Councils

MassPI welcomes volunteers (professionals and laypersons) interested in improving the quality of life for those affected by pain. Volunteers participate in councils which are an integral part of MassPI’s mission and important for the achievement of its current and future goals.  Listed below are the councils for which MassPI welcomes your participation.  To request more information or to volunteer, please click here. 

Steering Council

Education Council
Policy Council
Membership Council
Communications Council

Steering Council

The Steering Council directs the work of the Massachusetts Pain Initiative in order to acomplish our Mission. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in contributing to the work of the Massachusetts Pain Initiative.

2012 Steering Council Members:
Evelyn Corsini, MSW, LICSW, Belmont, MA
Carol Curtiss, MSN, RN-BC, Greenfield, MA
Peggy Flood, RN-BC, MS, AOCN, Marlborough, MA
Ann Marie Harootunian, RN, MS, FNP, Walpole, MA (co-chair)
Anne Marie Kelly, BSN, RN-BC, CHPN, Fall River, MA
Betty Morgan, PhD, PMHCNS, BC, Lowell, MA
Ginger Newell-Stokes, MS, RN, South Deerfield, MA
Cyndie Rodman, MS, Pittsfield, MA
Claire Sampson, RN, OCN, Springfield, MA (co-chair)
Cindy Steinberg, Lexington, MA

Education Council

The Education Council is charged with the task of educating and informing health care professionals and the public about topics related to effective pain management. In the past, council members have led a successful practice change program, promoting Effective Pain Management Practices for a number of home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities and community hospitals across Massachusetts. Presentations and workshops are offered by MassPI members in a variety of settings. This council also developed a Pain Management Pocket Tool for distribution to healthcare professionals.  Over 5000 tools have been distributed thus far.The Education Council members strive to educate clinical staff in health care facilities in MA with MassPI Pain Resources Education Project (PREP). The council also assists in organizing educational programs on current topics, offered twice-a-year (in the fall and spring).
The Council’s primary vehicle for informing the public about pain is through the “Pain Resources Education Project” (PREP) which offers a free public education program to community and non-profit organizations, such as churches, synagogues, civic and community groups, hospitals, health centers, businesses, and athletic clubs.  PREP presenters are volunteers many of whom have clinical experience with pain management.  Other presenters are experienced educators or are pain patients themselves. They are geographically dispersed throughout Massachusetts and are trained by Mass PI.

This Council has a core group of 10 volunteers who comprise the active council, but many others provide help as needed.For more information or to see how to become involved, please contact info@masspaininitiative.org for more information.

Policy Council

The Policy Council’s goals are to identify legislative and regulatory barriers to effective pain management, to educate legislators and regulators about pain so that barriers can be lifted, and to work collaboratively with the Boards of Registration in Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Dentistry. One of the Legislative Council's goals is to make pain assessment and management a core competency for all health care providers. On Dec. 15, 2004, The Board of Registration in Medicine unanimously adopted the Federation of State Medical Board's Model Policy for the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain. This occurred after almost a year of effort from MassPI. In the Spring of 2009, the Boards of Registration in Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Physicians' Assistants issued Advisory Rulings regarding requirements  for all  licensed providers to have current knowledge about pain assessment and management and to competently practice pain assessment and management while licensed to practice in Massachusetts.  Members of the Legislative Council of MassPI worked diligently to urge the adoption of these Advisory Rulings and collaborated with MassPI's Professional Education Council to offer education programs throughout the Commonwealth to inform health care providers about the Advisory Rulings and to offer education in pain assessment and management via  MassPI's Pain Resource Education Programs (MassPI PREP).

In 2000, the Pain & Policy Studies Group at the University of Wisconsin issued a report card titled Achieving Balance in State Pain Policy and completed a  follow up report card in 2003. Massachusetts is one of only 5 states to have the highest score of a B+ for 2003 (improved its grade from a D in 2000). MassPI is advocating for changes that could improve that grade further. Adoption of the revised Model Policy, and the Advisory Rulings from the Boards of Registration in Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Dentistry is very positive action.

Bills continue to be filed in the Legislature that would ban the prescription of OxyContin in the Commonwealth. MassPI does not support these bills. For a historical perspective, see the Legislative Update from Summer 2005 that discusses issues with proposals to ban Oxycontin, click here. To see the Massachusetts OxyContin and Other Drug Abuse Commission report, click here.

MassPI filed several bills in the 2009 legislative session. We support a bill (HB 2078) that would require pain assessment and management in all health care facilities; another (HB 2152) that would put Massachusetts in agreement with Federal law by changing the expiration date of Schedule II and III medications from 30 days to 90 days; a third (HB 3479) that would require pain management and prescription drug abuse training for prescribing medical and health care providers and (HB3599) that would establish a prescription monitoring program task force that includes board certified pain management clinicians and would study the current and future roles of Massachusetts' Prescription Monitoring Programs.

Please click on ‘Strategic goals’ at the beginning of this page in order to see the plans for this council.
For more information or to see how to become involved, please contact Cindy Steinberg .

Membership Council

This council's purpose is to manage and expand MassPI's membership. Contact this council for detailed information about volunteer opportunities with MassPI.

For more information or to see how to become involved, please contact Anne Marie Kelly. 

Communications Council

This council's purpose is to develop and implement communications strategies and plans for MassPI programs and events.  The council is also responsible for managing the MassPI web site.

For more information or to see how to become involved, please contact
Cyndie Rodman.


 

Posted: Sun, Mar 7, 2010 08:22 PM
Updated Tue, Nov 20, 2012 12:00 AM