Membership
APS Member Spotlight
Featured in the February 2012 Issue of ENews
Steven J. Weisman, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics
Medical College of Wisconsin
Jane B. Pettit Pain and Palliative Care Center
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI
What initially sparked your interest in working in your field? Briefly describe your career path.
I initially trained in pediatrics and then in pediatric hematology/oncology. In the "dark ages" of the early 1980s, we would use force to hold kids down for their diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. This seemed unacceptably traumatic, so I began to work with a friend and colleague, Neil Schechter, on developing ways to alleviate pain and suffering during these procedures. As pediatricians, we began a small pain management program at the University of Connecticut. I then made the leap and retrained in anesthesiology so that I could dedicate myself in a more focused way to pain management.
What has been a highlight of your work?
I am most proud of the comprehensive pain management services that we have developed at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and the Medical College of Wisconsin. We transformed our organizations at multiple levels to prioritize and systematically prevent and treat pain in children. Our recent recognition as a Clinical Center of Excellence by APS is certainly one of the moments in my career that I am most proud of.
Is there a particular challenge that you've either overcome or hope to address soon?
The biggest challenge I think we face is that with shrinking healthcare dollars, efforts in "soft" areas like pain management are starting to be impacted by fiscal pruning. Most healthcare organizations do not yet truly recognize the implications of poorly managed pain or that untreated pain can become a chronic pain disease, so I fear that support for various aspects of pain programs will wither.
Who is your favorite role model and why?
My role model is a nonmedical world leader of the socially engaged Buddhist movement, Thich Nhat Hanh. Through his teachings on peace, global responsibility of the individual, and social consciousness accomplished largely through the practice of mindfulness in everyday life, I have learned to be a better physician, educator, scientist, and family member.
How has membership in APS been of value to you and your professional development?
APS is the champion of pain management, research, and education in the United States. It has offered me countless opportunities to network, learn, and promote pain management as a palpable healthcare priority.
