MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT: TURBULENT TIMES AHEAD FOR HEALTHCAREBy Kristjan T. Ragnarsson, MDThis year the Foundation for PM&R celebrates its tenth anniversary and indeed it has much to celebrate, but even more to accomplish. True to its mission to enhance “health, function and quality of life for individuals with disability through physiatric research and education,” it has been able to fund a growing number of physiatric research projects. Such research is envisioned to “determine the most cost-effective, effi cacious care for individuals with disability” and thus to justify and promote treatments offered by physiatrists.Notwithstanding heated debates, political

Congratulations to the seven researchers who were selected to receive research grant support in our spring grants cycle. They will be presented with their awards on Saturday, November 17 in Atlanta (during the AAPM&R Annual Assembly awards ceremony.)

Richard Materson ERF New Investigator Awards• Alfred C. Gellhorn, MD (University

of Washingon, Seattle), “Intense Focused Ultrasound for Localization of Pain in Rotator Cuff Tears and Tendinopathy”

• Jonathan S. Kirschner, MD (Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York), “Effi cacy of Ultrasound Guided Percutaneous Needle Tenotomy (PNT) vs Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) with PNT in the Treatment of Chronic Tendinosis”

2012 SPRING GRANT CYCLE WINNERS ANNOUNCED

• Monica Rho, MD (Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), “Preferential Load-bearing During Double-leg Squat in Cam-type Femoroacetabular Impingement”

Gabriella Molnar-Swafford Pediatric PM&R Research Grant• Marcie Ward, MD (Gillette

Children’s Hospital, St. Paul, MN), “Assessing the Reliability of Anaerobic and Aerobic Fitness Testing in Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy”

Scott Nadler PASSOR Musculoskeletal Research Grant• Neil Segal, MD (University of

Iowa), “Enhancing Women’s Health Through Assessing Means of Attenuating Arch Collapse with Pregnancy”

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rhetoric, US Supreme Court judicial decisions and actions by US Congress, signifi cant reform is about to be implemented in an attempt to reduce the ever-escalating cost of healthcare. To state the obvious, these are times of great uncertainty for all healthcare professionals and those we serve. It is anybody’s guess how physiatrists and medical rehabilitation programs will fare during the turbulent times that lie ahead, but it may be reasonably expected that disability due to injury and disease will continue to occur and painful musculoskeletal disorders will be no less common than they are now. What is less clear is which of our interventions will offer the greatest value, ie, the best outcomes at the lowest cost for the different conditions we treat. This is a task for physiatric researchers to tackle by using rigorous scientifi c methods

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At age 16, Ms. Natasha Schuh of Ellsworth, WI took her last step on stage, falling through a trap door sustaining a C5 AIS A spinal cord injury. Like many young teenagers, her initial response to rehabilitation was, “I don’t want this to be my life.” However, through training, education, equipment, technology and ongoing support from Dr. Christopher Bell and her rehabilitation team, she has persevered. She says, “I feel like this (experience) has made me the person I want to be.” The Foundation for PM&R is recognizing her as an American Rehabilitation Champion for her courage, determination and hard work in overcoming the effects of disability with the help of a physiatrist.

Now 24 years old, Ms. Schuh completed high school and graduated college, and works as a travel agent and inspirational speaker. She lives independently and learned to drive. Inspired by her experience, she serves as a peer mentor for individuals with new spinal cord injuries and serves as a patient advocate. She has

2012 AMERICAN REHABILITATION CHAMPION SELECTED

participated in the development of patient education materials regarding emergency preparedness and relationships and sexuality after spinal cord injury. In August, she was crowned “Miss Wheelchair USA”.

The Foundation for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation created the American Rehabilitation Champion Award to raise public awareness of the accomplishments of persons with disabilities, the contributions of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and the vital role that Physiatrists play during the rehabilitation process. Ms. Schuh will be presented with her award at the AAPM&R Annual Assembly in November, and will greet guests at the Donor Appreciation Reception on Friday, November 16.

The Foundation will soon have a new brochure directed toward patients which helps explain how the physiatrist’s unique perspective and training can help individuals with disability maximize their ability to function in the activities of daily living. It also explains how the Foundation’s commitment to research benefits patients by determining which treatments are the most effective. If you are willing to give

NEW PATIENT INFORMATION BROCHURE AVAILABLE SOON

Midcareer Investigator Award• Cory L. Christiansen, MD

(University of Colorado Denver), “Early Physical Function During Rehabilitation Following Dysvascular Transtibial Amputation”

The quality of applications for our Research Awards and Grants Program continues to improve, and the numbers grow each year. We received 25 applications in the spring grants

SPRING GRANT CYCLE WINNERS (continued from page 1)cycle and anticipate a similar number in the new fall cycle – a significant increase over the number of applications received in prior years. However, even with more than double the number of grants being awarded, we are only able to award grants to a small percentage of the outstanding proposals that the Awards and Grants Review Committee believe merit support. Please use the form on the back of this newsletter to make a donation for future physiatric research.

it to your patients, we would be happy to send you 25 copies free of charge – just complete and return the enclosed form, or contact the Executive Director, Phyllis Anderson, at 847-737-6062 or panderson@foundationforpmr.org.

YOUR PHYSIATRIST:

Restoring Health

Improving function

Enhancing quality of life

It is not enough to believe that our current interventions offer great value or even the best comparative value; we must provide the scientific proof and then increase the value even further.

I can think of a couple of examples where PM&R research is needed. First, it has been observed and reported that shorter stays at acute inpatients rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) after the onset of disability do not result in lower function or worse health outcomes compared to results reported years ago, when stays were much longer. This may raise a question: Would rehabilitation in a less expensive setting than IRF provide greater value, at least for some types of disabilities? Second, with respect to one of the most common impairments in society – lower back pain (LBP) – others have observed that persons with acute LBP will have the best recovery and the earliest return to work if they are promptly examined by a qualified clinician, assured, and provided with appropriate physical exercise and activity recommendations, and perhaps referred for short-term use of physical therapy. Imaging of the spine at such an early stage is rarely indicated and prescription of narcotic medications, bed rest, and other

severe activity restrictions has been observed to delay recovery and return to work. Clearly, invasive procedures are usually not indicated at that point. Of course, these observations have not been scientifically proven, but along with many other important clinical observations, they call for well-designed research by curious physiatrists, who hopefully will be funded in part by the Foundation for PM&R.

I have said it before and I will say it again – it is disappointing that fewer than 20% of all physiatrists support the Foundation for PM&R with their donations annually. I hope that all physiatrists give to some not-for-profit charitable organizations each year. Why not to their own Foundation? I urge all physiatrists to include the Foundation for PM&R in their annual giving. If everyone who does not currently contribute to the Foundation gave at the lowest suggested level of $50, that would be an additional $250,000 per year that we could use toward funding this important research. These donations are tax deductible and will be used to help all physiatrists meet the challenges of healthcare reform and strengthen the scientific foundations for our specialty.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT (continued from page 1)

DR. BRADDOM’S 70TH BIRTHDAY VIRTUAL RIDE FOR REHAB

What is a “virtual” bike ride? Dr. Randy Braddom, vice president of the Foundation for PM&R, will ride 700 miles—the distance from the AAPM&R office in Rosemont, IL, to the site of this year’s Annual Assembly in Atlanta—in his neighborhood in central Florida between June and November. You can follow his progress at www.randybraddom.com.

Dr. Braddom is undertaking this “virtual” bike ride on the occasion of his 70th birthday to benefit the Foundation for PM&R. “One of the major reasons I want to raise funds for the Foundation is that it supports the development of the next generation of researchers in the field of PM&R,” said Dr. Braddom. “These young researchers will be increasingly critical to our effort to prove that what we do in our practices actually works!”

Dr. Braddom suggests a donation of at least $70, but any amount you can contribute is greatly appreciated. Make your contribution in his honor today on the Foundation’s website or mail to 9700 W. Bryn Mawr, Suite 200, Rosemont, IL 60018.

• FPM&R Board of Directors Meeting, Wednesday, November 14, 12:30 am–3:30 pm

• Donor Appreciation Reception (see article below), Friday, November 16, 6:00 pm–7:30 pm, Marriott Marquis, Ballroom D

• Presentation of the 2011 Scott Nadler PASSOR Musculoskeletal Research Grant Award Winners Findings, Friday, November 16, 11am-12:30pm, CC, Georgia Ballroom 1-2, Level 3 - Venugopal Akuthota, MD, will present the results of his study, “Clinical

FOUNDATION EVENTS AT THE AAPM&R ANNUAL ASSEMBLY

A highlight of this year’s Donor Appreciation event will be the “Proof of the Pudding” Debate, featuring Drs. Susan Garstang and Benoy Benny, with Dr. George Kevorkian serving as moderator. Topic will be, “Should Performance of Interventional Spine Procedures Be Part of the Core Training for PM&R Residency Training Programs?” Special recognition will also be given to Foundation donors and supporters for the year, including Mr. Jack Swafford (whose gift in memory of his wife, Dr. Gabriella Molnar-

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2012 DONOR APPRECIATION RECEPTION

Swafford, will fund pediatric PM&R research.) The 2012 Rehabilitation Champion Award recipient, Ms. Natasha Schuh, will also be introduced.

An invitation to the Donor Appreciation Reception will be sent to all 2011-12 Foundation Donors; if you do not receive one, please stop by the Foundation booth #138 at the AAPM&R Annual Assembly, or visit our secure website at www.foundationforpmr.org to contribute today.

REGISTER FOR THE UP OMING REHAB 5K RUN/WALK & ROLL EVENTS

- November 17, 2012 Atlanta (in conjunction with the AAPM&R Annual Assembly) - This is an annual fundraising event to benefit physiatric research. Registration will be available onsite in the Foundation booth (#138 in the Exhibit Hall) on Thursday evening from 5 pm-8 pm, and Friday from 9 am-3 pm. Participants who preregistered can pick up their race packets at the Foundation booth at those times. Please meet at 6:45 am on Saturday morning outside the Convention Center

Course of Patients with Lumbar Radiculopathy with Motor Deficit,” followed by critique and discussion.

• Presentation of FPM&R Awards and Grants (see article on pg 1), Saturday, November 17, 9:30am-11am, CC, Georgia Ballroom 1-2, Level 3

• Rehab 5K Run/Walk & Roll, Saturday, November 17, 7:00 am, Convention Center

• Foundation Exhibit Booth #138, Thursday, 5 pm–8 pm; Friday, 9 am–3 pm; Saturday, 9 am–2 pm, Convention Center

- March 9, 2013, New Orleans (in conjunction with the AAP Annual Meeting) – Please sign up for the Rehab 5k when you register for the Annual Meeting, or visit the Foundation website at www.foundationforpmr.org to download a registration form. Registration will also be available onsite in the Foundation exhibit booth, and participants who preregistered can pick up their race packets there as well.

VISIT US AT THE ACRM ANNUAL MEETING IN VANCOUVER

The Foundation for PM&R will have a booth in the technical exhibit hall at the American College of Rehabilitation Medicine annual meeting, October 10-13, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Please stop by to pick up some information or make a donation.

The Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) and the Foundation for PM&R are excited to announce the results of the annual Rehabilitation Research Experience for Medical Students (RREMS) grant application cycle. Under the leadership of Brad Dicianno, MD, this program allows first year medical students to experience the rewards of scholarly research within the specialty of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation through an eight-week summer externship. The selection committee chose the following students as having the highest quality applications:

Kimberly Seidel, a medical student at Indiana University, will be mentored by Leslie Morse, DO at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on the research study “Determination of Serum Sclerostin Levels in Acute SCI: A Pilot Study.”

John Eick will remain at the UAB at Birmingham School of Medicine and will work on the study “Investigating Effective Components of Two Virtual Walking Paradigms: Subjective Report and Validation with Ojective Measures of Sensorimotor Cortical Activation” under the mentorship of Elizabeth Richardson, PhD.

Cory Wenimont from Wayne State University School of Medicine (Detroit) will work at University of Michigan Medical School under the preceptorship of Virginia Nelson. His study is entitled “Assessment of Sensorimotor Function in Children and Adolescents with Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy.”

Iain Jeffery, a student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - New York will be mentored by Preeti Raghavan, MD at NYU Rusk Institute conducting the study “Assessing Emotional Dysfunction After Traumatic Brain Injury.”

Kenton Hagan will remain at the UAB at Birmingham School of Medicine to study “Neurogenesis and Cognitive Impairment Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury” under the mentorship of Candace Floyd, MD.

Nilasha Ghosh, a student at UC Irvine School of Medicine will spend her summer in Baltimore studying the “Use of a Novel Scale to Measure Pain in the Clinical Setting” at Johns Hopkins University. Marlis Gonzalez-Fernandez, MD, PhD will mentor Nilasha.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S RREMS WINNERS

Funding physiatric research is the heart of the Foundation for PM&R’s mission, so we are thrilled to announce that this year we are offering $120,000 in research support across 7 different grant categories. Four of these are new research grants being introduced this year. Application deadline is October 1, 2012.

The new Justus Lehman Research Grant (one award of $10,000 for biomechanics/biophysics research in the field of PM&R) was made possible by contributions made in Dr. Lehman’s memory. We have sufficient funds to offer the grant for five years, but are seeking additional support to keep it going.

The new Acorda Neurologic Rehabilitation Research Grant ($10,000 award) is under-written by a grant from Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.

STILL TIME TO APPLY FOR THE FALL GRANTS CYCLEWe are once again offering the Össur Prosthetic/Orthotic Research Grant ($10,000 award), supported by a grant from Össur America, Inc.

Two new grants were introduced in the spring grants cycle. The Midcareer Investigator Grant provides $30,000 in seed money to an established investigator who wants to explore a new research area. The Gabriella Molnar-Swafford Pediatric PM&R Research Grant ($10,000 per year) was created due to the generous contribution of Dr. Molnar-Swafford’s husband, and donations from pediatric physiatrists who wanted to honor Dr. Molnar.

For more information about these grants and to obtain the application form, visit our website at www.foundationforpmr.org or call 847-737-6062.

VISIT US AT THE ACRM ANNUAL MEETING IN VANCOUVER

Yes, I would like to support the Foundation for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation!

General Operating Fund: $100 $250 $500 $1,000 $2,500 Other $__________

Materson ERF Fund: $100 $250 $500 $1,000 $2,500 Other $__________

Nadler MSK Fund: $100 $250 $500 $1,000 $2,500 Other $__________

Justus Lehman Fund: $100 $250 $500 $1,000 $2,500 Other $__________

Molnar Pediatric Fund: $100 $250 $500 $1,000 $2,500 Other $__________

Dr. Braddom’s Ride: $70 $700 Other $__________

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Please charge my: Visa MasterCard American Express Total Donation: $_____________

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Please fax this form to (847) 737-6063. Or mail to 9700 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 200, Rosemont, IL 60018. Thank you!

As you know, there is a dire need for outcomes and effectiveness evidence in physiatry. The research to provide this data is expensive, but without it we have little hope of convinc-ing CMS and insurance companies of the val-ue of our services and assuring continued ac-cess to those services for patients who need us. Funding physiatric research is the heart of the Foundation for PM&R’s mission, so we are thrilled to announce that this year we are of-fering $120,000 in research support across 7 different grant categories. This includes four new research grants being introduced in 2012, in the spring and new fall grant cycles. Nearly all of the support for these grants is derived from individual contributions to the Foundation for PM&R.

The quality of applications for our Research Awards and Grants Program continues to im-prove, and the numbers grow. We received 25 applications in the spring grants cycle and an-ticipate a similar number in the new fall cycle – a

TIME FOR THE ANNUAL FUND DRIVE!

significant increase over the number of applica-tions received in prior years. However, even with more than double the number of grants being awarded, we are only able to award grants to a small percentage of the outstanding proposals that the Awards and Grants Review Committee believe merit support.

The Foundation for PM&R has put our dem-onstrated our commitment to support the re-search that will provide this data, but there is still more to be done – and we can’t stretch our resources any further without your help.

In order to conserve our resources for research, we only print and send you a fundraising ap-peal once a year. Our once-a-year Annual Fund Drive mailing should be in your mailbox soon. We hope you will reach a little deeper this year to generously donate to the Foundation for PM&R so we can continue our critical work. Your support is needed now more than ever.