Pain center designated a center of excellence

- By Tracie White

The Stanford Pain Management Center has been named one of six centers of excellence nationwide this year by the American Pain Society for its successful multidisciplinary approach to relieving the suffering of patients with chronic pain disorders.

The society's second annual Clinical Centers of Excellence in Pain Management Awards, announced April 10, acknowledge a growing movement within the medical community away from the biomedical model of treating chronic pain as simply a byproduct of another disorder, said Sean Mackey, MD, PhD. Mackey is the chief of the Division of Pain Management at Stanford Hospital & Clinics and also associate professor of anesthesia at the School of Medicine.

The pain society established the award program in 2006 to recognize multidisciplinary pain-management programs that offer direct patient care.

The Stanford Pain Management Center treats 6,000 patients a year who are seen by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, psychologists, physical therapists and occupational therapists.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.

2023 ISSUE 3

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