• Procedural Pearls and Pitfalls: What We Wish We Knew Our First Year Out  | June 25  Early Career Council Live Q&A: FREE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
• Recognize a Colleague for an IPSIS Award | June 30 Nomination Deadline
• Advance Your Impact: IPSIS Division & Committee Volunteer Opportunities | July 6 Application Deadline
  
  
• Advocacy Hill Day: Receive Free Concierge-Level Support and Training for September 23 Capitol Hill Meetings in Washington, D.C. | July 18 Registration Deadline
  

• NEW FACTFINDER: Iodinated Contrast & Renal Insufficiency Risk
  
  
• UPDATED EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS: Currently Available in Interventional Pain Medicine Volume 5, Issue 2  | Member Compilation Coming Soon 
  
  
• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• ANNUAL MEETING: Washington, D.C. | September 23-26
• BIO-SKILLS LAB: Neurostimulation Bio-Skills Lab  | Washington, D.C. | September 26-27
  
  
• Announcing the IPSIS 2026 Early Career Bio-Skills Lab Scholarship Recipients

• Whiplash Pain: Myth, Mechanism, and Misunderstanding | August 6  | “Ask the Experts” Episode 21 Live Q&A: FREE REGISTRATION REQUIRED 
  

• Representing IPSIS at the June 2026 AMA House of Delegates

• Basivertebral Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation (BVNA) Survey
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance

• Compare Interpretations, Recognize Patterns, and Explore Complex Cases in the Case Review Community
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum

• Zachary Ashwell, MD – Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist, Victoria Imaging Consultants
  
• Adedayo Balogun, DO – Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Resident, University of Colorado Anschutz
  
• Carsen Cash, MD – Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine Fellow, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  
• David Gallacher, MD, MBA – Chief Resident, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz
  
• Sanaa Karim, DO – Clinical Assistant Professor, Pain Medicine, OU Health Physicians
  
• Logan Leavitt, DO – Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine Fellow, Barrow Brain and Spine
  
• Edward Pingenot, DO – Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Resident, NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia/Cornell
  
• Dustin Randall, MD – Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Resident, Stanford University
  
• Oranicha Jumreornvong, MD – Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Resident, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  
• Clara Yuh, DO – Pain Medicine Fellow, University of Washington

"We were incredibly impressed by the depth of talent and enthusiasm demonstrated by this year's applicants," said Scott Naftulin, DO, IPSIS Chair of Member Engagement. "Congratulations to our scholarship recipients. We look forward to welcoming them for an exceptional educational experience and the opportunity to further develop their procedural skills alongside faculty and peers."

While scholarship recipients earned complimentary access through a competitive application process, the same hands-on training experience is available to all physicians seeking to advance their procedural expertise. Explore upcoming Bio-Skills Labs and IPSIS training opportunities around the world at IPSISmed.org/Labs.

Supporting the next generation of interventional pain physicians is a core IPSIS mission. Through free membership for residents and fellows and the leadership of the Early Career Council, IPSIS provides educational programming, mentorship, scholarships, and networking opportunities designed to help physicians build confidence, expand their skills, and thrive throughout their careers. Early career members can take advantage of:

• Live Q&A webinars focused on real-world clinical and career development topics
  
• Annual Meeting travel grants to support participation in IPSIS's premier educational event
  
• Face-to-face micro-mentoring sessions with IPSIS leaders during the IPSIS 2026 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. (look for details in July).
  
• The Annual Meeting Job Fair, connecting physicians with employers and career opportunities in interventional pain medicine. 
  

Supporting early-career physicians and trainees is central to the IPSIS mission. Help sustain this vital work with your donation. IPSIS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Applications are now open for volunteer opportunities for IPSIS divisions and committees.

Serving is an opportunity to help shape the future of interventional pain medicine alongside leaders in the field. Benefits include:

• Increased professional visibility
  
• Opportunities to influence policy, education, standards, and Society initiatives
  
• Leadership and career development experience
  
• Expanded networking and collaboration opportunities
• A meaningful way to advance the specialty and patient care

Click here to view the opportunities and begin your application.

Submit your application by July 6, 2026.

Appointments will be made at the September 23–26, 2026, IPSIS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

• MAY 31: Research Mentorship Class Applications Due
• JUNE 15: Regenerative Therapies for Chronic Pain Survey Closes

• ANNUAL MEETING: Washington, D.C. | September 23-26
• BIO-SKILLS LAB: Comprehensive Individualized Instruction: Ultrasound-Guided Bio-Skills Lab | Washington, D.C. | September 26-27

• Epidural Steroid Injections: Not As Simple As You’d Think! | June 11 | “Ask the Experts” Episode 20 Live Q&A: FREE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
• Procedural Pearls and Pitfalls: What We Wish We Knew Our First Year Out | June 25 | Early Career Council Live Q&A: FREE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

• IPSIS Representation at April 2026 AMA RUC Meeting

• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• NEW RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT 🔒: Neuromodulation for Postoperative LBP
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance

• CASE REVIEW 🔒: Guest Case 17 Wrap-Up
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum

• Your Mission Awaits With the Special Projects Network

IPSIS members with open positions: connect with top candidates at the inaugural IPSIS Annual Meeting Job Fair — a complimentary member benefit.

Showcase your roles, highlight your mission, and meet candidates across all career stages. You or your hiring representative are welcome to participate.

Tables are limited and available first come, first served. Reserve your complimentary table now.

Have a job to post now? IPSIS members post positions for free on the IPSIS Career Center.

• APRIL 30: Early Career Physician 2026 Annual Meeting Travel Grants
  
  
• MAY 31: Research Mentorship Class

• CONFERENCE: The IPSIS 2026 European Congress | Budapest, Hungary | 25-26 April
  
  
• ANNUAL MEETING: Washington, D.C. | September 23-26
  
  
• BIO-SKILLS LAB: Neurostimulation Bio-Skills Lab | Washington, D.C. | September 26-27

• Epidural Steroid Injections: Not As Simple As You’d Think! | June 11 | “Ask the Experts” Episode 20 Live Q&A: FREE REGISTRATION REQUIRED 

• IPSIS Welcomes Bipartisan Action to Withdraw Proposed Peripheral Nerve Block Cuts
  
  
• IPSIS Leads Push for Access to Ultrasound Guidance for Trigger Point Injections

• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• NEW RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT 🔒: Microfragmented Adipose Tissue Injections
  
  
• HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LATEST ISSUE: Interventional Pain Medicine: Volume 5, Issue 1
  
  
• Regenerative Therapies for Chronic Pain Survey
  
  
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance

• CASE REVIEW 🔒: Guest Case 17 Wrap-Up
  
  
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum

• Your Mission Awaits With the Special Projects Network

• MARCH 31: Early Career Physician 2026 Bio-Skills Lab Scholarships
  
  
• MARCH 31: Washington, D.C. | September 23-26 | Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts
  
  
• APRIL 30: Early Career Physician 2026 Annual Meeting Travel Grants
  
  
• MAY 31: Research Mentorship Class
  

• Neuromodulation for Spine Care — STIMULATING | April 8 | “Ask the Experts” Episode 19 Live Q&A: FREE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
  
  
• The Real Pain After Fellowship — Choosing Academia vs. Private Practice | Early Career Council Webinar Series: STREAM NOW

• Your Mission Awaits With the Special Projects Network

• Preserving Basivertebral Nerve Ablation Access
  
  
• Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Coverage: Multisociety Advocacy Update

• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• NEW RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT 🔒: Lumbar Compression Fractures After BVNA
  
  
• Recently Published IPSIS-Funded Research
  
  
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance

• CASE REVIEW 🔒: Case 45 Wrap-Up
  
  
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum

• CONFERENCE: The IPSIS 2026 European Congress | Budapest, Hungary | 25-26 April
  
  
• BIO-SKILLS LAB: Advanced Cervical Bio-Skills Lab | Calgary, Alberta | 13-14 June
  

• NEW ASK THE EXPERTS VIDEO & PODCAST 🔒: Electrodiagnostics in Spine Care — Shocking
  
  
• FREE EARLY CAREER COUNCIL LIVE Q&A WEBINAR 🔒: The Real Pain After Fellowship — Choosing Academia vs. Private Practice - February 25
  
  
• Your Mission Awaits With the Special Projects Network
  

• Dr. Yusef Sayeed Represented IPSIS at the February 2026 AMA CPT Meeting

• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• NEW RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT 🔒: PNS for Chronic Low Back Pain
  
  
• MARCH 1 DEADLINE: Nikolai Bogduk Young Investigator Grant Letter of Intent
  
  
• MARCH 31 DEADLINE: Call for Abstracts for September 23-26, Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
  
  
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance
  

• NEW CASE REVIEW 🔒: Case 45 Wrap-Up
  
  
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum 🔒

• BIO-SKILLS LAB: Radiofrequency Bio-Skills Lab – Las Vegas, Nevada – March 28- 29, 2026
  
  
• CONFERENCE: The IPSIS 2026 Winter Seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico – February 26-28
  

• FREE ASK THE EXPERTS LIVE Q&A WEBINAR 🔒: Electrodiagnostics in Spine Care — Shocking – February 3
  
  
• FREE EARLY CAREER COUNCIL LIVE Q&A WEBINAR 🔒: The Real Pain After Fellowship — Choosing Academia vs. Private Practice - February 25
  
  
• Your Mission Awaits With the Special Projects Network
  

• Drs. Wagner & Mauck Represent IPSIS at the AMA RUC Meeting

• NEW FACTFINDER: Are Interventional Spine Procedures Safe to Perform in Severely Hypertensive Asymptomatic Patients?
  
  
• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• NEW RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT 🔒: The Value of PNS Trials
  
  
• FEBRUARY 1 DEADLINE: IPSIS Research Grant Letter of Intent
  
  
• MARCH 1 DEADLINE: Nikolai Bogduk Young Investigator Grant Letter of Intent
  
  
• MARCH 31 DEADLINE: Call for Abstracts for September 23-26, Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
  
  
• NEW ISSUE: Interventional Pain Medicine Journal Volume 4, Supplement 2 (IPSIS 2025 Annual Meeting Abstracts)
  
  
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance
  

• NEW CASE REVIEW 🔒: Case 45 Intro
  
  
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum 🔒

• BIO-SKILLS LAB: Lumbar Bio-Skills Lab – Las Vegas, Nevada – March 28-29, 2026
  
  
• CONFERENCE: The IPSIS 2026 Winter Seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico – February 26-28
  

• IPSIS Wrapped: 2025 By the Numbers
  
  
• ASK THE EXPERTS LIVE Q&A WEBINAR 🔒: Electrodiagnostics in Spine Care — Shocking – February 3
  
  
• Your Mission Awaits With the Special Projects Network 

• WISeR Implementation Guidance 🔒
  
  
• AMA Backs IPSIS-Supported PNB Coverage Resolution

• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• 6 JANUARY DEADLINE: Call for Abstracts for 25-26 April 2026, European Congress in Budapest, Hungary
  
  
• NEW RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT 🔒: Surgery Sparing Interdisciplinary Disc Herniation Tx
  
  
• 2025 Young Investigator Grant Goes To . . .
  
  
• Letters of Intent Deadlines: Research Grants Due February 1st; Nikolai Bogduk Young Investigator Grant Due March 1st
  
  
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance

• NEW CASE REVIEW 🔒: Guest Case 16 Wrap-Up
  
  
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum 🔒

• BIO-SKILLS LAB: Lumbar Bio-Skills Lab – Phoenix, Arizona – February 7-8, 2026
  
  
• CONFERENCE: The IPSIS 2026 Winter Seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico – February 26-28
  

• Ask the Experts webinars + podcasts have now been streamed over 7,000 times. Episode 18 on electrodiagnostics is coming February 3, 2026.
• This year, the 100+ videos on the Case Review Community were streamed 1,473 times, sparking discussion and sharpening decision-making.
• The IPSIS Open Forum is your always-on colleague network for clinical and practice questions. This year members have held discussions on 38 topics.
• 12 updated IPSIS Safety Practices for Interventional Pain Procedures were published online and in Interventional Pain Medicine (IPM).
• In 2025, IPSIS FactFinders were downloaded 7,768 times. This year we added a new searchable database for all 79 patient safety issues we've covered, including this year’s installments:
  • GLP-1 and Conscious Sedation
  • BVNRFN Approaches
  • Steroid Injections and Hyperglycemia
  • Steroid Preservatives & ESIs
  • Serum Glucose Cutoff for Steroid Injections
  • ESI and Surgical Site Infections
  • Vial Swabbing
  • RFN and Implanted Devices
  • ESIs & Fracture Risk

New Releases: ADVANCING AND INVESTING IN THE SCIENCE — how IPSIS keeps the specialty moving forward.

• The 1,000 copies of the first printing of the 4-volume IPSIS Technical Manual are already in doctor's hands wherever procedures are being performed to the highest standards. And, with a second printing now shipping and the eBook editions live, physicians around the globe have access to this new integral publication.
• Interventional Pain Medicine (IPM), our official PubMed Central-indexed journal, published 207 articles this year across 4 issues and 1 supplement, and continues to waive Article Publishing Charges to support the expansion of the evidence base.
• Continued research investments funding 10 ongoing studies, 55 abstract presentations across 3 meetings, 12 Research Spotlights, and 3 systematic reviews this year keep members connected to emerging data and best practices.
  

Fan Favorites: ADVOCACY FOR COVERAGE AND REIMBURSEMENT — the behind-the-scenes work that protects access.

• This year, IPSIS issued and joined in on 82 comment letters to promote access and coverage for evidence-based interventional pain procedures.
• Your coding and reimbursement interests were represented in 3 AMA CPT meetings, 3 RUC meetings, and 2 House of Delegates meetings.

Breakout Playlist: EARLY CAREER SUPPORT — support for physicians building momentum.

• The Early Career Council continues to address the unique challenges of entry into the field. Watch this year's early-career focused webinars:
  • Research Without a Lab: Starting Clinical Projects in Any Setting
  • Navigating Your ACGME and NASS Pain Medicine Fellowship Interviews
• 25 Micro-mentoring sessions were offered at our annual meeting — be sure to attend next year in Washington, D.C.
• 4 inaugural Early Career Member Lumbar Bio-Skills Lab Scholarships were awarded in 2025.
  

Tour Dates: IN-PERSON EVENTS — connect with your IPSIS community in person.

• Winter Seminar in San Juan, February 26-28
• European Congress in Budapest, 25-26 April
• Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., September 23-26
• Bio-Skills Labs, IPSIS’s flagship hands-on training, are consistently rated by attendees as truly stand-apart.

Regards,
Alison Stout, DO
IPSIS President

Help sustain these vital services with your donations. The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS) is a tax-exempt organization under US section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

• NOVEMBER 24 DEADLINE: Call for Session Proposals for September 23-26, 2026, Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
  
  
• ASK THE EXPERTS LIVE Q&A WEBINAR 🔒: The ‘Shneck’ — Addressing the Shoulder as a Masquerader of Neck Pain – December
  
  
• Your Mission Awaits With the Special Projects Network 

• IPSIS Acts to Safeguard Peripheral Nerve Block and Ablation Patient Access
  
  
• Physician and Patient Resources to Join Patient Access Fight
  
  
• Final 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Highlights 🔒
  
  
• IPSIS Seeks End to “Black Box” Prior Authorization
  
  
• IPSIS Supports Legislation to Expand Physician-Led Hospitals
  
  
• Drs. W. David Mauck and Kate Sayeed Represent IPSIS at AMA HOD Meeting

• NEW FACTFINDER: Should Patients Pause GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Before Conscious Sedation?
  
  
• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• 6 JANUARY DEADLINE: Call for Abstracts for 25-26 April 2026, European Congress in Budapest, Hungary
  
  
• NEW RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT 🔒: Antithrombotics and CTFESI
  
  
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance

• NEW CASE REVIEW 🔒: Guest Case 16 Wrap-Up
  
  
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum 🔒

• BIO-SKILLS LAB: Comprehensive Individualized Instruction: Ultrasound-Guided – Long Beach, California – January 10-11, 2026
  
  
• CONFERENCE: The IPSIS 2026 Winter Seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico – February 26-28
  
  
• ONLINE: Imaging Anatomy For The Spine Interventionalist
  

On the IPSIS Open Forum — the IPSIS members-only discussion board — your colleagues are currently discussing next steps for occipital headache treatments following nerve blocks and injections and whether botulinum should be considered. You can also jump in recent threads about cervical epidurals with existing myelomalacia and a discussion about getting the best deals on grounding RF pads.

With thousands of IPSIS member physicians worldwide who have seen countless patients, it’s a good bet that some of them have answers to your questions. Don’t hesitate to ask! Start your own threads on the IPSIS Open Forum today.

Learn about the wide range of other IPSIS member benefits.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join the IPSIS Special Projects Network — a new, flexible way for members to contribute their expertise to high-impact initiatives within IPSIS.

• Curriculum development
• Coverage policy comments and advocacy efforts
• Systematic reviews
• Research protocol development
• Reviews and comments on external guidelines or publications

ENROLL IN THE NETWORK
Send us an email to enroll.

• Throughout the year, enrolled members will have the opportunity to volunteer for specific projects that align with their interests and expertise, contributing to timely, high-quality work that advances the field.
• Participation is voluntary and project-based — allowing members to engage meaningfully without long-term commitments.

Email volunteer@IPSISmed.org to enroll today!

• Ask the Experts Q&A Webinar 🔒: Diagnosis and Treatment of Spine-Related Injuries in Athletes — October 15

• New FactFinder: Basivertebral Nerve Radiofrequency Neurotomy
  
  
• New Systematic Review: Spinal Cord Stimulation
  
  
• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• ACT NOW: Peripheral Nerve Blocks and Ablations LCD Comments Due 11/8
  
  
• IPSIS Urges BCBS Plans to Revise PNS Coverage Policies
  
  
• IPSIS Seeks Physician Waiver From New $100K Visa Fee
  
  
• Graham E. Wagner, MD, Represented IPSIS at the September 2025 AMA RUC Meeting
  
  
• Yusef Sayeed, MD, Represented IPSIS at the September 2025 AMA CPT Meeting

• New Research Spotlight 🔒: Spinal Cord Stimulation Australian Patterns of Care, Insurer Costs, & Unplanned Surgical Intervention Rates
  
  
• Call for Abstracts for the February 26-28, 2026, Winter Seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico — SUBMISSION PERIOD CLOSES OCTOBER 21, 2025
  
  
• Help Shape the Future of AI in Interventional Pain Practice
  
  
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance

• Latest Case Review Community Video 🔒: Guest Case 16 Intro
  
  
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum 🔒

• The IPSIS 2026 European Congress in Budapest, Hungary — 25-26 April
  
  
• Bio-Skills Lab: Radiofrequency Bio-Skills Lab — New Orleans, Louisiana — November 8-9, 2025
  
  
• Online: History and Physical Examination for the Interventional Pain Physician
  

• Congratulations to the IPSIS 2025 Award Winners
  
  
• APPLY NOW: Call for Volunteers
  
  
• September 2025 Issue of Interventional Pain Medicine Now Available
  
  
• The Next Free Ask the Experts Live Q&A Webinar 🔒: Diagnosis and Treatment of Spine-Related Injuries in Athletes — October 15
  
  
• Budapest, 25-26 April 2026 European Congress Registration Now Open

• New FactFinder: Steroid Injections and Hyperglycemia
  
  
• IPSIS Technical Manual Available in Print & Digital

• Comments on the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule

• New Research Spotlight 🔒: SIJ Fusion
  
  
• Congratulations to the 2025 Annual Meeting Abstract Award Winners
  
  
• Call for Abstracts Open for the February 26-28, 2026 Winter Seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico — SUBMISSION PERIOD CLOSES OCTOBER 21, 2025
  
  
• Find an IPSIS Research Mentor for One-On-One Support and Guidance

• Latest Case Review Community Video 🔒: Case 44 Wrap-Up
  
  
• Join the Conversations on the Open Forum 🔒

• The Next Free Early Career Council Live Q&A Webinar 🔒: Research Without a Lab: Starting Clinical Projects in Any Setting — September 29

• The IPSIS 2026 Winter Seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico — February 26-28
  
  
• Bio-Skills Lab: Disc and Vertebral Body Access — Long Beach, California — October 11-12, 2025
  
  
• Online: Imaging Anatomy for The Spine Interventionalist

Charles N. Aprill Lifetime Achievement Award

At the IPSIS Annual Meeting in Denver, the Charles N. Aprill Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Michael B. Furman, MD, MS for his significant career-spanning contributions to the field of interventional pain medicine. The Aprill Award is the highest distinction that IPSIS bestows. 

Richard Derby Distinguished Service Award

IPSIS Past President Joshua Rittenberg, MD, and IPSIS founding member Richard Derby, MD, present Dr. Derby’s namesake Distinguished Service Award to D. Scott Kreiner, MD.

Outstanding Volunteer Award

We celebrated the achievements of volunteers in Denver. Here’s IPSIS Past President Joshua Rittenberg, MD, flanked by the IPSIS 2025 Outstanding Volunteer Award winners Reza Ehsanian, MD, PhD (left), and Kevin "Buzz" Barrette, MD (right).

Instructor of the Year Award

IPSIS Past President Joshua Rittenberg, MD, (center) presents his instructor colleagues Patrick H. Waring, MD (left), and Fred DeFrancesch, MD, (right) the IPSIS Instructor of the Year Award at the Annual Meeting in Denver. Congratulations to these two outstanding New Orleans-based physicians! 

View the previous IPSIS award winners here.

Congratulations to the physicians recognized this year for their contributions to interventional pain medicine and IPSIS. Join us in celebrating their achievements at the awards presentations at the IPSIS 2025 Annual Meeting in Denver!

Charles N. Aprill Lifetime Achievement Award

• Michael B. Furman, MD, MS

Richard Derby Distinguished Service Award

• D. Scott Kreiner, MD

Outstanding Volunteer Award

• Kevin Barrette, MD
• Reza Ehsanian, MD, PhD

Instructor of the Year Award

• Fred DeFrancesch, MD
• Patrick H. Waring, MD

View the previous IPSIS award winners here.

Have an opportunity to discuss the numerous flaws in the clinical practice guideline or systematic review/network meta-analysis on interventional spine procedures for chronic back and neck pain recently published in The BMJ? The IPSIS Early Career Council has prepared a concise presentation deck 🔒 for your use.

While IPSIS spearheaded a multi-society response to this contentious guideline, you as an IPSIS member can also advocate for access to interventional pain procedures as essential treatment options for patients with chronic spine pain.

Tools like this along with continuous advocacy for appropriate coverage and reimbursement are just some of the benefits of IPSIS membership. 

IPSIS continues to work hard for our members and their patients to advance the science and standards of Interventional Pain Medicine. I am pleased to share some of the most popular IPSIS offerings of 2024, which your membership dues support.

PRACTICE SUPPORT

• Ask the Experts live webinars and podcasts allow participants to ask questions and learn from leaders in the field.
• Case Review Community videos stimulate discussion, educate, and challenge our members.
• The IPSIS Open Forum provides a discussion listserv where you can ask questions of your colleagues.
• Our FactFinders continue to be extremely popular, and 2024 saw five new publications:
  • ESI and Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
  • GBCM and Spinal Injection Procedures
  • Minimizing CILESI Risks
  • Minimizing CTFESI Vascular Events

ADVANCING AND INVESTING IN THE SCIENCE

• Interventional Pain Medicine (IPM), our official journal, was indexed on PubMed Central, and its articles are listed in Medline. Article Publishing Charges for authors are still waived to support the expansion of the evidence base.
• IPSIS is currently funding over $380,000 in active research.
• Eleven in-depth appraisals of newly published studies were completed.

ADVOCACY FOR COVERAGE AND REIMBURSEMENT

• Advocacy efforts continue to promote access and coverage of evidence-based interventional pain procedures.
• Coding and reimbursement interests were represented at CPT and RUC, your coding questions have been answered on the IPSIS Open Forum, and efforts to promote appropriate physician reimbursement remain a top priority.

EARLY CAREER SUPPORT

• The Early Career Council has been launched to address the unique challenges facing physicians entering the field.
• Post-residency and post-fellowship guidance webinars were produced.
• Micro-mentoring sessions were offered at our annual meeting — be sure to attend next year in Denver.

EDUCATION

• Bio-Skills Labs are our most renowned offering. Our attendees continue to agree that the IPSIS labs stand worlds apart from any other offerings in the field.
• Online offerings continue to bring our high standards of education to users around the world.

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2025
Make plans to connect with your IPSIS community in person at a hands-on lab or

• Winter Seminar in Tempe, Arizona, March 15-18
• European Congress in Brussels, Belgium, 17-18 May
• Annual Meeting in Denver September 10-13

Finally, the all-new 4-volume IPSIS Technical Manual will be available soon. Look for the announcement in January to be the first to add this integral publication to your library.

Regards,
Joshua Rittenberg, MD
IPSIS President

Congratulation to former IPSIS President Matthew Smuck, MD (pictured at center), who was presented with the Charles N. Aprill Lifetime Achievement Award by Founding Member Richard Derby, MD (on the left), and President Joshua Rittenberg, MD (on the right) at the IPSIS 2024 Annual Meeting in Boston. The Aprill Award is the highest distinction that IPSIS bestows. Recipients represent the most influential minds who have made a lasting imprint on the Society and the field.

Richard Derby Distinguished Service Award

• Scott Horn, DO (at center in above left photo)
  
• Timothy Maus, MD (not pictured)
  
• Patrick H. Waring, MD (on the left in above right photo)
  

Outstanding Volunteer Award

• Alexandra Fogarty, MD (on the left in the first row left photo)
  
• Jonathan Kirschner, MD (on the right in the first row right photo)
  
• Nathaniel Schuster, MD (on the left in the second row left photo)
  
• Virtaj Singh, MD (not pictured)
  
• W. Evan Rivers, DO (on the left in the second row right photo)
  

Instructor of the Year Award

• J. Scott Bainbridge, MD

View the previous IPSIS award winners here.

The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS) is a tax-exempt organization under US section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Save the date for next year’s IPSIS Winter Seminar. At the Seminar, you'll learn from and network directly with the IPSIS Board of Directors. And in 2025, since we’ll be in Arizona during the thick of baseball’s spring training, you’ll also have the opportunity to take in games from any of the 15 major league teams that make up the Cactus League — enjoying sun-splashed afternoons at the ballpark when much of the rest of the country will still be scraping ice off their windshields.

With over 45,000 streams, downloads, and comments, a highly engaged, well-informed, and expertly guided interventional pain physician learning community surrounds the IPSIS member-exclusive case review videos presented by Dr. Maus.

Let’s look at an essential video that continues to capture the Community’s attention — the wrap-up video for Case 15. Dr. Maus explained:

There are two concepts I hoped to illustrate with this case, and they apply to any fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedure — anywhere in the body.

• First, the interventionist must be able to determine where the needle is in three-dimensional space at any point during needle advancement to ensure a safe and efficacious procedure.
• Secondly, planning an intervention uses the first concept in reverse. The interventionist must be able to look at multi-planar MRI or CT data and consider how a needle can be gotten safely to the target tissue.

Challenge your knowledge, join the conversations, and stream from an ever-expanding library of over 100 subject-indexed videos on the Case Review Community — one of many exclusive IPSIS member benefits.