Embracing the future

The phrase. “embracing the future” can generate fears or excitement. Implied is change, possibly risks, but surely uncertainty: the status quo is usually more comfortable than the unknown. The antidote is a cluster of traits-flexibility, vision. values, and abilities-that have relevance no matter w,hat the future may bring. And I have asked myself, does the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine have those attributes? As I thought further. I was reminded of a silk screen print by Corita Kent. Her style is predominantly one of colorful brush strokes with thought provoking quotations and pithy comments. a much emulated style. The print had several symmetrical white branches spreading out from a central stalk against a light blue background. The caption below it read, “the ground work doesn’t show til one day . . .” We embrace the future with our decisions and actions of yesterday and today. The seeds planted in the early days of the Congress. its values. visions. talents, and focus, were wisely chosen: they remain relevant to the future. Sometimes the “showing” takes many years: sometimes, only a few. To illustrate. I draw briefly on one historic development and three notable events this year. They reflect the tremendous spirit, vision. and talents that the Congress draws upon in providing leadership to meet current and future challenges. In 1993. the Congress will be celebrating the 70th anniversar? of its parent organization. a physician-only group, which. at that time ( 19X3), called itself the American College of Radiology and Physiotherapy. The Congress as we know it today. however. began in 1967. just 35 years ago. By constitutional amendment, the American Congress of Physical IMedicine and Rehabilitation, as it was known then. was changed to the American Congress of Rehabilitatlon Medicine. It was not the first name change: there were others that preceded to reflect “changing interests, adkances in medical science. and new emphases.“’ This change. h80we\,cr. marked the beginning of a significant redirection. Several factors prompted this development: first, the “explosive growth“ of rehabilitation medicine and the proliferation of rehabilitation professionals: second. the duplicative efforts of the American Academy with the American Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: and third. a need. for a forum for professional. scientific. and technical cross-fertilization. The Congress was envisioned to be “the scientific society representing all rehabilitation disciplines. including not only physicians of every specialty engaged in rehabilitation medicine, but [also] equally and fully representing the entire multidisciplinary rehabilitation team”.’ We owe a great debt of gratitude to Herman Flax. John Goldschmidt, Edward Lowman. and the other visionaries in 1967. Over the years we have implemented and expanded that initial vision and commitment, and we have indeed evolved into a scientific society that represents all rehabilitation disciplines. Today. approximately 50%) of our members are physicians of various specialities and 50% are nonphysician rehabilitation professionals. In the past and now, only one core interest guides our policies, educational programs, legislative and research agendas, our products. and our liaison relationships: to promote the art and science of interdisciplinary medical rehabilitation for the benefit of the clients of rehabilitation. When people of diverse interests from different disciplines with goals that transcend individual agendas combine their talents in a common effort. a collective wisdom results and creative solutions emerge. And that describes the working style of the Congress. Beyond our successful annual meetings and the premier journal in Rehabilitation, the :l~hirr~.c Q/‘PI?J:c~~uI ~ldicim~ ami Rehuhilitation, what are some of the products that point to a continuing significant presence in the future? These contributions can be grouped into two categories: one. the immediate, sustaining annual activities of the various committees: and two. special products that take a few years to develop. As an example of the sustaining activities, our legislative and research committees formulate annual agendas that direct11 influence our ability to help shape national policy in a number of ‘critical areas. These committees do not act alone, however. One source of their annual agendas is the products and recommendations of other committees. For example, a white paper developed by the SEEARS committee (Social. Environmental and Ethical Aspects of Rehabilitation) several vears ago on the health care needs for persons with disabilities was used by the legislative committee in responding to the I992 amendments of the Rehabilitation Act. This year we have three excellent examples of products that took several years ofcultivation. patience. and perseverance: they eloquently address important concerns in rehabilitation. In August. “Guidelines in Cognitive Retraining in Head Injury,” developed by the Head Injury Special Interest Group. was published in ,2!c~lr/.c,r~hLIC)i[it(lti011. In September, a second document. “Guide to Interdisciplinar?; Practice in Rehabilitation Settings.” was published. This curriculum guide was developed through the Continuing Education Committee supported by a grant from National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. It has been distributed at no cost to training programs