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APS Bulletin • Volume 12, Number 3, May/June 2002
President's Message
Looking Forward
Christine Miaskowski, PhD RN
The purpose of my inaugural President’s Message is to provide a synopsis of my comments from the 2002 national meeting of the American Pain Society (APS) in Baltimore, MD. Let me begin by thanking Dr. Michael Ashburn and the 2001–2002 board of directors for their outstanding service to APS. In addition, I would like to thank all of the committee chairs for their countless hours of volunteer time and for their dedication to getting the work of our society done. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge and express our sincerest gratitude to Executive Director Catherine Underwood and all of the AMC staff for their outstanding service and support.
Strategic plan
The diversity of membership in APS is one of our greatest strengths and potentially one of our greatest liabilities. As APS president, I am committed to serving the needs of the entire membership and fostering the growth and development of the society. To achieve that goal, the board of directors and I will engage over the coming year in a strategic planning process. The goal of this endeavor is to produce a functional strategic plan for APS. This strategic plan will need to interface with the goals and objectives set forth by the Task Force for the Decade of Pain Control and Research. At our midyear board of directors meeting, we will develop the strategic plan for the society. In a future issue of APS Bulletin, you will be informed of our progress and asked to comment on this plan.
Basic science
The basic scientists in our society are the cornerstone of our research in pain management. Through their efforts, often in collaboration with clinicians, these scientists develop and test theories of pain mechanisms and facilitate translational research that brings new therapies from the “bench-to-the-bedside.” Several years ago, we formed a Basic Science Task Force to foster the growth and development of this critical segment of our membership. The work of this task force will continue to develop and grow during the coming year.
Multiorganizational task force
A major crisis in the field of pain management today is the decrease in funding for chronic pain rehabilitation. Several members of APS have brought this problem to my attention. Dr. Ed Covington recommended the formation of a multiorganizational task force to develop a plan to address this crisis. APS will join forces with the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the American Society of Pain Management Nurses, as well as several consumer groups, and hold a 1-day meeting to brainstorm strategies and solutions for this problem. Again, you will hear more about the work of this task force in future issues of APS Bulletin.
Clinical practice guideline program
One of the member benefits identified in the recently completed Membership Survey is the Clinical Practice Guideline Program. At the 2002 annual meeting, we released the second clinical practice guideline titled Guideline for the Management of Pain in Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Juvenile Chronic Arthritis. This guideline is available for purchase through the APS Web site. I would like to thank Drs. Lee Simon and Arthur Lipman, cochairs of the arthritis guideline, as well as the other panel members for their hard work in the development of this guideline.
Under the expert leadership of Dr. Ada Jacox, the chair of the Clinical Practice Guideline Committee, the cancer pain guideline is undergoing peer review. In addition, we have started work on the development of a Clinical Practice Guideline for the management of fibromyalgia. The Guideline Development Program will continue to grow during the coming years.
Leadership development
A critical aspect to the growth of any professional organization is leadership development. During the coming year, I will work with the staff at the national office to plan a leadership development conference that will be held at the 2003 annual meeting in Chicago. This conference will provide information and skills training to individuals who are taking or who plan to take leadership roles within APS.
Communication
Communication is a critical aspect of success in any organization. I plan to increase communication among the members of the board of directors through monthly communications. In addition, I am eager to hear from each and every one of you. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas regarding APS with me. I will give all of your ideas careful consideration.
Capital campaign
Finally, I would like to share with you that over the next several months, I will be developing a plan to launch a Capital Campaign for the American Pain Society. During my years of service on the board of directors, I often became frustrated when good ideas needed to be tabled or were not supported because of lack of funds. I began to think about mechanisms that APS could put into place to enable us to fund a larger variety of programs. I have been involved in several professional organizations that have launched very successful capital campaigns. I plan to share more about this activity in a future issue of APS Bulletin.
I am looking forward to my year as APS president. I am sure that it will be filled with challenges and successes. I look forward to working with each and every one of you during the coming year.
