PM&R 75th Anniversary Symposium

Milwaukee, WI US
September 12, 2026

This symposium will celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) by exploring the specialty's history, current challenges, and future opportunities for innovation and growth. Through expert presentations and interdisciplinary discussion, participants will examine critical issues affecting rehabilitation medicine, including infrastructure barriers that impact the delivery of coordinated pediatric rehabilitation care, workforce and training challenges influencing the adoption of neuromuscular ultrasound in musculoskeletal medicine, advances in the evaluation and management of disorders of consciousness and advances in spasticity management.

Attendees will gain practical knowledge to differentiate among major disorders of consciousness, including coma, vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, and minimally conscious state, while also exploring emerging trends, technologies, and innovative approaches shaping the future of PM&R. The symposium will highlight opportunities to advance patient care through innovation, identify barriers to implementation, and foster collaboration among rehabilitation professionals dedicated to improving outcomes across the continuum of care.

By bringing together leaders, clinicians, educators, and researchers, this anniversary symposium will provide a forum to reflect on the specialty's accomplishments, address current gaps in practice and education, and envision the future of rehabilitation medicine.

Target Audience

  • Physicians (Primary care, General Neurologist, MD/DO)
  • Nurse Practitioners (AP/NP, FNP, NP, DNP)
  • Physician Assistants
  • Registered Nurse
  • (Residents, Fellows, Medical Students)

Learning Objectives

Participants who engage in this educational intervention will be able to:

  • Identify gaps in infrastructure that limit effective interdisciplinary pediatric rehabilitation care.
  • Evaluate workforce and training gaps affecting neuromuscular ultrasound utilization in musculoskeletal medicine.
  • Differentiate between major disorders of consciousness, including coma, vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, and minimally conscious state.
  • Identify areas and opportunities for innovation in PM&R and examine the barriers and challenges to implementation of innovation.
     
Additional information

Contact

Name: 
Rhiannon Shewczyk
Phone Number: 
+1 (414) 955-1926
Email: 
[email protected]

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 3.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
    AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
  • 3.00 Hours of Participation
    Hours of Participation credit.
  • 3.00 NP Contact Hours
Course opens: 
08/06/2026
Course expires: 
10/30/2026
Event starts: 
09/12/2026 - 8:00am CDT
Event ends: 
09/12/2026 - 12:15pm CDT
Cost:
$0.00
Add to calendar: 
 

7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.         Breakfast and Poster Viewing 

8:00 a.m. - 8:05 a.m.         Welcome and Introduction, Jennifer Yacub Martin, MD, 

8:05 a.m.- 9:00 a.m.          Department History, Christopher White, MD; Diane Braza, MD; John Melvin, MD and Sridhar Vasudevan, MD

9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.         Innovation in PM&R: Lessons Learned, Dale Colorado, DO, MPH

10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.       Disorders of Consciousness: Where Are We Now?, Ellen “Ellie” Farr, MD

10:30 a.m.- 10:45 a.m.      Break

10:45 a.m.- 11:15 a.m.      Small Steps, Big Value: Optimizing Care in Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Objectives, Mitchell O’Neill, MD

11:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m.       Diagnostic Neuromuscular Ultrasound in PM&R: Opportunities and Pitfalls as Illustrated by the Median Nerve, Peter Connelly, MD

11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.      Cryoneurolysis in the Management of Spasticity, Nicholas Ketchum, MD

MCW- Hub for Collaborative Medicine
8701 W Watertown Plank Rd
Dunn Conference Room
Milwaukee, WI 53226
United States
Medical College of Wisconsin
Activity Director:
Jennifer Yacub Martin, MD
Assistant Professor
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Medical College of Wisconsin

 

Planning Committee:

Carley Sauter, MD
Associate Professor
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Pain and Spine Staff Physician  
Medical College of Wisconsin 

Kimberley L. Zvara, MD
Associate Professor, Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Unit Leader, Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Medical Director, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Children’s Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin

Mary K Voegeli, FNP-BC, APNP, CRRN, CBIS 
Advanced Practice Provider
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 
Medical College of Wisconsin

Charlotte Ball, MD
Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,
Program Director, Spinal Cord Injury Fellowship 
Medical College of Wisconsin 

Heather Curtiss, M MD, MS
Associate Professor
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Tosa Health Center 

Mitchell O’Neill, MD
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Medical College of Wisconsin

 

Speakers:

Peter Connelly, MD 
Associate Professor
Acting Section Chief for PM&R
Clement J Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Medical College of Wisconsin
 

Dale Colorado, DO, MPH
Associate Professor
Program Director, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 
University of Alabama Birmingham
 

Ellen “Ellie” Farr, MD
Assistant Professor
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Brian Injury Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin

Nicholas Ketchum, MD
Physiatrist
Spasticity Management EMG Specialist
Center for Neurological Disorders
 
Mitchell O’Neill, MD
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Medical College of Wisconsin

 

In accordance with the ACCME® Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, Standard 3, all persons in control of content must disclose any relevant financial relationships. It is the policy of the Medical College of Wisconsin to identify, mitigate and disclose the absence or presence of all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies held by the speakers/presenters, authors, planners, and other persons who may influence content of this accredited continuing education. The following in control of content had no relevant financial relationships to disclose. 

  • Kimberley Zvara
  • Charlotte Ball
  • Mary K. Voegeli
  • Heather Curtiss
  • Berdale Colorado
  • Peter Connelly
  • Ellen Farr

 

The following persons in control of content disclosed the following financial relationships which were reviewed via the MCW conflict of interest mitigation process and addressed:

 

Name
Company
Role
Nicholas Ketchum
Abbvie
Research Funding
Mitchell O’Neill
 
    
Stabilizing Pressure Input Orthosis (SPIO)
Honorarium
ACCME Accreditation Statement:
The Medical College of Wisconsin is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement:
The Medical College of Wisconsin designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 3.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Hours of Participation for Allied Health Care Professionals
The Medical College of Wisconsin designates this activity for up to 3.00 hours of participation for continuing education for allied health professionals.
 
Nurse Practitioner:
The Medical College of Wisconsin, Inc. is approved as a provider of nurse practitioner continuing education by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners: AANP Provider Number 150930. This program has been approved for up to 3 contact hours of continuing education (which includes 0 hours of pharmacology). Nurse Practitioners should claim only those hours actually spent participating in the CME activity

Available Credit

  • 3.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
    AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
  • 3.00 Hours of Participation
    Hours of Participation credit.
  • 3.00 NP Contact Hours

Ipsen

Merz

Price

Cost:
$0.00
Please login or register to take this course.

This course is offered at no cost; however, registration is required. 

 

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