This fall, Pain BC is engaged in a number of important clinical education initiatives. We are once again partnering with Providence Health Care to present Interdisciplinary Pain Education Day on October 22, 2021. The one-day conference will match IASP’s theme “Back pain” and features live presentations from long-time Pain BC collaborators, including Joletta Belton, co-chair of the IASP’s Global Alliance of Partners for Pain Advocacy and a person with pain. A full list of presenters and topics can be found here.

These professional learning opportunities complement our established range of courses and resources for health professionals, and further our mission to improve the well-being of all people with pain. I encourage both health care providers and people with pain to join us for Interdisciplinary Pain Education Day, and to look out for further information about the launch of the BCAMN in future newsletters. By working together and learning from each other, we can close the knowledge gaps in our health system and ensure people with pain have the evidence-based care they need to live well.

We're excited to partner with Providence Health Care to offer an incredible day of learning about back pain from the comfort of your home or office! The Interdisciplinary Pain Education Day (IPED) annual conference features presentations from renowned health care providers, researchers and people with pain. This year's conference theme is focused on back pain and will feature:

Have you heard of our Pain Support Line but never used it? As part of our program-improvement process, we are looking for people with pain to take part in a 15-minute, virtual interview about the program. If you’re an adult (18+) BC resident with pain who is aware of the Pain Support Line (for example, you have seen an ad for the service or had it recommended by a friend or health provider) but have never contacted the Pain Support Line, we’re interested in hearing from you.

We're looking for a permanent full-time Director of Support Services who can aid the growth and impact of all of Pain BC's Support Services programs, including the Pain Support Line, Coaching for Health and Pain Support and Wellness Groups programs.

We're looking for a full-time Education Programs Coordinator to add value to education programs through activities that bring efficiency within the portfolio for projects and day-to-day activities, as well as support seamless execution at educational events sponsored by Pain BC or its partners.

We're looking for a full-time, temporary Instructional Designer who can help design Pain BC’s educational programs for health care providers, people living with pain, and our volunteer community.

Cassie and Friends Society has launched a new virtual education seminar series to help families impacted by pediatric rheumatic diseases learn how to navigate life with a chronic condition. Working closely with Children's Hospitals and pediatric teams across Canada, they have created expert led sessions on topics such as Uveitis, physical activity and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. All of the past webinars are available as recordings, and the next live session is on October 28, 2021, with a theme of 'Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Rheumatology Care.'

Providence Health Care Research Institute is hosting its first-ever Hacking Pain event on November 26 and 27, 2021 to tackle some of the challenges faced by people with lived experience and the community when dealing with pain. People from a diverse range of backgrounds, including people with pain, caregivers and health care providers, are invited to attend and work together to come up with solutions for challenges related to pain. Register to participate or submit a pain-related problem by October 1, 2021.

The Pain Society of Alberta is hosting the World Pain Summit virtually on October 15-17, 2021. Registration costs range from $49.00 to $99.00 for health care providers, while people living with pain and medical students are invited to attend for free.

CHANGEpain and UBC are launching a 20-week program to help physically prepare surgical patients in advance of their surgeries. Covered by MSP and funded by the UBC Department of Anesthesiology, the study will evaluate factors impacting patients' surgical help. To apply, ask your physician to fax your referral to 604-566-9102 and make sure they write 'UBC-Study' on the referral. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Dr. Emmanuel Abreu at Eabreau@Changepain.ca, or call 604-566-9101 ext. 109.

The UBC Vision Lab is looking for people with chronic back pain or fibromyalgia to participate in a study that uses a wearable body sensor to look at how nervous system activity is related to emotional and physical well-being. Eligible participants must be at least 18 years of age, fluent in English and not have heart disease. Anyone interested can email Veronica Dudarev at studypain@psych.ubc.ca.

The UBC School of Nursing and SFU School of Interactive Arts + Technology are looking for people with cancer, who also experience chronic pain, to test the use of immersive multimedia experiences as a form of pain management. Research participants can complete the study from their homes and will be provided with an honorarium for their time. More information on the study, including eligibility, can be accessed here. To apply, please contact Crystal Sun, Project Manager at crystal.sun@ubc.ca.