Critical PM&R Dialogues: Assembly of Delegates Recap
Board of Governors, Future Leaders and Member Community Delegates Discuss Critical Topics
On November 15, 2023 the AAPM&R Board of Governors held their third in-person Critical PM&R Dialogues: Assembly of Delegates meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to gain member input on critical issues impacting the specialty and to provide input to the Board of Governors for the Academy to support members.
This year’s identified topics were:
- Discussing current challenges in inpatient rehabilitation.
- Discussing unique needs for positioning and advocating for PM&R in a cohesive way and coalescing around the primary specialty of PM&R First.
Delegates from 24 Member Communities engaged with each other, members of the Board of Governors, Future Leaders and the Inclusion and Engagement Committee. The meeting was hosted by AAPM&R Board member and Inclusion and Engagement Committee Chair, Carla Watson, MD, FAAPMR. The first topic was facilitated by AAPM&R Past Presidents Peter C. Esselman, MD, FAAPMR and Darryl L. Kaelin, MD, FAAPMR; Dr. Watson facilitated discussion of the second topic.
Attendees participated in discussions regarding challenges in inpatient rehabilitation such as threats within the inpatient rehabilitation space and the importance of preserving the PM&R position and expertise in inpatient rehabilitation. Many agreed that we need to educate stakeholders on the role of a Physiatrist based on an agreed upon definition. They also discussed the need for updates to residency training programs regarding inpatient rehabilitation, which can lead to preventing early burnout. These challenges do not have immediate answers which is why it was important to have more than 40 diverse physiatrists in the room engaging in healthy dialogue to look towards the future of the specialty.
“The conversations around the current challenges in inpatient rehabilitation were very informative and highlighted our challenges. The delegates identified opportunities we can lean in to as we continue our efforts to preserve the important role of PM&R physicians in inpatient rehabilitation settings.” -Dr. Esselman
Major Advocacy Win! CMS does NOT finalize 2020 NPP proposal.
By bringing together the unified voice of 2,377 physiatrists, 122 patient advocacy groups, state and medical specialties, and large IRF hospitals, as well as 97 of your patients, and gaining support from key Congressional offices in the spring and summer of 2020, we successfully defeated a dangerous proposal that would have had a detrimental impact on patient care, the specialty, and the future of inpatient rehabilitation. Click here to view the full story!
Past Efforts
In 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Proposed CY 2020 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) Rule, including a proposal to amend the definition of a rehabilitation physician to clarify that the determination as to whether a physician qualifies as a rehabilitation physician (that is, a licensed physician with specialized training and experience in inpatient rehabilitation) is made by the IRF.” In response to this proposal, AAPM&R convened an ad hoc Rehabilitation Physician Workgroup and submitted a strongly worded letter to CMS urging CMS not to finalize its proposal to weaken the definition of rehabilitation physician and requesting that CMS delay any changes to current regulations until stakeholders can develop a consensus approach for protecting the quality and integrity of IRF care. In additional to several additional advocacy actions, AAPM&R secured support from 40 prestigious organizations representing patients, physicians, and large inpatient rehabilitation hospitals on a stakeholder letter to CMS.
In July 2020, CMS finalized the IRF PPS Rule for 2020. In the final rule, CMS deferred to the IRF to define and assess the definition of “rehabilitation physician.” Despite this outcome, we are immensely proud of the work more than 1,100 of our members put into advocating against this proposal. Our members demonstrated that physiatrists are advocates for their patients, in and out of the treatment setting. We know it will take time and perseverance to be successful, but we are stepping up and planning a long-term, strategic initiative. We are making physiatrists’ voices heard. We are advocating for physiatry’s value in medicine.
Click here to read the full timeline of our efforts.