September 2026 President's Message
AAPM September 2026 President’s Message
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
In my July message, I reminded you that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement the Ambulatory Specialty Model (ASM), a program that requires Value-based reimbursement for specialty care, on January 1, 2027.
Value-based care represents more than a change in how health care is financed or measured. It is an opportunity to reaffirm what matters most in pain medicine: improving meaningful outcomes for our patients, restoring function and quality of life, and delivering thoughtful, evidence-based, sustainable care.
We created our Value-Based Care Educational Series to help AAPM members navigate this evolving landscape with confidence. I encourage you to watch our first two webinars, The Big Shift: Value-Based Care and What It Means for Pain Management, and From Understanding to Action. Together, these sessions provide a foundation for understanding value-based care, the CMS Ambulatory Specialty Model, and the practical steps clinicians and practices can take to prepare for what lies ahead. This conversation is only beginning.
Join us on September 22 for our upcoming fireside chat, where we will bring together expert perspectives to look beyond the changes ahead and consider how we can collectively shape the road ahead. We will also share practical tools and resources to help you translate these concepts into action within your own practice.
Together, we can help shape a future in which value-based care is not simply a change in the health care system, but an opportunity to advance better pain care for our patients, support the clinicians who provide it, and build a more sustainable health care system for all.
As an Academy, we have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to lead with vision, remain grounded in evidence, and advocate for a health care system that recognizes the complexity of pain while rewarding care that truly makes a difference.
AAPM Strategic Plan Update
Over the past several months, AAPM leaders have been developing a North Star Strategy to guide the Academy’s priorities, programming, and investments through 2029. At its center is a clear commitment: to strengthen AAPM as the nationally recognized home and credible voice for Pain Medicine, deliver greater professional value across every career stage, and build the financial strength needed to sustain that work. For you, this will mean more relevant education and career resources, practical evidence-based guidance, stronger advocacy, and meaningful opportunities to connect and contribute. We look forward to sharing more about the strategy and how it will help AAPM better serve you while advancing the specialty in the months ahead.
Big Things Are Happening at AAPM
Our first step in implementing the North Star Strategy was to implement our New AAPM Website and Membership Model. Listen now for an update from AAPM CEO Sharon Kneebone and me.
PainConnect 2027 Call for Abstracts is Open
AAPM’s PainConnect 2027 Call for Poster Abstracts is now open through November 11, 2026. I encourage you to submit your research and share the opportunity with your residents, fellows, and peers. The top six non-commercial abstract submissions will be invited to present from the podium at PainConnect 2027 and have their manuscript published in a special Pain Medicine Journal issue.
Warm regards,
Marie Hanna, MD, MEHP
AAPM President