Committees & Task Forces

The dedicated efforts of committee members are not only invaluable in attaining AAPM’s strategic goals, committee service provides another forum for members to connect with one another and to develop as leaders within the organization.

Get Involved In AAPM By Joining A Committee

The AAPM committee year runs from Annual Meeting to Annual Meeting. The chairs, members, and charges for each committee are determined in the months preceding the Annual Meeting, at the direction of the incoming president.

Members interested in serving on an AAPM committee are urged to get involved in the Academy by attending the Annual Meeting, submitting an abstract for a scientific session or poster for the Annual Meeting, submitting a manuscript to the Pain Medicine journal and/or joining a Shared Interest Group (SIG).

To request to be considered for a future committee role, please send an email detailing your interests along with a current CV.

Committees & Participating Members

The following organized committees regularly report to the AAPM Board of Directors on particular areas of focus, such as research, governance and education.

2024 Annual Meeting Program Committee

Strategic planning and needs assessment related to the overall educational content selection, content review, faculty recruitment, and onsite program evaluation of Annual Meeting education-related activities.

Committee Roster

Amitabh Gulati, MD – Co-Chair

Lynn Kohan, MD – Co-Chair

David Copenhaver, MD, MPH – Cancer Pain Pre-Con Chair

Jessica Oswald, MD, MPH – Emergency Medicine Pre-Con Chair

Meredith Barad, MD

Jennifer Hah, MD

Zachary McCormick, MD

Traci Speed, MD

Kevin Vorenkamp, MD, FASA

Sayed Wahezi, MD

Bhavana Yalamuru, MBBS

Awards Committee

➥ Select individuals or groups who have made outstanding contributions in the field of pain medicine to receive awards.

➥ Develop ideas for new awards, as appropriate, for Board consideration.

➥ Select the recipient of the Addison Award

Committee Chair

Kayode Williams, MD, MBA, FFARCSI

Chair

Behavioral Medicine Committee (BMC):

➥ Address the need for education on behavioral medicine and psychological issues in treating a pain patient.

➥ Expand the presence of behavioral pain medicine professionals in AAPM through membership.

➥ Monitor and report to the Executive Committee and membership on developments and emerging research in the area of behavioral pain medicine.

Committee Chairs

Ajay Wasan, MD, MSc

Chair

Mirsad Serdarevic, PhD

Vice Chair

Bylaws Committee

➥ Review and recommend changes to the Bylaws as necessary.

Committee Chair

W. Michael Hooten, MD

Chair

Clinical Guidelines Committee

➥ Review and make recommendations on guidelines and other scientific matters presented to the Academy for consideration (position papers, consensus statements, etc.).

➥ Inventory current available practice parameters and guidelines in relation to pain.

➥ Develop criterion-based standards for guidelines to guide committee activities.

➥ Actively engage other organizations to participate or partner in activities related to practice parameters and guidelines.

Committee Chair

Narayan Kissoon, MD

Chair

Education Committee

➥ Identify and evaluate continuing professional development needs of AAPM members.

➥ Formulate AAPM’s continuing education goals and priorities.

➥ Make recommendations to the board regarding new education initiatives, viable collaboration with other professional societies, online learning strategies and other ways to expand funding for the outreach of AAPM volunteers as experts in the field of Pain Medicine.

➥ Ensure that all AAPM-sponsored educational CME programming comply with ACCME policy.

➥ Evaluate effectiveness of the overall continuing education program.

Committee Chair

Timothy Furnish, MD

Chair

Ethics Committee

➥ Provide input to the Board regarding ethical issues affecting the Academy.

Committee Chair

Coti Phillips, MD

Chair

Finance Committee

📢 Note: The composition of this committee is prescribed by the AAPM Bylaws.

➥ Develop and monitor the finances of the Academy, both operating and reserve funds.

➥ Work with the AAPM staff to develop the annual budget for approval by the Board.

➥ Provide oversight of the Academy’s investments, including the selection of an external financial advisor as appropriate, in conjunction with the board and staff.

Committee Chair

Eduardo Fraifeld, MD

Chair

Media & PR Committee

Committee Chairs

Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA

Chair

Michael Hooten, MD

Vice Chair

Membership Committee

➥ Develop and implement strategic marketing plans for recruiting and retaining members, with a focus on increasing member diversity (age, ethnicity, gender, practice profile, etc.).

➥ Recommend membership policy to the Board of Directors.

➥ Conduct periodic needs assessments of the members in order to deliver value to AAPM members based on their current wants and needs.

➥ Serve as liaison between members/potential members/applicants and AAPM volunteer/staff leadership.

Committee Chair

Sayed Wahezi, MD

Chair

Nominating Committee

➥ Secure candidates for all available positions on the Board of Directors and Nominating Committee and present a slate of qualified candidates to the membership for a vote.

Committee Chair

Kayode Williams, MD, MBA, FFARCSI

Chair

Pain Fellowship Committee

➥ Develop criteria and select Pain Medicine Fellowship programs to recognize for excellence. advance multidisciplinary pain care in fellowship training programs. 

Committee Chair

Lynn Kohan, MD

Chair

Alexander Bautista, MD

Vice Chair

Pain Medicine Policy Committee

Mission is to direct all pain policies for AAPM

Sub Committee on Editorial Guides

The purpose of the AAPM Editorial Guides Committee is to provide the AMA with the best possible information about pain medicine.

Sub Committee on Substance Use and Pain

The purpose of the AAPM Substance Use and Pain Committee is to advocate for multidisciplinary care for patients with substance use disorders and chronic pain. 

Sub Committee on Coding and Reimbursement

Coding and Reimbursement Subcommittee is to provide members with the most up-to-date information about changes in coding and reimbursement.

➥ Accurately describe the procedures used in Pain Medicine for the CPT coding process.

➥ Survey and recommend relative values to the AMA RUC Committee in its advisory role to CMS.

➥ Increase awareness by the RUC Committee of the unique practice and procedural issues facing pain medicine physicians

Sub Committee on Quality, Safety and Improvement Committee

To develop, identify and disseminate guidelines and information to improve the quality of pain care. 

The Purpose Of AAPM Committees

It is expected that committee chairs will guide the committee in directions that are consistent with the published charge. Any proposed change to a committee charge must be submitted to the AAPM Board of Directors for consideration.

Affiliate members may co-chair committees with an Active member. Active, Affiliate, Scientific, International, Trainee, Resident, and Student members may serve on committees.

Committees meet in person or via teleconference as needed. Committees may make recommendations to the board. Recommendations will be reviewed for alignment with Academy priorities and budget implications.

Committee Chair

Steven Stanos, DO

Chair

Greg Polston, MD

CPT & RUC

Joseph Max Hendrix, MD

CPT & RUC

Research Committee

➥ The Research Committee investigates and identifies opportunities for the Academy to invest, support or participate in research initiatives. It seeks to improve understanding of AAPM members’ research needs and interests.

➥ Improve scientific quality of abstract submissions to the Annual Meeting, including but not limited to improvements to the scientific poster abstract call.

➥ Collaborate with other organizations on research or scientific initiatives and programs.

➥ Review nominations for Scientific Membership and recommend eligible candidates to the Board for approval.

➥ Operate as the research grant review Committee.

Committee Chairs

Norman Harden, MD

Chair

Jennifer Hah, MD

Vice Chair

Scientific Poster Abstract Committee

➥ Solicit, evaluate, rank, and judge scientific poster abstract submissions.

Committee Chairs

Marie Hanna, MD, MEHP

Chair

Beth Hogans, MD, PhD

Vice Chair

AAPM MISSION

ADVOCATE.
EDUCATE.
COLLABORATE.