2018 Elizabeth Narcessian Award for Outstanding Educational Achievements in the Field of Pain
Rollin M. Gallagher, MD MPH
Dr. Gallagher, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Anesthesiology, University of Pennsylvania and Editor-in-Chief, Pain Medicine, recently retired as National Director for Pain Management, Veterans Health Administration, and Co-chair, Pain Management Workgroup, DoD-VA Health Executive Council. Raised in New England, after Harvard(BA), Boston University(MD), general practice training/experience(Colorado), and psychiatry training(Dartmouth), his early career in psychiatry/family medicine at Vermont focused on leading NIMH-funded biopsychosocial medicine education programs for medical students, residents and practicing physicians, developing a multi-disciplinary behavioral medicine and pain program, and roles as residency director and education dean. Back pain outcomes research prompted a mid-career NIMH post-doc in epidemiology/MPH(Columbia) studying pain and depression, and development of interdisciplinary pain programs at SUNY Stony Brook, Drexel, and Philadelphia VA/Penn. He enjoys many-year friendships with APS, AAPM, Pain Medicine and VA-DoD colleagues in teaching, research and patient care, particularly with Veterans. Pain education leadership positions include: ACGME Pain Medicine Fellowship Committee; President, American Board of Pain Medicine; Co-chair/ website editor, National Pain Foundation); AAPM Board(President,2009-10); Co-chair, Professional Education/Training Sub-Committee, IPRCC/National Pain Strategy. With VHA colleagues, he championed implementation of system-wide competency in stepped pain care focusing on post-graduate primary care training programs based on the principles of academic detailing, such as the Pain Mini-residency, SCAN-ECHO, Opioid Safety Initiative, and, with DoD, Tiered Acupuncture Training Across Clinical Settings(ATACS) and Joint Pain Education and Training Project(JPEP). A life-long birder(Audubon PA Board) and sometime hiker, skier and fisherman, he and wife Virginia Rauh, Columbia Public Health Professor, bring children, grandchildren, family and friends to beloved Vermont as often as possible.
The Elizabeth Narcessian Award was named in memory of Elizabeth Narcessian, MD, a noted educator on the appropriate use of opioids, patient assessment, and approaches to rehabilitation of patients devastated by chronic pain. The award recognizes outstanding contributions highlighting dedication or innovation in education in the field of pain.
