#SummitBPM21

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Tuesday, February 2
11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST
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The 7th annual Summit on Balanced Pain Management will convene patients, health care providers, advocates, regulators and legal experts to explore pain policy and patient-centered pain care. Interviews, panel discussions and patient testimonials will explore:
• Pain Management under President Biden
• COVID's Legacy of Pain
• Utilization Management & Arthritis Care
• What's Next for Key Legislation & Initiatives
• Osteoarthritis in the Military
• And more!

Agenda

11:30am
Welcome
Mike Walsh, Alliance for Balanced Pain Management
Amanda Conschafter, Alliance for Patient Access
11:33am
Introductory Remarks
Kate Nicholson, JD, National Pain Advocacy Center
11:45am
Policy Predictions: Pain Management under President Biden
Moderator: Mehul Desai, MD, MPH, Virginia Hospital Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Wade Delk, American Society for Pain Management Nursing
Dania Palanker, Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute
12:05pm
The Long Haul: COVID’s Legacy of Pain
Moderator: Michael Leong, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine
‍Ravi Prasad, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine
‍Gavin Clingham, Alliance for Patient Access
12:29pm
Patient-Centered Pain Care Now
Keynote Address
Shari M. Ling, MD, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
12:46pm
Break
12:58pm
The Pain of Waiting: Utilization Management & Arthritis Care
Alisa Vidulich, MPH, Arthritis Foundation
Sammantha Dorazio, Patient Advocate
1:13pm
Congressional SUPPORT: Advancing Coverage for Multidisciplinary Pain Care
Moderator: Cindy Steinberg, U.S. Pain Foundation
Suchitra Iyer, PhD, Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
Martin Schultz, Office of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN)
1:33pm
My NSAID Nightmare
Emily Freeman, PhD, Patient Advocate
1:39pm
Service Members’ Silent Struggle: Osteoarthritis in the Military
Moderator: Kirsten Ambrose, MS, CCRC, Osteoarthritis Action Alliance at the University of North Carolina Thurston Arthritis Research Center
Kelli D. Allen, PhD, Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) at Durham VA Medical Center
Kenneth L. Cameron, PhD, Keller Army Hospital, US Military Academy, West Point
1:54pm
My Arthritis Life
Cheryl Crow, Arthritis Life
1:58pm
Summit Close‍
Mike Walsh, Alliance for Balanced Pain Management
Amanda Conschafter, Alliance for Patient Access

#SUMMITBPM21

Featured Speakers

Keynote Speaker

Shari M. Ling, MD

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Kelli D. Allen, PhD

Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) at Durham VA Medical Center

Kirsten Ambrose, MS, CCRC

Osteoarthritis Action Alliance at the University of North Carolina Thurston Arthritis Research Center

Kenneth L. Cameron, PhD

Keller Army Hospital, US Military Academy, West Point

Gavin Clingham

Alliance for Patient Access

Amanda Conschafter

Alliance for Patient Access

Cheryl Crow

Arthritis Life

Wade Delk

American Society for Pain Management Nursing

Mehul Desai, MD, MPH

Virginia Hospital Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine

Sammantha Dorazio

Patient Advocate

Emily Freeman, PhD

Patient Advocate

Suchitra Iyer, PhD

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality

Michael Leong, MD

Stanford University School of Medicine

Kate Nicholson, JD

National Pain Advocacy Center

Dania Palanker

Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute

Ravi Prasad, PhD

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine

Martin Schultz

Office of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN)

Cindy Steinberg

U.S. Pain Foundation

Alisa Vidulich, MPH

Arthritis Foundation

Mike Walsh

Alliance for Balanced Pain Management

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Resources

Download
Why Service Members & Veterans with Osteoarthritis Need Balanced Pain Management
Download
Osteoarthritis Treatment for America’s Veterans
Download
In Conversation: A Physician Discusses COVID-19 & Osteoarthritis Care
Download
Fast Facts: Guidelines for Managing Osteoarthritis
Download
Fast Facts: Pain Management Inter-Agency Task Force Recommendations
Download
Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid Arthritis: Know Your Rights
Download
Why Arthritis Patients Need Balanced Pain Management
Download
Why Migraine Patients Need Balanced Pain Management
Download
Why Gout Patients Need Balanced Pain Management

Past Events

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Kelli D. Allen, PhD

Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) at Durham VA Medical Center

Dr. Allen currently serves as Research Professor of Medicine at the Thurston Arthritis ResearchCenter at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Research Health Scientist at theDurham VA Medical Center. Dr. Allen is a health services researcher and exercise physiologist whose research focuses on improving care and outcomes for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions, particularly osteoarthritis. Her specific areas of research interest are: physical activity and rehabilitation intentions, health disparities, pragmatic trials, heterogeneity of treatment effects and community-engaged research.

Kirsten Ambrose, MS, CCRC

Osteoarthritis Action Alliance at the University of North Carolina Thurston Arthritis Research Center

Kirsten Ambrose is Program Manager for the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (OAAA) at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Thurston Arthritis Research Center. She has a Master’s of Science in Exercise Science and more than 20 years of experience managing multidisciplinary teams toward successful research conduct in chronic pain-related disorders and public health action for osteoarthritis awareness and education in several notable academic centers. Her experience includes delivery of physical activity education and programming to individuals with various chronic pain conditions and disabilities. She is a regular presenter for the OAAA at local and national professional meetings, and she has published numerous peer-reviewed papers, patient-advocacy articles, and book chapters on arthritis and chronic pain.

Kenneth L. Cameron, PhD

Keller Army Hospital, US Military Academy, West Point

Dr. Cameron currently serves as the Director of Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Research at Keller Army Hospital, West Point, New York, where he holds faculty appointments with the John A. Feagin Jr. Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship and the US Army-Baylor University Sports Physical Therapy Doctoral Program.  Dr. Cameron also serves as a Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.  He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise and Sport Science from Oregon State University in 1993, his Master of Arts Degree in Exercise Science from San Jose State University in 1996, and Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy Degrees from the University at Albany in 2001 and 2004, respectively.  Dr. Cameron also completed a Master of Public Health Degree from The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2011. Dr. Cameron’s primary research interests are in the areas of injury prevention, musculoskeletal injury and disease epidemiology, and outcomes associated with the treatment of these injuries, specifically in physically active and military populations.  He also has specific research interests in knee and ankle injuries, shoulder instability, biomarkers associated with post-traumatic osteoarthritis, and sports related concussion.

Gavin Clingham

Alliance for Patient Access

Gavin Clingham brings a detailed understanding of healthcare access policies to his role as Policy Director for the Alliance for Patient Access. 

With two decades of experience engaging in public policy advocacy at the federal and state levels, Gavin helps non-profit organizations, municipalities, corporations, and institutions of higher education pursue their policy objectives. Gavin brings an unparalleled understanding of the legislative process, having served as Legislative Director for Representative Alan B. Mollohan (D-1st-WV) where he managed the appropriations portfolio for the Congressman in his role on the House Appropriations Committee. 

Gavin received his Juris Doctor degree from the Boston UniversitySchool of Law and graduated from The Catholic University of America with a degree in Political Science.  A lifelongRed Sox fan, Gavin lives in Maryland with his wife and two children.

Amanda Conschafter

Alliance for Patient Access

Amanda Conschafter develops educational materials and communications content for the Alliance for Patient Access and its related organizations. She also serves as blog editor for the Institute for Patient Access policy blog, which analyzes news and policy surrounding issues of patient access.

Amanda’s background includes writing, communications, writing education and policy analysis. She previously served on the legislative staff of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham and managed the Writing Services division of a Washington, DC-based public affairs firm, supporting both Fortune 500 clients and nonprofits. Prior to joining AfPA, Amanda worked on the proposal and marketing team for a federal government contractor in Reston, VA. Her issue knowledge spans health care, education, veterans issues, consumer protection, telecommunications and social welfare programs.

Amanda holds a B.A. summa cum laude in English and an M.A.T. in English Education from Converse College in Spartanburg, SC.

Cheryl Crow

Arthritis Life

Cheryl Crow is an occupational therapist who’s lived with rheumatoid arthritis for eighteen years. In 2019, Cheryl created the small educational company Arthritis Life to educate, empower and support others with inflammatory forms of arthritis. She created and hosts the Arthritis Life Podcast and runs comprehensive online self-management programs. Cheryl is a fierce advocate for meeting the full picture of patients’ needs beyond joint pain. She’s an active volunteer with the Arthritis Foundation, American College of Rheumatology, and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Wade Delk

American Society for Pain Management Nursing

Wade Delk is the Director of Governmental Affairs, for the American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN). Additionally, he provides governmental affairs and management services to various not-for-profit organizations in the healthcare field. He has a degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations. He has served as the Confidential Assistant to the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, and a Schedule C Political Appointee to the US Department of Commerce. He has worked on national, state, and local political campaigns, has served on federal advisory committees, industry coalitions, and has been a senior staff member of numerous not-for-profit associations.

Mehul Desai, MD, MPH

Virginia Hospital Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine

Specializing in the use of cutting-edge technologies for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and disease, Dr. Mehul Desai, MD, MPH is a board-certified physician providing comprehensive care to patients at the International Spine Pain & Performance Center. Available at locations in Washington, D.C and Arlington, Virginia, Dr. Desai has experience treating a number of conditions including tendon injuries, osteoarthritis, and discogenic pain as well as pelvic pain.

Dr. Desai has received extensive training in Pain Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, beginning with a residency at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C and then a research fellowship with the National Institutes of Health investigating mechanisms of muscle pain. Dr. Desai also completed a fellowship in pain medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Sammantha Dorazio

Patient Advocate

My name is Sammantha Dorazio and I have Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Pain Amplification Syndrome. My life changed forever at the age of sixteen when I went from being a three season varsity athlete to not being able to walk. I have spent a lot of time in medical settings for my arthritis and related conditions over the last few years but it is how I found my love for medicine. I am currently in a pediatric nurse practitioner program with the goal of going into Rheumatology. I hope to one day help other kids and teens navigate rheumatic diseases!  

Emily Freeman, PhD

Patient Advocate

Dr. Emily Freeman is an experienced patient centered science leader. Dr. Freeman received her PhD degree in social/behavioral sciences from McMaster University where her doctoral work focused on understanding women’s experiences with endometriosis through diagnosis, treatment, and living with the illness. Dr. Freeman has been an endometriosis patient since 1993 and actively involved as a patient advocate to speed diagnosis of endometriosis and awareness of excision surgery as a gold standard for endometriosis care. More recently, Dr. Freeman has been an advocate for better chronic pain management related to endometriosis through pelvic floor physical therapy and alternatives for pain management.

Suchitra Iyer, PhD

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality

Suchitra Iyer is a Program Officer at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement. She oversees the critical appraisal of evidence through systematic reviews of clinical and other healthcare related interventions, many of which address the treatment of pain. Prior to joining the federal government, she worked as a Medical Research Analyst with Hayes Inc. Suchitra completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine and received her doctoral degree in Neuroscience from the University of Maryland in College Park.

Michael Leong, MD

Stanford University School of Medicine

Michael S. Leong, MD, is a specialist in pain medicine with clinical foci in radiculopathy; spinal, abdominal, and cancer pain; postherpetic neuralgia; and workers compensation cases.
‍
He received his medical degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and completed his residency in anesthesiology at University of California, Davis and at Stanford University, where he also completed his fellowship in pain medicine. He is board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.

Dr. Leong is currently the Director of the Neuromodulation program, as well as a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Stanford University.

Kate Nicholson, JD

National Pain Advocacy Center

Kate Nicholson, JD, is a civil rights attorney, a nationally-recognized expert on the Americans with Disabilities Act, a non profit founder and executive, and a pain patient advocate. Kate recently founded the National Pain Advocacy Center, which advocates for the human and civil rights of people in pain. She previously served in the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division for 18 years, where she litigated and managed cases nationwide, and primarily drafted the current ADA regulations.

Kate developed intractable pain and was largely bedridden--unable to sit or stand and severely limited in walking--for nearly two decades. She gave the TEDx talk, What We Lose When We Undertreat Pain, and speaks widely about pain at universities, think tanks and medical associations. She has written for or appeared in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, STAT, Newsweek, Fox News, Huffington Post and others, as well as legal publications like The American Journal of Law and Medicine.

Kate was recently appointed by the Board of Scientific Advisors of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to the workgroup on opioid prescribing. She was a 2019-20 Mayday Pain and Society Fellow.

Kate is a graduate of Harvard Law School and was a Senior Fellow at Dartmouth College.

Dania Palanker

Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute

Dania Palanker is an Assistant Research Professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) at Georgetown’s Health Policy Institute. She analyzes state and federal health insurance market reforms with an emphasis on insurance benefit design, access to health care, and coverage for chronic health conditions. Ms. Palanker has particular interest and expertise in women’s health and access to care for people with pain and other chronic health conditions. She also serves on the Standing Advisory Board and Chair of the Plan Management Advisory Committee of the District of Columbia Health Benefits Exchange.

Before joining CHIR, Ms. Palanker was Senior Counsel for Health and Reproductive Rights at the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), where she worked on private insurance policy, including access to maternity coverage, preventive services, and treatment for chronic health conditions through the individual insurance market and employer-sponsored coverage. Prior to joining NWLC, she worked for 10 years with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). During her time at SEIU, Ms. Palanker worked on federal health policy as Associate Director of Health Policy and as Deputy Administrator of health benefit funds providing health insurance to low wage workers and their families employed by small and large employers.

Ms. Palanker holds a J.D. from Georgetown University and an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School. She received her B.A. from Middlebury College. She is a member of the New York and D.C. Bar.

Ravi Prasad, PhD

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine

Ravi Prasad, PhD is a psychologist by training and currently Clinical Professor and Director of Behavioral Health in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. His clinical work focuses primarily on evaluation and treatment of individuals suffering from acute and chronic pain conditions. He is actively engaged in leadership activities at regional and national levels through which he has been involved with interprofessional core competency, curriculum, and program development; lobbying efforts to change policies related to psychological care; and translation of research innovations into clinical practice. Outside the realm of pain, he has an avid interest in clinician wellness and has led efforts to implement associated initiatives in healthcare settings.

Martin Schultz

Office of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN)

Martin Schultz is the Legislative Director for Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who represents Indiana’s 2nd District. A Hoosier from Plymouth, Indiana, Martin has worked in the congresswoman’s D.C. office for eight years.  His primary policy work is in health care and social welfare.  He worked closely with Congresswoman Walorski on the Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management, Treatment, and Recovery Act, which was signed into law in 2018 as part of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6).

Cindy Steinberg

U.S. Pain Foundation

Cindy Steinberg is the National Director of Policy and Advocacy for the U.S. Pain Foundation and Policy Council Chair for the Massachusetts Pain Initiative. She is a nationally prominent and articulate spokesperson for the needs of people living with pain. Her dedication to pain advocacy was sparked when she sustained a severe crush injury that left her with daily back pain.  Ms. Steinberg has won numerous awards for her pain policy accomplishments.

In 2015, she was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to serve on his Opioid Working Group and subsequently as a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Drug Formulary Commission.  At the federal level, she has served on the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC), the highest-ranking pain policy oversight committee in the United States. In 2018, Ms. Steinberg was appointed by the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, to serve on the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force created by Congress and was the only patient and pain advocate appointed to the panel. In February of 2019, Ms. Steinberg was invited to testify before the US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee at a hearing on “Managing Pain During the Opioid Crisis”.

Alisa Vidulich, MPH

Arthritis Foundation

Alisa is the Policy Director at the Arthritis Foundation, where she advocates for state and federal legislative and regulatory policy to improve care and support patients living with arthritis. Prior to joining the Arthritis Foundation, she spent time at Avalere Health advising clients on health policy issues, including preventive health, vaccines, infectious diseases, substance use, and pain management. Alisa also has experience working with the YWCA, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Global HIV & Tuberculosis, and as a Legislative Aide to the Majority Whip in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Alisa earned her Master of Public Health in health policy and management from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, Georgia and has a BA in French and international studies from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. She is a passionate Mountaineer fan, as she grew up in West Virginia, and now lives in Washington, D.C. She will never grow tired of seeing the Capitol while walking on the National Mall and looks forward to playing her trumpet with a local wind symphony ensemble post-pandemic.

Mike Walsh

Alliance for Balanced Pain Management

Mike Walsh is Executive Director for the Alliance for Balanced Pain Management. He has led the multistakeholder coalition since 2017. AfBPM is a collaborative of diverse members who organize to broaden access to balanced, patient-centered paincare—though direct advocacy, the development of educational resources and collaboration with aligned organizations. AfBPM believes both patients and clinicians are entitled to all of the ‘tools’ and healthcare solutions available to improve paincare.

Mr. Walsh has over 23 years of experience in the healthcare industry, having served in a variety of leadership positions in commercial operations, patient and opinion leader advocacy and stakeholder engagement at some of the largest life science firms in the industry, including MedImmune, Biogen, InterMune and Genentech.

Mr. Walsh is a Board Member of the Prescription Process Advocacy Network, the MassBio Patient Advocacy Task Force and the OA Action Alliance.  In the past, he’s served on the Board of Directors for the MA March of Dimes and is past Chair of the MassBio Marketing & Communications Committee.

Mike lives a few miles outside of Boston, in Winchester, MA with his wife Shelly and their three school-aged children.

Shari M. Ling, MD

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Dr. Shari M. Ling currently serves as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), she assists the CMS Chief Medical Officer in the Agency’s pursuit of CMS’s mission.

This mission is achieved through the following goals:
- Empower patients and doctors to make decisions about their health care
- Usher in a new era of state flexibility and local leadership
- Support innovative approaches to improve quality, accessibility, and affordability
- Improve the CMS customer experience

Dr. Ling’s focus is on the achievement of meaningful health outcomes for beneficiaries, families, and caregivers through the delivery of high quality, person-centered care across all care settings. Her leadership experience includes her service as the Acting Chief Medical Officer for CMS from February to July 2020, and as the Acting Director for the Office of Clinician Engagement from December 2016 to March 2018. Dr. Ling also contributes her clinical expertise as a geriatrician, internist, and rheumatologist to the development and the implementation of the CMS response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, and the CMS Roadmap to address the nation’s opioid crisis. She also supports CMS’s efforts to reduce administrative burden on clinicians and health care providers through the Agency’s Patients over Paperwork Initiative.