April 2, 2025

Dear VCU PM&R Alumni,

I hope this message finds you well and enjoying springtime! I want to encourage you to keep in touch with us to share how things are doing with you, to update your e-mail address/contact information, and to stay connected with our amazing academic offerings, including open access lectures.

We’ve continued to experience significant clinical, research (>$100 million in federal funding including 2 NIH R01s!), and academic (scientific publications and books!) growth across the Department of PM&R, led by expansions across VCU Health and through our successful partnerships with the Richmond VAMC, Children’s Hospital of Richmond, Sheltering Arms Institute, and multiple community nursing facilities. I am eager to hear how your careers are growing, to learn more about you and the paths you’ve taken since graduation, and to feature your successes on the Department website.

The Department is also working on several new initiatives to keep us connected with you. Last fall, we hosted a social gathering in San Diego at the AAPM&R, and we anticipate doing the same in Salt Lake City in 2025! Our Grand Rounds continue to be open to all who are interested, with many alumni giving back to the program by completing one or more presentations every academic year. There are several lectureships occurring each year including the Tripti B. Jena, MD Lecture and the John & Rosa Cifu Lecture in Brain Injury Rehabilitation. We’ve been fortunate to continue to expand our offerings for in-person participation through our partnership with Sheltering Arms Institute.

Our representation across the country also continues to grow as alumni like you are building successful careers! If you have any news, stories, or successes you’d like to share with us, please email them to our education team at vcu.pmr.education.programs@vcuhealth.org. As we look to the future, our goal is to engage more with our alumni. We welcome any ideas you may have to support this endeavor by emailing them to Rebecca Green at rebecca.green@vcuhealth.org.

The success of this Department would not be possible without our alumni, so it is with immense gratitude that I thank each of you for selecting VCU PM&R for your residency and/or fellowship. Your support and participation are essential to our continued growth.

David X. Cifu, M.D.