About APS
Kathleen M. Foley Journalist Award
January Payne
The Foley Award judges have selected January Payne of U.S. News & World Report as the winner of the 2010 journalist award. She wrote an excellent series of three informative and helpful articles for individuals coping with chronic pain and concerned about the effectiveness and risks of various medications. In the first article, she presented a thorough and well-researched overview of chronic-pain conditions and treatments. In her second piece, she reviewed issues related to the safety of acetaminophen and what the Food and Drug Administration has advised. She did a nice job of quoting pain experts who shared their perspectives on how to use acetaminophen properly. The third article focused on opioids and their potential risks.
January W. Payne has been an associate editor in U.S. News & World Report's health and medicine section since 2007, covering chronic pain, allergies and asthma, diabetes, and various other health-related issues. A native of Harrisburg, PA, she started her career in 2004 with The Washington Post, where she was a staff writer for the newspaper’s health section. She has also written for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USA Today and other publications. Ms. Payne has been an adjunct instructor for journalism courses at the University of Maryland, College Park, since 2006. She has appeared on television and radio, and she is also an experienced public speaker. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism and Harrisburg Area Community College. January lives in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
As the leading professional society devoted exclusively to pain, pain management, and pain research, APS sponsors the Kathleen M. Foley Journalist Award to recognize excellence in reporting pain-related topics. The award is designed to honor the work of journalists whose coverage of events, scientific discoveries, patient care, issues and policies contribute to furthering public awareness and understanding of pain and pain-related issues.
The award is named for Dr. Foley in recognition of her contributions to furthering professional and public understanding about the need for effective cancer and end-of-life pain management. She is an attending neurologist for the Pain and Palliative Care Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and director of the Project on Death in America sponsored by the Open Society Institute.
