[March, 2018; ROSEMONT, Illinois] – The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) and The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) are proud to announce the formation of a strategic alliance aimed to increase awareness and promote the value of rehabilitation as medicine.
Comprehensive rehabilitation requires the participation of multiple health care providers, each with unique skills and training, to optimize function and improve the quality of life for people with temporary or permanent disability. This alliance brings together those team members to further collaborate and impact rehabilitation in medicine. Initial efforts of the alliance will focus on:
- Establishing and conveying an effective message of the value of rehabilitation as medicine
- Promoting the delivery of rehabilitation service when and where needed throughout the patient’s lifespan
- Developing strategies to leverage the evidence supporting the value of rehabilitation as medicine
“As specialists in interdisciplinary care, physiatrists see an opportunity to transform rehabilitation’s impact across the continuum of health care. By working together, this alliance creates a united voice for the rehabilitation team and strengthens our ability to deliver value in medicine,” said Darryl Kaelin, MD, FAAPMR, AAPM&R President.
“This alliance creates the platform for translating evidence to care and for care to drive research in order to advance and advocate for rehabilitation medicine. The interdisciplinary collaboration will provide an impact from multiple approaches to influence stakeholders, including patients, care partners, insurers and policy makers,” said Debbie Backus, PT, PhD, FACRM, ACRM President.
AAPM&R and the ACRM will work together via a joint Steering Committee comprised of executive-level members from each association that will define and lead strategic direction. Joint workgroups represented from each organization will then be responsible for the tactical execution of those directives.
About the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) is the national medical specialty organization representing more than 9,000 physicians who are specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). PM&R physicians, also known as physiatrists, treat a wide variety of medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. PM&R physicians evaluate and treat injuries, illnesses, and disability, and are experts in designing comprehensive, patient-centered treatment plans. Physiatrists utilize cutting‐edge as well as time‐tested treatments to maximize function and quality of life. www.aapmr.org.
About ACRM | American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) serves a global community of researchers and clinicians who deliver evidence-based rehabilitation interventions to people with disabling conditions, such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, neurodegenerative disease, cancer, chronic pain and limb loss. ACRM is committed to the dissemination of research and educating providers, while supporting advocacy efforts to ensure adequate public funding of research endeavors. www.ACRM.org.
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