Plenary Speakers

#AAPMR26 Plenary Speakers Announced! 

Prepare to be inspired and enlightened by our lineup of esteemed keynote speakers. We are pleased to welcome our incredible plenary speakers joining us in Orlando!  
 

• Opening Plenary and Presidential Address | Robert Wachter, MD
  A Bold Vision for Healthcare's AI Revolution 
  Thursday, November 12‒11:15 am-12:45 pm (ET)
  From coining the term "hospitalist" to authoring the landmark book on healthcare digitization (The Digital Doctor), Dr. Robert Wachter has consistently defined healthcare's future frontiers. As chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, Wachter now turns his visionary perspective to artificial intelligence's sweeping transformation of healthcare. In his eagerly anticipated book, A Giant Leap: How AI is Transforming Healthcare – and What That Means for Our Future (Portfolio/Penguin), Wachter reveals how AI is already matching—and sometimes surpassing—physicians in critical areas from diagnostic accuracy to patient empathy. As this revolutionary technology rapidly integrates into clinical settings—scribing notes, recommending treatments, interpreting medical imaging, and enhancing surgical procedures—it brings both extraordinary promise and significant concerns about hallucinations, bias, and misinformation. Yet Wachter makes a compelling case: in a healthcare system struggling with quality gaps, access barriers, clinician burnout, and unsustainable costs, AI doesn't need to be perfect to be transformative—it simply needs to outperform our current approaches. With clear-eyed optimism, he argues that AI will indeed revolutionize healthcare if we navigate the implementation challenges thoughtfully. Wachter's captivating talks and interviews offer healthcare leaders, organizations, and clinicians practical, actionable insights for embracing this technological revolution that's reshaping one of our largest and most essential industries.
  
  

• Awards Presentation and PhyzTalks  
  Friday, November 13‒10:45 am-12 pm (ET)  
  PhyzTalks falls on Friday as another fun component of Physiatry Day. Hear our PhyzTalks finalists who will share their compelling and inspirational physiatry-focused stories with the PM&R membership community. Immediately following the Academy’s recognition of AAPM&R and the Foundation for PM&R Award winners, our incoming president, Charlotte Smith, MD, FAAPMR, will introduce our 2026 PhyzTalks speakers. 
  
  
• 58th Walter J. Zeiter Lecture & Keynote Presentation | Ryan Dunlap 
  Leadership Under Pressure
  Saturday, November 14‒1:30-2:45 pm (ET)
  Leadership Under Pressure is a practical and thought-provoking keynote that equips leaders to remain composed, clear, and credible when the stakes are high. Drawing from real-world experience in negotiation, leadership, and conflict strategy, this session helps leaders understand how pressure impacts performance, communication and decision-making—and how to respond with intention. Attendees will walk away with actionable tools to navigate high-pressure moments with greater clarity, resilience and purpose.

All plenary sessions will be live-streamed and available to registered attendees for future viewing.