Description

Join AAPM&R for an exciting webinar on engaging our spasticity community. On November 6, we will be hosting a discussion to further explore the Academy’s spasticity initiatives. PM&R physicians are most often the leaders in spasticity assessment/treatment and lead rehabilitation care teams. As such, we are working to address this crucial issue in healthcare. In 2022, AAPM&R held a Spasticity Summit engaging PM&R and other key stakeholders to address the issues around the identification, assessment and treatment of patients with spasticity. Our Board of Governors then approved a spasticity-focused strategy in fall 2023 to allow new opportunities for members and make an impact on patients’ lives.

Spasticity is a common challenge for many conditions PM&R treats with diverse functional impacts and health disparities. Some of the top barriers we have identified include access to care, patient and caregiver support and clinical capacity and capabilities. Our membership data suggests more than 50% of PM&R physicians may treat individuals with spasticity. With this in mind, we recognize that spasticity is an area of significant opportunity for alignment between our specialty and the Academy. 

We encourage you to register for our November 6 webinar and further get acquainted with PM&R physicians working in spasticity, learn about the Academy’s plans and provide your input. Additionally, we have a new Spasticity Management Member Community, led by Zachary Bohart, MD, FAAPMR, that AAPM&R members are welcome to join.

Don’t miss this exciting discussion and be sure to join us at the 2023 Annual Assembly in New Orleans, LA where we will host a session called, “Let’s Have a Conversation About the Role of PM&R Physicians in Treating Spasticity,” on November 18 at 8 am (CT), Room 215, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. If you are planning to attend that session, let us know of your interest here.

Accreditation Statement
The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Financial Disclosures
AAPM&R requires all individuals who are in a position to control the content of an educational activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest, which is any entity producing, marketing, re-selling or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. Disclosures are made in written form prior to the start of the educational activity and any potential conflicts of interest that exist are resolved prior to the start of the activity through AAPM&R’s Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Resolution Policy Process. Individuals in a position to control content and their disclosed financial relationships are listed below.

Faculty

• Christina Kwasnica, MD, FAAPMR
• Atul T. Patel, MD, MHSA, FAAPMR

AAPM&R Medical Education Committee
John C. Cianca, MD: Ownership or partnership with Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Consultants, LLC.
Karen P. Barr, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Rachel A. Brakke Holman, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Joseph E. Burris, MD: Serves on the Speakers Bureau for, and received clinical research grants from Allergan.
David S. Cheng, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Theresa A. Gillis, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kevin N. Hakimi, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Matthew T. Haas, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
R.Samuel Mayer, MD: Royalties from Demos Medical Publishing.
Ameet S. Nagpal, MD MS MEd: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Sunil Sabharwal, MD: Royalities from Demos Publishing; board member, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Sarah M. Smith, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Stephanie Tow, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kevin R. VIncent, MD, PhD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

AAPM&R CME Committee
Karen P. Barr, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Cherry C. Junn, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Sheryl R. Levin, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kentaro Onishi, DO: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Evan R. Peck, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Cynthia G. Pineda, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Patricia T. Tan, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Brionn K. Tonkin, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kristin A. Wong, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

No other planners, faculty or other individuals in control of content disclosed any relevant financial relationships.

FDA Disclosures
All faculty members for this activity have disclosed they do not intend to discuss or demonstrate any pharmaceutical or medical device for which FDA clearance has not been approved.