Department of Anesthesiology Introduces New Course: Essentials in Pain Management Update 2017
On Tuesday, November 14, the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) hosted its first program focused on pain management. The course, Essentials in Pain Management Update 2017, was a one-day course and provided more than 200 attendees with information concerning the advances in pain management.
Course creator, Leena Mathew, MD, said “Pain management is a complex issue which poses challenges for health providers and systems. I created the course and the material to fill an identifiable professional and clinical knowledge gap. Essentials in Pain Management was designed for Physician Attendings, Residents and Fellows, Medical Students, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants and all medical professionals involved in the evaluation, diagnosis and/or management of patients with chronic pain. The more than 200 medical professionals who enrolled in the course were able to address a clear interdisciplinary knowledge gap. Essentials in Pain Management improved the attendees understanding of the advances in pain management and were introduced to some cutting edge, innovative interventional techniques including the use of virtual reality and stem cell therapies.
Essentials in Pain Medicine: Update 2017 included faculty instructors: Anis Dizdarevic MD,Ramon Go MD, Ruth Landau, MD, Leena Mathew MD, Cameron Marshall MD ,Joachim Scholz MD, Nomita Sonty PhD, Michael Weinberger MD; guest speakers, Alex Cahana MD Director of Medical Affairs Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence (CLAAD), Washington DC Affiliate Professor in Science, Technology and Health Studies, University of Washington, Bothell, Mark Green MD Director of the Center for Headache and Pain Medicine , Professor of Neurology, Anesthesiology, and Rehabilitation Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, Nitin Sekhri MD Director Pain Management, Westchester Medical Center, and Christopher Winfree MD, Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery, Dept. of Neurosurgery, NYPH Columbia University; as well as exhibitions from organizations focused on pain management.
“Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback and response to the course, I would like to repeat a similar course in the future,” explained Dr. Mathew. “I would like to add elements such as hands on learning, breakaway problem based learning groups, and workshops. With an increasing awareness of rising issue of prescription drug abuse and opioid deaths in the health care community, it was critical to discuss the latest opioid sparing pain management techniques. Essentials in Pain Management: Update 2017 was an opportunity for attendees to engage with colleagues, share ideas, and familiarize themselves with the latest controversies and updates in pain therapies in order to improve the delivery and practice of pain care in a constantly evolving healthcare environment.
For more information on Essentials in Pain Management: Update 2017 course, please contact Leena Mathew at lm370@cumc.columbia.edu. For more information on the Department of Anesthesiology Pain Medicine Division, please visit our website.