We see the great arc of change that our field has been through … From one practice standard and swinging to another – pain management as a field and as a professional practice has experienced marked changes and intense scrutiny that few fields of medicine have undergone over the last thirty years.
During 2014, patients were admitted more frequently with diagnoses of soft tissue abscesses, epidural abscesses, and endocarditis. Two common denominators…were a history of self-administering opioids intravenously and now needing IV antibiotics for prolonged periods of time. This combination posed a challenge for health care providers.
It is with excitement that I look forward to the new year of 2017. But also some sadness as I step away from the role as president. It has been a wonderful two years with the organization serving in this role… I marvel at what has happened both within the society and within health care as a whole during my term.
In support of our colleagues in pain management, here are some other important meetings coming up that may be of interest to you. FL Academy of Pain Medicine (FAPM) and The Kentucky Pain Society (KPS)
In support of the Southern Headache Society, here is some information about their meeting
Enjoy our Winter Newsletter in a new electronic format!
Dr. Mordecai Potash, MD has the lead article on Medical Marijuana in the Southern US. He is also a featured speaker at our annual meeting coming up in September. Hope you will join us!
We are pleased to offer a link to a free COPE-REMS CME program designed by Mark Sullivan at the University of washington.
Our Spring Newsletter highlights articles on the opioid epidemic, the Alabama Blue Cross and Blue Shield policy draft and update on our September meeting