Chronic Pain program ideas needed

[kennethhoff]

Hi all,

I have been a CP patient for 13 years, and a member of the ADR Support board for awhile now. I am hopefully scheduled for an ADR in February now.

I work at a local community health center with 6 locations serving the under-insured and needy.

As many of you know yourselves, getting adequate chronic pain care is difficult, costly, and often a big run-around. So imagine what it is like for those who can't afford it, have no insurance, or lost theirs with their job, etc ...

Our community health center has been trying to start a chronic pain program to help the doctors care for CP patients they see. The docs are all primary care, and can't refer out since most private Pain docs won't see/take uninsured or indigent. So I am trying to find ways to fund a program for us, either through grants, or convince our CEO it is worth having someone dedicated to serving the CP population out of operating funds.

Long story short, I am hoping for ideas anyone can think of on how to fund a CP program as part of Care Management, that I can take to my CEO and suggest. Cost, how to manage CP patients, goals, measurements that the programs works and can be measured, etc ...

If you have any good ideas, post, PM me, anything so CP patients with little funds or insurance can get the help they deserve.

Ken

[Harrison]

Ken,

This is a very noble quest you've undertaken. We share some of the same challenges; I wish had some advice, gold or winning lottery tickets for you! The only ideas are the most obvious: include your local community, especially your medical professionals...