full strength and humanity of our specialty. Your experience, your compassion, your expertise and your leadership are what define PM&R.

 

 

This 2025 Annual Report reflects that shared story. It highlights how we learn together, support one another and elevate patient care. It celebrates progress, collaboration and the ongoing momentum of our Academy community. You are the story of PM&R. Together, we are AAPM&R.

Act Now By Renewing Your Membership or Joining AAPM&R!

 
 

“Some of the most important friendships and mentorships in my career have formed through the Academy. Working alongside colleagues from different subspecialties, practice settings and parts of the country has helped me see our specialty through a broader and more helpful lens.”  

- Carlo J.E. Milani, MD, MBA, FAAPMR

"Volunteers are what make the Academy the living, breathing professional organization that we are and what fuels our energy and momentum. I have found that volunteering for the Academy gives me fulfillment that I wouldn’t get anywhere else."

- Ai Mukai, MD, FAAPMR

600+ AAPM&R members strong who volunteered with the Academy in 2025, driving strategic progress and shaping the future of the specialty. Join this unstoppable team of volunteers and make a real impact.

“Our Member Communities are spaces where everyone belongs. Whether you are new to the field or have devoted decades to practice, you will find colleagues who welcome you, listen to you and value the perspective you bring.”  

- Danielle Powell, MD, FAAPMR

57 Member Communities, including seven new ones that launched in 2025, offer opportunities for connection and shared engagement. 32 Member May Community Sessions provided shared learning, innovation and connection. 31 Member Meet-ups and Business Meetings at the Annual Assembly.

"The thing that I've learned over the last few years is there isn't a physiatrist I've met who doesn't have something to add to the field. Once I started to realize that if you jump in and look for learning opportunities and share your experiences with others, you can really help each other learn."

- McCasey Smith, MD, FAAPMR

16 PHiT Council Board Members collaborated to strengthen education and early-career development across the training continuum. 180 PHiT Ambassadors representing 98 Residency Programs 255 Medical Student Ambassadors – new for 2025! 6 Content Creator Workgroup members –new for 2025! 79 Residents and new graduate virtual course participants.



“AAPM&R became my primary source of clarity in a confusing landscape. The Academy’s reimbursement updates, website resources and policy explanations are among the only tools I can rely on to be timely, relevant and specific to physiatry.”  

- Antigone Argyriou, MD, FAAPMR

“I’ve had great success using the PM&R Aspire job board. I’ve utilized multiple platforms when searching for a job after training and I really appreciate the attention to detail and transparency available. I encourage anyone seeking employment to utilize PM&R Aspire. It’s a great resource and it’s included with your membership.” 

- Jess M. Roland, DO, FAAPMR

1,982 Unique users on PM&R Aspire PM&R Aspire is our exclusive career-exploration platform purpose-built to help PM&R professionals make better-informed career decisions. 67 Virtual Job and Fellowship Fair participants and + 22 employer participants. 704 in-person Job and Fellowship Fair attendees and + 115 employer participants.


“We need real data to guide real decisions. Your participation ensures that this study captures the true diversity of our practice settings and experiences, giving all of us clearer benchmarks for negotiation, planning and career growth. By taking the survey, you are strengthening a resource that helps every physiatrist.”

- Maneesh Tiwari, MD, FAAPMR

AAPM&R’s updated Compensation Survey will deliver the data physiatrists need to make confident decisions about their careers and practice. Your participation ensures that our specialty is understood, valued and fairly represented. Strong data means strong advocacy, stronger practices and a stronger future for PM&R.


“Through AAPM&R I found a place where I could contribute to change. I joined the Academy ’s advocacy efforts and was invited to serve as a physician representative to the ITEM Coalition. Advocacy with AAPM&R has taught me that we can create change beyond the walls of our clinics. And that we are stronger when we do it together.” 

- Anjali Shah, MD, FAAMPR

“Meeting with my representatives in Congress drove home to me just how much our voice matters. When we speak up for the issues that matter for PM&R and our patients, from ensuring robust federal funding for rehabilitation and disability research to fair payment for physicians, we are speaking up for our patients.”  

- James Eubanks, Jr. MD, MS, FAAPMR


Top Advocacy Priorities:

  • Fighting Against PM&R Physician Fee Cuts and For Fair Payment
  • Defending PM&R Physicians Against Scope of Practice Threats
  • Enhancing the Recognition of PM&R Medical Expertise in Inpatient Rehabilitation, Pain Management and Other Clinical Areas

Highlighting Key Wins: 

  • 1 Hill Day visit in 2025
  • More than 800 letters sent
  • More than 75 comment letters sent

"The Academy’s technology innovation efforts are guided by members who understand the realities of practice and who are dedicated to improving patient outcomes, strengthening our specialty and shaping the future of rehabilitation medicine.”  

- Thiru M .Annaswamy, MD, MA, FAAPMR

"AAPM&R Practice Guidance Statements help with making confident, evidence-based decisions. Keeping these resources current as new evidence emerges ensures our specialty continues to grow, adapt and deliver the highest standard of evidence based care.”

- Kirsten Schlosser, MD, MPH

The healthcare landscape is always changing and keeping pace with new guidance and guidelines can feel overwhelming. AAPM&R is here to support you, to help you find clarity when systems become complex and to make sure the value of physiatry is recognized across every setting of care.

9,472 full text downloads of the Long COVID Compendium in 2025
9,574 full text downloads Spasticity guidance in 2025

“This growth reflects the dedication of our authors, reviewers and readers who continue to push our specialty forward. The work published in PM&R represents real questions, real challenges and real solutions that improve patient lives.”

- Janna Friedly, MD, FAAPMR

The PM&R  Journal’s Impact Factor has grown to 2.8, reflecting the strength, relevance and ongoing contribution of research within our specialty. This increase is a direct reflection of the meaningful work physiatrists are advancing every day—in clinics, in rehabilitation programs, in academic centers and in communities across the country.

 


Technology in PM&R

AAPM&R released a Summit Synthesis capturing recommendations from our inaugural Technology Summit in 2024. Building off the success of the summit, AAPM&R is pursuing next steps in the following key areas:

  • Augmented Intelligence
  • Digital Rehabilitative Therapy
  • Rehabilitation at Home

 

“Without the direct educational and advocacy efforts of AAPM&R, these policies to decrease the dose of botulinum toxins we can give our patients surely would have passed. The Academy deserves all of our thanks for mounting such a concerted and well-planned effort, and they’ve gained an involved, active member for life.”  

- Zachary W. Bohart, MD, MS, FAAPMR

"Every patient journey is unique and I rely on education that empowers me to meet them where they are. AAPM&R provides high-quality learning that expands my perspective and elevates my practice, ultimately improving the way I help patients reclaim movement, independence and joy.”

- Rachel Brakke Holman, MD, FAAPMR

AAPM&R provides high quality CME opportunities that are convenient and meaningful, helping members meet their CME and Maintenance of Certification requirements while learning in ways that fit their schedules. 128 CME credits available to members at no additional cost.

Strengthen Your Clinical Skills with New Post-Stroke Spasticity Education

Implementing the outcomes of the 2022 and 2024 Spasticity Summits, AAPM&R continues to educate physicians and patients on this important symptom. Multiple sessions on this therapeutic topic were held at #AAPMR25.

Advance your knowledge today of post-stroke spasticity with our new microlearning activity designed specifically for primary care physicians and early-career physiatrists. Through brief, case-based scenarios, you’ll sharpen your assessment skills, enhance diagnostic accuracy and explore effective management strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Join Us in Sunny Florida for #AAPMR26

We are returning to Orlando for PM&R’s largest gathering of the year—a place where peers become colleagues, colleagues become collaborators and the specialty feels like home. Whether you attend for the learning, the community, the conversations or the spark of new ideas, you will find it at the 2026 Annual Assembly.

After a year of shared learning, collaboration and inspiring moments in 2025, #AAPMR26 will be an extraordinary opportunity to reconnect, recharge and continue shaping the future of our specialty together. 

“When I think about the moments that shaped my career, so many of them began at the AAPM&R Annual Assembly. The education itself  has always been valuable, but the real growth happened in the conversations that followed—hallway discussions, small-group chats, late-evening meetups where ideas turned into mentorship and mentorship turned into lifelong community.”

- Samman Shahpar, MD, FAAMPR

 

"There is something truly special about the moments we share at the Annual Assembly—the spontaneous hugs, the sparks of collaboration, the sense of belonging that fills every room. Each year, I leave reminded that our community is strong because we show up for one another.”

- Sarah Hwang, MD, FAAPMR

At the 2025 Annual Assembly thousands of physiatrists gathered in Salt Lake City and virtually for four days filled with learning, connection and shared purpose. From pre-conference courses and the Job and Fellowship Fair to a vibrant Exhibit Hall and a full schedule of high-quality education, the Annual Assembly offered opportunities to grow, reconnect and be inspired.