ASRA Pain Medicine Has so Much to Celebrate!

A year has passed since we announced our rebranding from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine to ASRA Pain Medicine, supporting health care professionals who care for patients across the pain continuum from acute to chronic and everything in between (asamonitor.pub/3WxDsIi). Part of this vision involves uniting the range of interdisciplinary perspectives to fully care for patients experiencing pain.

Although ASRA Pain Medicine will always remain a primary home for physician anesthesiologists, our membership has expanded to include physiatrists, neurologists, emergency medicine physicians, and other groups that focus on pain. We are also seeing that more of our physician anesthesiologist members are focusing on both acute and chronic pain. We believe this is a critical change. Although some of the techniques used vary from acute to chronic pain management, these conditions are intrinsically intertwined. Through collaboration and communication, the entire health care team can work to provide long-term solutions for those who suffer from a range of painful conditions.

ASRA Pain Medicine continues to be devoted to advancing the science and practice of regional anesthesia and pain medicine to improve patient outcomes through research, education, and advocacy. We have made a number of advancements in our advocacy work over the past year (asamonitor.pub/3zJk69C). In June, ASRA Pain Medicine was officially seated in the American Medical Association's House of Delegates (asamonitor.pub/3zLpLf8). We are thrilled to join ASA as advocates for regional anesthesia and pain medicine. ASRA Pain Medicine is now represented at the Current Procedural Terminology and Relative Value Scale Update committee meetings, joining ASA and other pain societies to advocate for patient access to safe and appropriate pain medicine.

As our work evolves, we have found that our members are more often called as experts by federal agencies and the national press on pain-related issues. For example, ASRA Pain Medicine members have met with the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and have been quoted in several New York Times articles. ASRA Pain Medicine regularly submits comments and advocates for inclusion of evidence-based science in rulings of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national groups.

A fun activity coming up in 2023 is the anniversary of the founding of the original American Society of Regional Anesthesia in 1923 by Dr. Louis Gaston Labat and colleagues. The organization was created to expand knowledge of science and techniques around the field of regional anesthesia, which was a game changer for surgery in the early 20^th century. Although this organization is not related to the current-day ASRA Pain Medicine, the focus on regional anesthesia continues today as one of many interventional procedures to address acute and chronic pain. We will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of that older organization and the “father” of regional anesthesia in the United States at our April 2023 meeting (asamonitor.pub/3zLzbHD). Activities include video interviews with Gaston Labat Award winners and past presidents, which are released on social media each Friday from now until April, capped off with a special dinner on April 22, 2023, at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida. Past presidents and award recipients are invited to join in these festivities. Learn more at www.asra.com/spring23 (asamonitor.pub/3E31Wly; asamonitor.pub/3E4lztF; asamonitor.pub/3UaJ4Xp).

In addition to the nod to the past, the 48^th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting will focus on today's science and practice – as well as tomorrow's (asamonitor.pub/3UlJyKg). Meeting Chair Stephen Haskins, MD, from the Hospital for Special Surgery, has designed an exciting program that will look closely at gender, racial, ethnic, and LGBTQIA+ health equity. We also will embrace diversity in thought and practice by weaving point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and pediatric elements into our traditionally adult regional anesthesia workshops. Other highlights include the role of advocacy and innovations in the perioperative setting through complementary medicine techniques such as acupuncture, hypnosis, and music therapy. Plus, you can count on our traditional coverage of regional anesthesia and acute pain during our popular hands-on workshops, including 3D anatomy, crisis management, and ultrasound-guided techniques. Interactive sessions and problem-based learning discussions will address topics such as emergency medicine, transitional pain, pain and substance-use disorder, trauma, postdural puncture headache, and postsurgical nerve injury, among others.

ASRA Pain Medicine has a full lineup of exciting educational programming for 2023, including our Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia Cadaver Course, the Pain Medicine and MSK Ultrasound Cadaver Course, basic and advanced POCUS courses, monthly “Hot Topics” webinars, a full-day Chronic Postoperative Pain Virtual Symposium, and our 22^nd Annual Pain Medicine Meeting planned for November 10-12, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana (asamonitor.pub/3FMV7G1; asamonitor.pub/3hfrbZ5; asamonitor.pub/3U7hABX; asamonitor.pub/3hfpvyu). Visit our website for more information on these events – there's something for everyone who practices across the entire pain continuum (asamonitor.pub/3Uxixn7).

ASRA Pain Medicine is experiencing an exciting time of growth and opportunity, as evident by the 20% increase in abstract submission to the 22^nd Annual Pain Meeting, compared to pre-COVID meetings. We welcome all members of the health care team to join us on this journey to provide safe and effective care for our patients!