Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine
Better Care for Children in Pain

Deadline: Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Are you passionate about advancing pediatric pain medicine education? Would you like to help shape the content of SPPM’s national meeting while deepening your involvement with the Society? Do you aspire to Chair a meeting

The SPPM Education Committee invites applications for Program Shadow to support the planning of the SPPM Annual Meeting.

The Program Shadow works closely with the Meeting Program Chair, Co-Chair, and Education Committee Chair, to develop outstanding educational content and gain valuable insight into national meeting planning.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Able to participate in Zoom planning meetings and maintain regular email communication with the planning team.
• A current SPPM member in good standing (trainee members are not eligible).
• Have demonstrated prior involvement in SPPM activities, such as – Speaker/Moderator, Workshop faculty, Round Table or PBLD moderator, Committee or Special Interest Group (SIG) membership
• Receive approval from your department leadership to participate (due to time commitments involved).

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How to Apply

Submit the following materials to Jenny Patterson at [email protected] by Tuesday, May 20, 2025:

• A one-page statement describing your interest in the Program Shadow role and relevant experience or service within SPPM (or other organizations)
• Your current CV

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Additional Notes

• If not selected this cycle, your materials may be retained for future consideration.
• Please share this opportunity with colleagues who might be interested in contributing to SPPM’s mission.

For questions, contact Kim Battle at [email protected].

We want to make you aware of a national effort to better understand the full scope of chronic pain—across the lifespan, from childhood through young adulthood and beyond.

As a pediatric provider, you witness the daily realities of pain in children and adolescents. Your voice is vital in ensuring that the needs of young people are not overlooked in national conversations around pain care.

The U.S. Pain Foundation recently launched the Pain Experience 2025 Survey, aimed at capturing real-world insights from both patients and health care professionals. The provider track takes just 5 minutes to complete and is entirely anonymous and confidential.

By participating, you’ll help us identify gaps in care, advocate for age-appropriate treatment, and ensure that transitions from pediatric to adult care are informed by those on the front lines.

Please take the survey here and share it with your colleagues—your perspective matters more than ever. Together, we can strengthen the voice of pediatric pain providers and improve outcomes for all young people living with pain.

Thank you for your anticipated help and input.

Casey Cashman
Director of Pediatric Pain Warrior
U.S. Pain Foundation

The U.S. Pain Foundation is conducting a national survey, Growing Up With Chronic Pain, designed for children and teens ages 8 to 17 who live with chronic pain conditions.

The goal is to better understand their lived experiences and to elevate their voices in clinical care, education, and advocacy. The survey is anonymous and takes just a few minutes to complete.

We would greatly appreciate your help in sharing this opportunity with your pediatric patients.

Thank you for your support in empowering young pain warriors.

Casey Cashman

Director of Pediatric Pain Warrior

U.S. Pain Foundation

Are you interested in storytelling, media, or amplifying the voices of pediatric pain professionals? The SPPM Communications Committee is expanding—and we’re looking for members who want to learn, connect, and collaborate on projects that elevate our mission. We’re optimizing our social media presence, exploring different forms of media production, and showcasing the incredible work of our community.

If you’re passionate about giving our members a platform and helping us highlight all of our contributions, we’d love to have you on board. This is your chance to shape our voice and be part of a creative, engaged team.

If you are interested, please email Dr. Carole Lin at [email protected] or Jenny Patterson at [email protected].

What do you do when kids are in pain—and the system keeps letting them down?

Pediatric pain care wasn’t just behind; it was barely on the map. While adult treatments surged ahead, the providers caring for children were left without up-to-date tools, proper training, or a place to connect.

If you’re Dr. Rita Agarwal and a handful of like-minded specialists, you create something from the ground up. “There was so much growth happening in the field,” she told us, “but not a lot connecting us.”

In this behind-the-scenes interview, Dr. Agarwal shares how a half-day conference turned into the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine—a global hub for collaboration, research, and change. It’s a story of frustration turned into momentum, and how a small group of clinicians sparked a much-needed movement.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why isn’t anyone talking about this?”—they were. And now, they’re making sure the whole world is listening.