Meet the STIR Speakers
2026 STIR Speakers
Lauren Shapiro MD, MPH, Medical Director, Stroke Rehabilitation Program, Brooks Rehabilitation
Lauren Shapiro, MD, MPH is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Brain Injury Medicine and serves as the Medical Director of the Stroke Rehabilitation program at Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville, FL. She received her medical degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) Stony Brook School of Medicine and then completed a residency in PM&R at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where she served as chief resident. She also earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Dr. Shapiro has considerable experience in both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings and joined Brooks Rehabilitation after 7 years in the Department of PM&R at the University of Miami, where she served as an associate professor. She brings substantial expertise in the rehabilitation care of persons with stroke, traumatic brain injury, and other disabling conditions. She is also a skilled clinician-educator, having mentored numerous  medical students, residents, and fellows.
Dr. Shapiro has authored a multitude of book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles and frequently serves as a panelist for national conferences and webinars. She is the past Chair of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Member Community and the incoming Chair of the Reimbursement Policy Review Committee of the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, which awarded her one of the inaugural PM&R Awareness and Value awards in 2023.
Ken Adams, M.D., Interim CEO Quill Medical, Chief Clinical Officer, CareGenix
Kenneth Kei Adams, MD is a nationally respected, physician executive and thought leader in post-acute and value-based care transformation, with more than 25 years of experience guiding complex healthcare organizations through clinical, operational, and policy-driven change. Having served as CEO, COO, SVP, CMO, and Chief Clinical Officer across major health systems, national payers, and private equity–backed ventures, Dr. Adams brings a rare ability to align clinical excellence with scalable enterprise strategy. His work has shaped CMS-approved Models of Care; Medicare Advantage, CSNP, and ISNP performance; population health analytics; and post-acute network optimization, consistently delivering improved outcomes, affordability, and accountability across large populations. A seasoned national speaker and former academic leader, Dr. Adams challenges post-acute executives to move beyond incremental improvement toward physician-led, data-driven systems of care that define the future of high-reliability, value-based healthcare—calling today’s leaders to decisively shape that future rather than react to it.
Chris Rizik, DO, Medical Director of Inpatient Access, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation
Christopher Rizik, D.O. is an attending physician at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital where he serves as Medical Director of Access for the Mary Free Bed System. He leads consultative rehabilitation services across acute care settings focusing on improving access, integration, and appropriate utilization of post-acute care. Fellowship trained in Interventional Spine and board certified in Electrodiagnostic Medicine, Dr. Rizik also serves in the outpatient setting caring for patients with management of spine, joint, and other neuromuscular conditions. Dr. Rizik is a graduate of Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, serving as chief resident at William Beaumont Hospital – Royal Oak. He completed his fellowship through Michigan State and has been with Mry Free Bed since 2020.
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Holly Banninga, MBA, BHSA, PTA, Director of Inpatient Access, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation
Holly Banninga is the Director of Inpatient Access at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. She leads with 25 years of clinical experience (Physical Therapy) in a variety of post-acute settings, along with a passion to advocate for patients and their right to rehabilitation. Working in several systems and levels of care, Holly’s main objective is to drive patient throughput, denial prevention, and growing physiatry integration in every acute care hospital we serve. Holly completed her MBA, Bachelor of Health Service Administration, and an Associates in Applied Science at Baker College. She has been with Mary Free Bed since 2017.
Darla Perdue, Chief Clinical and Compliance Officer, Vibra Healthcare
Darla is an accomplished healthcare leader with more than 26 years of progressive and critical care clinical experience. With 17 years of senior-level executive leadership experience, Darla provides leadership and support to Vibra’s hospitals by developing evidence-based clinical programs. Darla has worked in critical care for 12 years and she is currently responsible for clinical operations throughout the organization. Before joining Vibra in 2009, Darla was the regional director of clinical services for Regency Hospitals.
Darla promotes clinical service excellence through clinical staff education. She is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Darla has earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in nursing, with a certification in executive leadership from Wilmington University.
Kate Beller, JD, President, AMRPA
Kate Beller, JD, has served as the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA) President since March 2024, and previously served in leadership roles within the Association since February 2019. In her current role, Beller helps AMRPA identify current and emerging policy issues affecting the rehabilitation industry, including the annual inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) Prospective Payment System and Quality Reporting Program, Medicare Advantage coverage reforms, the IRF Review Choice Demonstration, auditing and oversight programs within the field, and Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) post-acute care payment analysis, among many other issues.
Prior to joining AMRPA, Ms. Beller served as a principal at a healthcare-focused consulting/lobbying firm, where she developed and helped lead the legislative and regulatory strategies for post-acute care providers and other entities across the health policy spectrum. She received her Juris Doctorate at Georgetown University Law Center and her undergraduate degree at Duke University.
Sandeep Singh, MD, FAAPMR, Chief Medical Officer, SVP of Medical Affairs, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital
Sandeep Singh, MD, FAAPMR, guides Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network’s overall strategy for inpatient and outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), including strategic planning, program development, physician leadership, quality, service and clinical care.Â
A spinal cord injury specialist, Dr. Singh came to Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network from Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, Maryland, where he was Director of Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation. Concurrently, he also served as Clinical Associate of PM&R at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and as Associate Medical Director of the Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital in the Johns Hopkins Department of PM&R. In addition, he served as Director of Spasticity and Contracture Management at Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore, and Rehabilitation Director for The League for Disabilities, Baltimore.Â
Dr. Singh earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark. He completed his residency in PM&R at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia. He is board-certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.Â
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Online Courses
You’ve come to the right place for exceptional learning opportunities from leaders in the medical rehabilitation industry. AMRPA webinars offer insights and best practices from the comfort of your desk.Â
STIR Workgroup Facilitators
Eric Wisotzky, MD, FAAPMR, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Chief Medical Officer, Program Director, MedStar GUH-NRH PM&R Residency Training Program
Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Eric Wisotzky, MD, is the Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer of the MedStar National Rehabilitation Network. He also serves as Associate Designated Institutional Official, PM&R Residency Program Director, and Director of Cancer Rehabilitation at the MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital (MNRH). He is a Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine.Â
Dr. Wisotzky graduated from medical school at Albany Medical College and completed a transitional internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. He trained at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, FL, and graduated as a flight surgeon. He did his residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at New York Presbyterian Hospital, the university hospital of Columbia and Cornell where he served as Chief Resident.Â
Dr. Wisotzky is a graduate of the AAPM&R’s Future Leadership Program, the AAP’s Program for Academic Leadership, the AAMC’s GME Leadership Development Program and was a scholar at the Harvard Macy Institute’s Program for Educators in Health Professions. He also completed MedStar’s Teaching Scholars Program which includes the AAMC’s Medical Education Research Certification (MERC).
He is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, musculoskeletal sonography, and electrodiagnostic medicine.
Cindy Buchman MHA, Vice President Strategic Planning and Operating Services, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital
Cindy Buchman serves as Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network’s lead for strategy and growth planning. Cindy previously worked as Vice President, Physician and Clinical Services. She joined Good Shepherd in 2013 as division Good Shepherd Physician Group administrator.
Prior to Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, Cindy assumed roles of increasing operational responsibility with Community Health Systems (Easton Hospital) as well as Health Management Associates.
Cindy earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Scranton.
Valerie Vermiglio-Kohn, RN, DNP, CRRN, Chief Nursing Officer/ VP Nursing Services, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital
The nursing team at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital focuses on returning individuals to their optimum functioning with the goal of returning home. Valerie Vermiglio-Kohn has led the Burke nursing team since January 2019. Upon joining Burke, Valerie worked to optimize the nursing workforce and upgrade care. Only one year into the changes, Burke’s nursing team would be on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience would test all of her leadership and organizational skills; however, not only would the nursing team at Burke make it through, they would thrive and prove they had what was needed. Valerie’s leadership philosophy is to develop a team of experts with various skills and talents and optimize their role in the organization. Not everyone has the same experience and knowledge. The Burke nursing team includes experts in clinical care, wound prevention and management, dialysis, safety, education, and quality. Together they have been able to reduce falls to consistently below national benchmarks, have a wound prevention program which consistently is significantly better than national benchmarks and improved patient experience scores.Â
Valerie takes a special interest in focusing on reducing non-value added activities from nursing staff in order to free up time for more bedside care. She uses knowledge gathered from a previous career in engineering to identify and move forward programs to reduce inefficiencies. Valerie considers it a privilege to work with Burke’s leadership team who are patient centered and believe in the science of rehabilitation.
Tina Roma Fisher RN, MSN, CRRN, FARN, HN-BC, Caritas Coach®, Caritas Leader®, Director, Clinical Services, Inpatient Rehabilitation Center Lehigh Valley Health Network-Jefferson Health Â
Tina has over 35 years in the rehabilitation setting & Caritas Nursing. Tina is a Caritas Coach®, Caritas Leader®, and Faculty Intern Volunteer with WCSI. Tina is currently the Director of Clinical Services, in the acute rehabilitation setting Lehigh Valley Health Network-Jefferson Health. Tina is active with Association of Rehabilitation Nurses and American Holistic Nurses Association, nationally and locally.  Tina is passionate about Rehabilitation Nursing and Holistic Nursing. Tina has presented at numerous conferences on current Rehabilitation & Caritas Nursing topics. Tina is certified in Rehabilitation Nursing and Holistic Nursing and is a FARN- Fellow of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. Tina has served on National and Local Board level of ARN. Tina has served on many ARN committees, currently the Conference Committee.  Tina is passionate about infusing Caring Science into practice and life. It is truly heart and soul filling to be able to share, inspire, coach nurture others into Caritas Consciousness, and Rehabilitation Nursing.
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Bob Bianchi, MSW – Rehab Consultant, JS Strategies and Results
Bob Bianchi, MSW, is an independent healthcare consultant working for IRF facilities within the US. His career includes several positions with well-known healthcare organizations. Most recently he was with ClearSky Health, a start-up freestanding rehabilitation hospital company where he served as Corporate Compliance Officer, Clinical Project Manager for Stroke Programming, Development and Operational Management of a Post-Discharge Follow Up Program, and he led Physician recruitment efforts.
Prior to that position Bob was National Director for Rehabilitation for Tenet Healthcare. His focus was on growth and strategy efforts for over 21 rehabilitation facilities. Earlier, he was COO for GPS Healthcare Consultants that focused on post-acute rehabilitation services, as well as SVP for RehabCare Group where he served in several capacities over 13 years.
Bob is a CARF Surveyor and serves on the AMRPA Board. He excels at speaking to groups on rehab related topics with a particular mission to assist newcomers to rehabilitation understand how to provide the best services for patients within the confines of regulations, operational structures, financial management obligations, and the need for high clinical performance.
Bob lives in Nashville, TN where attending music events and biking around the city fills his free time.
2026 Policy Priorities
AMRPA has developed a policy agenda to protect patient access to timely, necessary, and high-quality inpatient rehabilitation care.
Latest News & Announcements
Events 2027 Spring Conference & Congressional Fly-In
Events 2026 Fall Educational Conference & Expo
Events 2026 Spring Conference & Congressional Fly-In
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