POPAN Pain Summit

We accomplished much more at the Summit in sessions dedicated to learning how to reach out to the media, government officials, and medical professionals to advocate for the most effective treatment for everyone living with pain.  There were also several sessions in which plans were discussed for September is Pain Awareness Month.  Each State Leader has been asked to plan something in their State for this specially dedicated month and some volunteers shared what they have already planned — from obtaining Proclamations from their Governors to holding educational seminars to organizing awareness building programs and events such as marathons. 

I was pleased to attend this Summit so soon after my appointment as a NY State Leader, and came home filled with motivation and ideas.  Of course now the challenge is to live up to my own goals and meet the expectations of the staff and other volunteers of POPAN.  I am hoping to recruit a few other people who understand the challenges of living with pain to work with me on a project for September is Pain Awareness Month, and beyond that to advocate on behalf of good policies and enhancing awareness about pain management by medical professionals, people in pain and the general public.

If you are interested in working on any of these projects, or have ideas for others, and live in New York State please contact me so we can work together.  If you don’t live in New York go to www.popactionnetwork.org and click on Leader Directory to find out whom in your State is involved in these volunteer activities.  If you have trouble identifying the person in your State contact me or write a Comment here and I will help put you together with the appropriate person.   This is exciting and valuable work, and I urge anyone who wants to make a difference to step up and be part of what we are doing

People With Pain have a right to timely and appropriate pain care.  You can help make sure that this is possible.

Thank you.