2018 Award Recipient

The Excellence in Cancer Rehabilitation Award recognizes someone who has demonstrated excellence in the field of interdisciplinary cancer rehabilitation in one or more important areas including, but not limited to, clinical care, medical education or research.

The 2018 Excellence in Cancer Rehabilitation Award recognizes David Zucker, MD, PhD, FAAPMR, for the important contributions he has made to the field of cancer rehabilitation medicine. This award will be presented during the Cancer Rehabilitation Networking Group Business meeting at the ACRM 2018 Annual Conference in Dallas.

ABOUT DR. ZUCKER

David Zucker, MD, PhD, FAAPMR, is founding Medical Director and Program Leader of Cancer Rehabilitation Services at Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle.  He received his MD with Honors from Stanford University and, in addition, holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology.  He completed PM&R residency at the Mayo Clinic and an NIH-sponsored post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington.

Dr. Zucker is a pioneer in developing cancer rehabilitation medicine nationally.  He is founding and emeritus Chair of the Cancer Rehabilitation Physician Consortium (CRPC), a group of American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physiatrists dedicated to improving functional health for cancer patients.  The CRPC has been instrumental in creating a national infrastructure for cancer rehabilitation medicine research, educational initiatives and strategic planning.   He has developed and implemented a care model grounded in the understanding that cancer affects “molecule to spirit” and, that by optimizing functional health throughout the disease/treatment trajectory, the person is better able to negotiate the emotional, psychological and spiritual dimensions of cancer and, in turn, better integrate rehabilitative self-management skills into daily life.  Dr. Zucker collaborates with the ACS, ACSM and other organizations in disseminating/implementing lifestyle interventions research into clinical practice.