AAPM members are invited to nominate fellow members for our monthly AAPM Member Focus feature by filling out the form found here.
This month, AAPM is proud to spotlight Dr. James Babington as our December Member Focus, a dedicated pain medicine physician, health system leader, and the current Chair of AAPM’s Pain Medicine Policy Committee. As a board-certified physiatrist and fellowship-trained pain specialist, Dr. Babington brings a unique blend of clinical insight and thoughtful policy leadership to the Academy’s work.
Dr. Babington practices at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, where he serves as Program Medical Director for Medical Spine and Chief of Neuroscience at the Swedish Edmonds campus. His approach is deeply patient-centered and outcomes-driven, rooted in a lifelong curiosity and a desire to build a more consistent, measurable understanding of the patient experience.
“My curiosity about pain medicine began early in my training and was deeply influenced by my graduate work in German literature and philosophy,” he shares.
“More recently, I’ve focused on implementing clinically meaningful, quantifiable functional outcome measures into practice. We must be able to show how our care meaningfully improves patients’ lives.”
Dr. Babington completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in German literature at the University of Rochester and the Universität zu Köln and earned his MD at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He completed his residency in rehabilitation medicine in Seattle, followed by a pain medicine fellowship at Virginia Mason Medical Center, where he developed a strong foundation in multidisciplinary pain care.
In 2025, Dr. Babington was recognized with the Phillip M. Lippe, MD Award from AAPM for his contributions to the Washington State Spinal Cord Stimulator Workgroup. Today, he continues to advocate for thoughtful, evidence-informed policy around interventional pain procedures, helping AAPM navigate national payer changes and protect access to care.
Whether leading in the clinic, at the state level, or through Academy efforts, Dr. Babington exemplifies the balance of intellectual rigor and compassionate care. We’re honored to feature him as our December Member Focus.
Nominate a fellow AAPM member who exemplifies our mission to advance multidisciplinary pain care innovation, education, advocacy, and research by completing the nomination form here.