Weinstein retires, will continue working with Spine Service Line

Stuart “Stu” M. Weinstein, MD, Clinical Professor, retired on April 4, 2022, after 18 years with the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. As of May 1, he will be returning in a limited capacity as the Medical Director for Non-Surgical Care for the UW Spine Service Line. In this role, Weinstein says, “I hope to leverage my expertise and experience to influence the development of a critical aspect of healthcare across the UW landscape.”

In picking up this new role, Weinstein continues his long-term connection to UW. After receiving his medical degree from New York Medical College in 1983, he completed his PM&R residency here at Rehabilitation Medicine in 1986. It was during this time that he met Stanley “Stan” Herring, MD, becoming the first resident to complete a rotation in Herring’s private practice clinic.

After finishing residency at UW, Weinstein started his career in Tacoma, then returned to Seattle, and ultimately rejoined UW as clinical faculty in 2005. Weinstein recalls this transition as follows, “The second half of my career was at UW. My 3-person private practice group (along with Dr. Herring and Christopher Standaert, MD) was recruited to UW during the time of Dr Larry Robinson’s leadership... In these 18 years, I believe it has been a “win-win-win” for all parties – UW, my original private practice group, and for our UW patients. Indeed, the Sports & Spine Division has grown to 15 providers, started an ACGME Sports Medicine fellowship, and has contributed leadership across the spectrum of UW and beyond. I am humbled to have participated in this amazing growth and proud of my colleagues who will continue to serve the UW community.”

Throughout his career, Weinstein has focused on musculoskeletal physiatry, becoming nationally recognized as a leader in the field. As an author, he has written peer-reviewed articles, editorials, and textbook chapters. As an editor, he has worked with numerous publications. Most significantly, Weinstein was the founding editor-in-chief of PM&R, the office journal of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, spending 10 years with the publication. In addition, Weinstein served as the president of AAPM&R in 2021.

Through all of his professional achievements, Weinstein’s unwavering commitment has been to his patients. Stan Herring, Weinstein’s friend and colleague of more than 30 years, says of him, “Stu is a great clinician—intellectually curious, smart, wise, effective. Combine all of that with compassion, honesty, unwavering integrity and absolute commitment to the welfare of each and every patient, and the result is the ultimate doctor, a healer, the physician’s physician.”

While Weinstein will be continuing to do some work for the department, retirement will allow him a change of pace. He says, “Retirement will be an exciting new phase in my life. Less structure. More freedom. And the opportunity to pursue my passions – including and especially writing, but of the non-medical variety, and to explore new topics like space travel and the future of our universe!”

Stu, thank you for your service to the department. We wish you the best on your next adventure.

Update, April 28, 2023: Stu Weinstein retires from Spine Service Line as of May 1.