On February 21, our UPMC Pain Medicine Division held their 8th annual retreat at Cooper Conference Center in UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. The event reviewed the division’s past, present, and future work, recognized the division’s excellent providers, and provided participants with an afternoon to unwind and refuel.
About 50 people, including physicians, advanced practice providers, RNs, behavioral health providers, and fellows attended the event and earned continuing educational credits by participating in expert lectures, including:
- Becky Orenstein, MA, MNO, HCI/UPMC sHRBP, Diversity Learning Consultant, UPMC Center for Engagement and Inclusion, “Unconscious Bias”
- Ajay Wasan, MD, MSc, “The Present and Future of UPMC Chronic Pain Medicine”
- Benedict Alter, MD, PhD, “Translational Potential of Endogenous Analgesia”
- Trent Emerick, MD, MBA, “The Five Forces of Health Care”
The retreat included a lecture from surprise guest speaker John Innocenti, President of UPMC Presbyterian/Shadyside. Tina Blem, RN, who retired at the end of May 2020 after working for almost 50 years as an RN and with Chronic Pain since 2009, was recognized at the retreat and presented with a gift for her years of service. Shannon Oddi, PA-C, who won a 2019 UPMC Excellence in Patient Experience Award, was also recognized and presented with flowers at the event.
All photos from the retreat can be viewed online.