Cite as: Cohen S. President’s message: connecting, learning, and leading—new opportunities with ASRA Pain Medicine in 2026. ASRA Pain Medicine News 2026;51. https://doi.org/10.52211/asra020126.001.

President’s Message

Being president of ASRA Pain Medicine differs in important ways from serving as chair of an academic department or as a commander within a military unit. Academic departments and military organizations operate within hierarchical structures, with defined chains of command and clear lines of authority. Leadership within a professional society, however, is inherently collaborative and requires a different skill set, including balancing and mediating among diverse viewpoints, prioritizing goals, seeking compromise when appropriate, facilitating new initiatives, and sunsetting those that are no longer effective.

Fortunately, this model brings significant advantages. ASRA Pain Medicine benefits from a deep bench of dedicated, highly qualified volunteers whose diverse perspectives enrich discussions and strengthen decision-making. In most circumstances, the diversity of viewpoints represented within our society and on our board enhances both execution and innovation, allowing ASRA Pain Medicine to remain responsive to its members while advancing our shared mission across education, research, and advocacy.

Report on Our Successful Annual Pain Medicine Meeting in Austin, TX

With the theme “The Full Spectrum of Pain Care,” the 24th Annual Pain Medicine Meeting, held November 13-15, 2025, in Austin, TX, was a success, exceeding pre-conference estimates for attendance, evaluations, and feedback. Despite widespread institutional and governmental funding cuts, a government shutdown, and significant travel disruptions during the week of the meeting, approximately 1,000 individuals attended.

Drs. Anuj Bhatia and Sandy Christiansen co-chaired the meeting, and their complementary interests and skill sets supported a dual-chair format. (Photo 1) The preconference symposium, “Advancing Practice Across the Military and VA Health Systems,” featured leaders from the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force; the Uniformed Services University; the Veterans Affairs Health System; and speakers from Ukraine discussing emerging approaches to postamputation pain. One day after the preconference session, NBC aired a nationally televised segment on the use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of postamputation pain, featuring Ukrainian speakers Drs. Nadiya Segin and Roman Smolynets. The symposium also included the rollout of neuromodulation guidelines for active-duty service members. (Photo 2) The energy from the symposium continued into the main meeting program as well. Highlights included a special lecture by Kimberly Gonzalez from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration on the roles and responsibilities of law enforcement and the medical community in addressing the opioid crisis, the Resident/Fellow and Pain Program Director Meet-and-Greets where trainees and program directors networked and made connections, and the John J. Bonica lecture delivered by award recipient and former Editor-in-Chief of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Dr. Marc Huntoon. (Photo 3)

As we move into 2026, be sure to mark your calendars for the 2026 Pain Medicine Meeting, to be held November 5-7 in Tampa, FL, chaired by Drs. Tina Doshi and Ariana Nelson. (Photo 4)

New Year, New Benefits of Membership

Get an Edge with ASRA Pain Medicine EDGE

The rollout of ASRA Pain Medicine EDGE (EDucation Gateway for Excellence) this year marks an exciting addition to our menu of membership benefits. EDGE provides an online system for users to learn about topics across the pain continuum, including acute pain management, prevention of the development of chronic pain, pharmacologic, integrative, and interventional treatments for chronic pain, ethical considerations, and practice management.

ASRA Pain Medicine EDGE epitomizes the new way professionals stay up to date with the plethora of new information emerging every month. Enrollees can learn anywhere, at any time, on almost any topic, using any method that suits their needs, such as webinars, podcasts, lectures, and articles. Led by ASRA Pain Medicine Treasurer Dr. Stuart Grant, the platform features content delivered by experts worldwide and supports flexible, needs-based Continuing Medical Education (CME) participation. In 2026, EDGE will be available to all members at no additional cost. Nonmembers will be charged $30 per CME credit. As a member, if you earn 15 CME credits, that’s a savings of $450, far more than the cost of membership. I trust and hope you will take advantage of this valuable benefit.

Mentorship for Those in Their Early Career

Another new benefit this year is the Regional Anesthesia and Multidisciplinary Pain (RAMP) Early Career Mentorship Program, designed to bridge the gap between fellowship training and mid-career practice for physicians in acute and chronic pain medicine. Early-career pain physicians face a range of challenges, including establishing a practice, identifying a professional niche, determining appropriate treatments for individual patients, managing burnout, navigating practice management, and, for those in academic medicine, obtaining guidance on research and career development.

Led by Drs. Christy Hunt and Lynn Kohan, the program features mentorship pods that meet quarterly with a focus on practice management and career development. Membership is free and offered on a rolling basis, and ASRA Pain Medicine continues to welcome both mentors and mentees.

Educational Event Roundup

World Day of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine

On January 31, Drs. Raj Gupta and Rakesh Sondekoppam led a 6-hour livestream celebrating World Day of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. This year’s observance was bigger than ever, with events held worldwide. The ASRA Pain Medicine livestream highlighted the prevention and management of wrong-sided or wrong-site blocks, the past, present, and future of peripheral nerve stimulation, and regional anesthesia for urology and cardiac surgery. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia Course

That same day, the two-day Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia Course kicked off in Chapel Hill, NC. This course is a signature event for regional anesthesia enthusiasts and practitioners, offering an immersive experience with world-renowned experts and comprehensive coverage of regional anesthesia from head to toe. New this year, a limited number of spots were available for a special pre-course anatomy lab for specimen dissection. Registrants received an in-depth tutorial on anatomical dissection, focusing on the brachial plexus, femoral nerve and its branches, sciatic nerve, chest, and back, to visualize anatomy specific to commonly performed nerve blocks. After a successful event in North Carolina, organizers have already begun planning for 2027.

Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting

The 51st Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting, being held April 16-18, 2026, in Phoenix, AZ, will feature a theme of “Redefining the Role and Value of Regional Anesthesia.” Meeting chairs, Drs. Linda Le-Wendling and Steve Porter invite you to explore new topics, including controversies in regional anesthesia, strategies to prevent and minimize neurological complications, and a special symposium on communicating effectively with surgeons and hospital leaders to improve care and optimize outcomes.

The program offers a variety of plenary, ask-the-expert, and moderated poster sessions, along with problem-based learning discussions and hands-on workshops, with something for everyone from novices to experts. This meeting will again feature a special military-VA symposium led by military and VA leaders, and co-chaired by Captain Harold Gelfand, director of the Defense and Center for Integrated Pain Management, and Dr. Tim Dawson, anesthesia specialty leader and deputy pain management specialty leader for the VA Health System, as well as Chair of the Department of Anesthesia at the Puget Sound VA and Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington.

Learn more about this event, which is designed to challenge assumptions, broaden perspectives (with input from guest surgeons and international faculty), and offer interactive sessions that support practice and leadership development. Wrap up the meeting with an unforgettable evening of networking and fun at the Saturday Celebration. We promise you’ll be inspired and entertained. (Photo 5)

ASRA Pain Medicine continues to build on the momentum of recent years by creating opportunities for learning, collaboration, and professional growth. We are the leaders in pain medicine, with initiatives ranging from funding important research endeavors, spearheading advocacy, treating (and preventing) pain from an operation or acutely after trauma, and caring for the growing number of individuals left to suffer with chronic pain. The contributions of our volunteers, leaders, educators, and members form the foundation for these initiatives, and it is inspiring to see our community come together to advance pain care across settings and practice stages. We look forward to continued engagement and shared success in the months and years ahead.