Welcome

Tricia Vecchione, MD, MPH
Program Chair

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine’s 14th Annual Meeting, which will be held at Atlantis Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas on March 4, 2027. It is an honor to serve as Program Chair and to help bring together our SPPM community for a day of learning, discussion, collaboration, and connection. This year’s theme, “Tides of Change: Advancing Pediatric Pain Care,” reflects both the evolving landscape of our field and our shared responsibility to move pediatric pain care forward.

Our program was developed with the goal of highlighting practical advances while also creating space to consider where our field is headed next. We have also encompassed a fitting “nautical” theme to our sessions inspired by our host island. On Thursday morning, we will officially open the meeting with a welcome, Board transition, and overview of the educational program.

We open our educational program with Session I: “Captain’s Orders: Build, Teach & Integrate,” a session that speaks directly to the work of building sustainable pediatric pain services and preparing the next generation of clinicians. I am especially excited to welcome Dr. Rasheeda Darville-Beneby, who is native to The Bahamas and joins us as an international speaker. Her presentation, “Trials and Tribulations Establishing a Chronic Pain Program in Low-resource Setting,” brings a particularly meaningful perspective to our meeting in Nassau, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of developing multidisciplinary pain care in resource-limited environments. She will be joined by Dr. Rani Sunder, whose discussion of simulation and competency in pediatric regional anesthesia will explore how we can build the next generation of skilled practitioners, and Dr. Anureet Walia, who will review the role of common blocks for children and adolescents with chronic pain. Together, these presentations emphasize practical strategies for building programs, teaching the next generation, and integrating interventional care within multidisciplinary treatment plans.

We then turn to Session II: “Making Waves in Pediatric Pain Pharmacology,” featuring Dr. Jordan Heser’s look at suzetrigine and the emerging landscape of non-opioid analgesia, Dr. Angelica Vargas’ review of supplements in pain management, and Dr. Wade Mincher’s discussion of low-dose naltrexone. These talks invite us to examine emerging and evolving pharmacologic approaches while remaining thoughtful about the evidence, safety, and unanswered questions that should guide pediatric practice.

After a brief coffee break with our exhibitors, we resume our program with Session III: “Safe Shores: Autism and Pediatric Pain” highlighting an important focus to the care of autistic and neurodivergent children. Dr. Kathleen Harris will address recognition and assessment of pain across diverse sensory, behavioral, communication and developmental needs, followed by Dr. Sydney Brown’s discussion of individualized pharmacologic and interventional strategies for acute pain. Dr. Kelly Prater will then bring an important sensory-informed and occupational therapy perspective to procedural and chronic pain. Together, these speakers will help us consider how individualized, developmentally appropriate, and interdisciplinary approaches can improve both pain care and the healthcare experience for neurodivergent children and their families.

During our lunch break visit our exhibitors and then take advantage of additional educational offerings including Problem-Based Learning Discussions (PBLDs) and Roundtable Discussions. Topics will cover a wide range of critical issues, such as navigating perioperative and acute pain challenges in patients with a history of substance use, pain management in Sickle Cell Disease, Functional Neurologic Disorder, and severe Graft versus Host Disease as well as the role of virtual reality in both acute and chronic pain management, building home catheter programs, and exploring the art of difficult conversations. 

After lunch, we are thrilled to present Session IV: “Navigating Stormy Seas: Pediatric Trauma Pain”. It will address the complex intersection of pain and trauma. Dr. Brad Landry will discuss pain management following pediatric spinal cord injury, while Dr. Mauricio Arce Villalobos will explore regional anesthesia in polytrauma, including the important balance between analgesia, neurologic assessment, and anticoagulation. Dr. Stanley Brewer will close the session by examining the psychological impact of traumatic stress and pain. This multidisciplinary session underscores the importance of coordinated, multi-modal, and patient-centered care for children facing significant injury.

Our afternoon continues with Session V: “Best Posters Session”. The session will begin with the presentation of this year’s SPPM Innovative Research Award recipients. Each winner will then give a brief presentation on their groundbreaking research. Following the award presentations, we will move into the top oral poster presentations, where we will hear about some of the most exciting and innovative research in pediatric pain medicine.

Following another short coffee break with our exhibitors, we will reconvene to explore Session VI: “Isles of Reinvention: Buprenorphine’s Role in Modern Pediatric Pain Care,” with Dr. Jamie Kitzman addressing buprenorphine in perioperative and acute pain and Dr. Mark Meyer discussing its role in chronic and palliative pain management. Their presentations will offer practical perspectives in conjunction with evolving knowledge on an increasingly important tool in the care of children and adolescents with complex pain needs.

We will close the educational day with Session VII: “Storm Front Showdown: PRO/CON Debate,” tackling the role of perioperative cryoablation for postoperative pain. Dr. Jamie Fleming and Dr. Stacy Peterson will take opposing sides of this important clinical question, providing a lively opportunity to examine emerging approaches from multiple perspectives. This format is designed to encourage thoughtful discussion and highlight the value of examining challenging clinical questions from multiple perspectives.

Please note that the workshops with be held on Thursday, March 4^th from 3:00-5:00pm, concurrent with the last two sessions of the program. We are excited to offer this series of high-quality workshops, covering a broad range of topics to enhance your pediatric pain practice. This year’s workshops include new techniques in regional anesthesia, acupuncture integration into practice and the implementation of a pediatric abdominal pain program.

We will then conclude the meeting with moderated posters, giving us one final opportunity to engage with colleagues and learn about the newest research in pediatric pain medicine.

Throughout the meeting, I hope you will take advantage not only of the formal presentations, but also of the discussions, questions, PBLDs, roundtables, workshops, poster sessions, and informal conversations that make SPPM meetings so valuable. Our specialty advances when we share ideas openly, challenge one another thoughtfully, and translate what we learn into better care for children and families.

It has truly been an honor to serve as Program Chair for the Society for Pain Medicine 14th Annual Meeting. I am deeply grateful to our speakers, moderators, poster presenters, workshop faculty, and the SPPM Education Committee and Board for the time, expertise, and creativity that has gone into developing this program. I would also like to extend my heartful gratitude to Dr. Cheryl Hartzell, who served as the Program Co-Chair, Dr. Sarah Rebstock, who served as our Program Shadow, and Dr. Blake Windsor, who served as our Affiliate Program Shadow. I would also like to express my deep appreciation for Dr. Stephen Hays, SPPM President, Dr. Vidya Chidambaran, SPPM Vice President and Education Committee Chair, and Dr. Amber Boruki, SPPM Secretary and Treasurer, for their unwavering support and guidance through this process. Finally, a huge THANK YOU to Kim Battle and the Ruggles team for all their hard work to make this event possible.

Most importantly, thank you to all of you for being part of our community and for your continued commitment to advancing pediatric pain care. I look forward to learning from you, reconnecting with many of you, and welcoming new voices to the conversation.

I hope you enjoy the 14th Annual Meeting and leave inspired with new knowledge, practical tools, and renewed energy for the work ahead. Together, we can navigate the tides of change and continue to advance pediatric pain care.