The American Academy of Pain Medicine

AAPM Remembers

In memory of E. Richard Blonsky, MD
AAPM Past President

The field of Pain Medicine has suffered a great loss in the passing of one of its pioneers and leaders, E. Richard Blonsky, MD. Dr. Blonsky died in late August 2009 from pancreatic cancer. He was 74 years old.

Dr. Blonsky graduated from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in 1955 and completed his residency and fellowship at NU’s McGaw Medical Center. A respected Neurosurgeon and Pain Medicine specialist, Dr. Blonsky practiced for over 40 years. He acted as director of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) Center for Pain Studies from 1985-1993 and established the Pain & Rehabilitation Clinic of Chicago in 1993. Dr. Blonsky also held the rank of Clinical Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University.

He was one of the founders and early presidents of AAPM (1992-1993) and a founding editorial board member of Pain Medicine journal. Most recently, Dr. Blonsky served the AAPM Board as its representative from the AAPM Council of Past Presidents. He was also a past-president for the Midwest Pain Society, and served on committees of several pain and neurological organizations.

Notable accomplishments:

• Dr. Blonsky was a frequent faculty member and scientific poster presenter at AAPM's Annual Meetings
• He was one of the authors of a consensus statement from AAPM and the American Pain Society regarding the use of opioids for the treatment of chronic pain
• In 2006, Dr. Blonsky, along with Robert G. Addison, MD, founder of RIC Center for Pain Studies, was honored with a research grant in his and Dr. Addison's name by the Midwest Pain Society in dedication of years of work in pain research
• Dr. Blonsky published numerous articles in well-known journals and publications, including Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of Gerontology, Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, and Transactions of the American Neurological Association.

AAPM and ABPM Leaders remember Dr. E. Richard Blonsky:

"He was one of our founders and has been a loyal and steady hand for our organization over the years - as one of our early Presidents; as a founding and current editorial board member of Pain Medicine, where for 10 years he dutifully completed timely reviews with intelligence and integrity; and most recently, as the first Council of Past Presidents’ representative on the Board of Directors."
Rollin M. Gallagher MD, MPH
AAPM President
Pain Medicine Editor-in-Chief

"Richard Blonsky was the definition of a "mensch" a real human being. I will miss his friendliness and support.
I will never forget once being rather frustrated at the some problems with my work on a committee and his reassuring voice of support helping me work it out. His guidance and friendship will be missed by all."
Eduardo (Eddy) M Fraifeld, MD, DABA, DABPM
AAPM President Elect and Specialty Advisor CPT & RUC

"Dick Blonsky served as President of AAPM from 1992 to 1993. The annual meeting was turned into a virtual battlefield when a small but extremely vocal group of dissidents who disagreed with the mission and goals of the Academy attempted a coup d'état. They were unsuccessful largely because of the efforts of Dick who handled the challenge with grace, aplomb, and decisive firmness. He was an unassuming gentle man with great inner strength and strong convictions fortified by integrity, wisdom & honor. He and I were both from Chicago and often shared fond memories of happy times in the past. We are all, personally & professionally, made poorer by his loss."
Philipp M Lippe, MD
AAPM, Executive Medical Director and Past President

"Whenever I think of Dick Blonsky, I always recall his Presidential Year when AAPM was challenged at our annual meeting by members who did not endorse AAPM's strategy to become the voice of Pain Medicine in the AMA. Dick handled the crisis with strength and grace and AAPM prevailed. I will miss having dinner with him and sharing our insights about our beloved calling at our annual meetings."
Norman Marcus, MD
AAPM External Affairs Committee Chair and Past President

"The news of Dick's passing was very saddening for those of us lucky enough to know and work with this remarkable man. His skill, passion and diplomacy guided us through the most tempestuous time in the Academy's 25-year history and were crucial to its very existence today. For years, he also contributed his wisdom, experience and practical mindset to writing and critiquing the items that comprise ABPM's certification examination. His sage counsel, level-headedness, friendship and determination to do the right thing were a touchstone to all who relied upon him."
J. David Haddox, DDS, MD
Vice-Chair, AAPM Council of Past Presidents and Chair, ABPM Examination Council

"He was President of AAPM during perhaps the most difficult time in its history. He led with grace and conviction. He stood up to adversity and promoted the Academy. He was one of the nicest people I've ever known and genuinely cared about people."
Jeff Engle
Former Executive Director of AAPM

"Dick Blonsky was a true pioneer in the Pain Medicine movement. Together with Ben Crue and a handful of others, he was one of the first to conceptualize the American Academy of Pain Medicine (originally the American Academy of Algology) as a separate group from the American Pain Society that would solely represent the interests of physicians dealing with pain patients. The phenomenal growth of the AAPM since its humble beginnings is a tribute to Dick's foresight and his many years of service."
Andrew Shetter, MD
AAPM Past President

"Dr Blonsky (he allowed me to call him Prof. ERB) was my truly thoughtful mentor in my first year on the AAPM Board. By example, he taught me the art of effective listening at a time when I really needed it the most. From his professorial and most kind manner, I learnt the history and early struggles of AAPM and ABPM. A man of great intelligence and integrity, he was always generous with his time."
Zahid H. Bajwa, MD
AAPM Secretary

"It is unfortunate when such an integral part of the pain community is lost. Personally, I will miss his warmth, his caring, the thoughtful consideration and counsel that he provided, his dry sense of humor and his voice. He seemed to so enjoy life! He was so helpful in developing the maintenance of certification process."
Robin Hamill-Ruth, MD
ABPM President-Elect

"He was also a very strong family man, father, husband, and grandfather. He had a joy about him that he shared with the whole world. We will truly miss him."
Albert Ray, MD
AAPM Past President

"When all is said and done, and accomplishments are duly registered, we seem to remember kindness above all..."
Perry Fine, MD
AAPM Treasurer

Dr. Hu Rosomoff

Dr. C. Paul Perry
Founder, International Pain Care Society

The field of Pain Medicine suffered the loss of one of its pioneers in the recent death of Dr. C. Paul Perry, May 4, 2008. Dr. Perry was a superb physician with abundant clinical skills and knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of pelvic pain.  He also was an ardent spokesman for improvement of the care of women with chronic pelvic pain.  He was a founding member of the International Pelvic Pain Society and served as its Chairman of the Board until shortly before his death.

Dr. Perry was a native of Mobile, Alabama, graduated from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and did his residency in OB/GYN at the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He later founded the C. Paul Perry Pelvic Pain Center in Birmingham, Alabama, specializing in the care of patients with chronic pelvic pain, and was its medical director until his death He is the author of numerous scientific publications on pelvic pain and laparoscopic surgery. He was a popular speaker nationally and internationally on the subject of pelvic pain in women.

In 1995 Dr. Perry and a group of other likeminded clinicians from around the world founded the International Pelvic Pain Society. The IPPS is the premier international and multidisciplinary medical Society devoted to the study of pelvic pain. The IPPS has a worldwide membership that includes gynecologists, urologists, psychologists, physical therapists, and other health care professionals dedicated to advancing the proper diagnosis and treatment of chronic pelvic pain. Dr. Perry served as its Chairman of the Board until shortly before his death.

All of us in the pain community have lost a pioneer, mentor, and leader in the treatment of chronic pelvic pain and the promotion of an interdisciplinary approach to its clinical application. The field of Pain Medicine has lost a gifted visionary.

In Memory of Samuel Hassenbusch, III, MD, PhD
A physician dedicated to the improvement of pain medicine in clinical practice.
 
Samuel Hassenbusch III, MD, PhD, past AAPM President & Neurosurgeon, died Feb. 25th from complications of a milgnant brain tumor. He was 54 years old. 
 
Dr. Hassenbusch was a tenured professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center.  He was a well known, international expert in pain medicine, who was credited with developing novel techniques, therapies and methods for infusing drugs to block pain.
 
He received recognition for his contributions to pain medicine and research, including computer-guided stereotactic techniques for brain tumor biopsies, focused radiation therapy and direct injection of chemotherapy agents into brain tumors, defining the role of new non-opioid drug development for long-term spinal infusions, cingulotomy for severe cancer pain, and expanding the roles for long-term electrical stimulation, both at peripheral nerve and spinal levels.  He also created a set of treatment algorithms for the use of different agents in long-term spinal infusions.  And, he headed a consensus group to provide information and guidelines for the detection and treatment of possible granuloma formation at a spinal infusion catheter tip. The guidelines were then published in AAPM’s Pain Medicine journal.

In addition, Dr. Hassenbusch was one of 12 distinguished physicians on the American Medical Association’s CPT Editorial Panel for coding & reimbursements, where he was instrumental in implementing a number of new billing codes for pain medicine.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Hassenbusch authored more than 80 publications and 30 book chapters. 
 
In 2003, he received AAPM’s Distinguished Service Award, at which time he told AAPM members…
 “Through all of (my accomplishments), I am most proud of my work through AAPM, now as an officer, to help our society become maximally responsive to the needs of daily-practicing pain medicine physicians … to achieve the best results for all of us. It is truly an honor to receive the Distinguished Service Award, and I hope my future work within our society will result in even better improvements for daily clinical practice in pain medicine.”
 
Dr. Hassenbusch served as AAPM’s President in 2004 and used his office to continue to improve daily clinical practice of pain medicine.  He was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme in May 2005 and spent most of his remaining days using his unique situation to advocate and inspire others through the media and other public forums.

In 2006, he received AAPM’s Philipp M. Lippe, MD Award, of which he was particularly proud.

Dr. Hassenbusch was certified by the American Board of Pain Medicine and the American Board of Neurological Surgery. In addition to his leadership in the American Academy of Pain Medicine, he held offices in other societies, including American Neuromodulation Society (Past President), Texas Pain Society (Past President), and Texas Association of Neurological Surgeons (Board of Directors). 

AAPM Leaders' Comments:

"Dr. Hassenbusch was known and respected throughout the pain community. He had a special knack for reaching out to pain specialists regardless of parent medical specialty, with his catch-phrase being 'the sandbox is big enough for all of us to play in.' He worked tirelessly to improve the quality and safety of care we provide our patients. We will always be grateful for his contributions. We extend our condolences to his family and friends."
Kenneth A. Follett, MD, PhD
AAPM President

 "I will never forget how hard Sam worked to promote pain medicine and in helping us with our reimbursement issues despite his illness. Sam was not just a leader; he was a mentor who contributed much though his spirit and knowledge to mould many of our present and future leaders in Pain Medicine."
Eduardo M. Fraifeld, MD
AAPM Secretary

"I first met Sam over ten years ago, but got to know him better as he followed my steps at the AMA CPT Editorial Panel and then as he became active in American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) and American Board of Pain Medicine (ABPM). I had the privilege and pleasure of working closely with him for many years and on many projects. In 2006 Sam was awarded the Philipp M Lippe, MD Award by the AAPM. It was a proud moment for me.
I know that Sam bravely endured the indignities of his brain tumor with grace, strength and dignity. It is not easy for a physician, especially a neurosurgeon, to accept the known prognosis of this disease and to give up control to others in whose hands we all must learn to place our trust and our lives.
Sam enjoyed life, his family and his profession. His many accomplishments in service to his patients, to neurosurgery, to pain medicine and to his colleagues will never be forgotten. Sam was loved by all and loved all in return. He has escaped the earthly bonds and now resides in a much happier and peaceful place. Sam may be gone but he will never be forgotten."
Philipp M Lippe, MD
Executive Medical Director