President's Message: Spring 2005

Benjamin Johnson, MD, MBA

It is my pleasure to serve as President to the present and future membership of The Southern Pain Society, whose mission is to:
      serve people with pain by advancing research and treatment
      increase the knowledge and skill of the regional professional community

The current erosion of healthcare reimbursements to providers, in an effort to control healthcare expenditures, have greatly diminished our profit margins, forcing us to work harder and more efficiently in order to meet our financial obligations to our practices and employees. Therefore we must ask the questions:
      Why join or participate in yet another medical association, and pay yet another
          membership fee?
      What am I getting for my investment of time and money in the Southern Pain Society?

Without a doubt, the greatest value of participating in the Southern Pain Society resides in the beneficial effects of belonging to an organization that is responsive to the regional and local needs of the providers of pain treatment services. The local chapters of the Southern Pain Society can assist their multidisciplinary membership in dealing with the issues in our states that influence our practices. Although there are several organizations that service narrow segments of the pain treatment market, such as interventional pain specialists, or headache specialists, there are few regional organizations that address the multidisciplinary needs and education of pain treatment specialists.

The Southern Pain Society has traditionally contained some of the most dynamic thought leaders in the nation; and this fact is evidenced by the composition of our present Board of Directors. Not only is the Board multidisciplinary by design; but it is also composed of thought leaders within each of the represented specialties. As spokesperson for the board of directors, I can state that there are few problems within the field of pain medicine that we cannot effectively address. Your SPS board members have extensive networking connections within the pain medicine field, and can provide guidance and direction to the needs and concerns of our members in a fashion that few national organizations can match.

The annual meetings of the Southern Pain Society continue to be an excellent value with excellent presenters and reasonable fees. Our next meeting in Lexington, Kentucky promises to be a superb educational experience with nationally recognized speakers, and a venue conducive to extensive multidisciplinary networking. One of the most desirable outcomes resulting from our multidisciplinary pain educational activities is that your colleagues, including physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, physicians, and chiropractors will be better prepared to service patients experiencing painful conditions who are referred to them. Our patients benefit from more knowledgeable healthcare providers; and we as providers benefit from our colleagues’ enhanced quality of services delivered. In addition, our society at large benefits from more efficient and effective evaluation and treatment of chronic pain patients, since chronic pain is one of the most expensive conditions to treat, due to its complex biopsychosocial nature.

Therefore, I urge you to become more active in the committees and educational venues of the Southern Pain Society, for the benefit of your patients, your practice, and yourself. We want more of our members to take leadership roles in this society, in order to influence healthcare agencies, insurance companies and legislators for the benefit of our patients. We welcome your involvement, and will do our best to continuously improve the value of your membership dollars to you and your practice.

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