Pain Medicine

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  Dr. Mario De Pinto and medical student discussing acute pain management

Welcome to the UCSF Pain Medicine Website hosted by the Division of Pain Medicine in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care.

This website provides a bridge linking the expertise of our UCSF pain medicine teams and educators to our patients and other health care providers. UCSF is developing innovative pain care pathways to ensure continuity of pain management from inpatient to outpatient for both children and adults. For more information, we invite you to explore the links at the left side of the page, or find our contact information below. Thank you for visiting our site.

Mark A. Schumacher, PhD, MD

Vice Chair, Pain Medicine

Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care

Contact Us

Outpatient Pain Management Center

Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center

Clinical Phone: 415-885-PAIN (7246)

General Clinical Fax: 415-885-7575

New Patient Referral Fax: 415-885-3883

 

Diane Ozawa 
Administrative Director, UCSF Pain Management Center

Phone: 415-514-6633 

 

Click here to see a list of UCSF Pain Management Center faculty

Clinical Phone: 415-353-1328
 
Clinical Fax: 415-353-3729

 

Lisa Purser, RN

Administrative Supervisor

UCSF Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center

Phone: 415-353-9517

 

Click here to see a list of Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center faculty

Administrative Contact Information

Vasili Tabakis

Pain Medicine Fellowship Coordinator

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 415 476-9767

About Us

Mission of the Division of Pain Medicine at UCSF

Dr. Mark Schumacher, Chief of the Division of Pain MedicineAs our understanding of the mechanisms driving acute and chronic pain continue to develop, so too are the number of options available to effectively treat painful conditions.

However, effective pain management is not simply applying all possible therapeutic choices at once, but rather establishing a diagnosis through expert evaluation, providing evidence–based treatment options and allowing for meaningful follow up to ensure improved function and quality of life. In the majority of cases, such effective pain management utilizes an integrated team approach. The UCSF Pain Medicine Website provides a bridge linking the expertise of our UCSF pain medicine teams and educators to our patients and other health care providers in need of additional pain management resources. 

Driven by a sense of urgency and our public mission, UCSF is advancing health by developing innovative pain care pathways that ensure continuity of pain management from inpatient to outpatient for both children and adults. This involves breaking down traditional boundaries through the integration of pain management care, education and research to ensure the best quality, safety and satisfaction for our patients. For more information, we invite you to explore the links at the left of the page. 

Contact Us

Clinical Contact Information Administrative Contact Information

Pain Management Center

Clinical Phone: 415-885-PAIN (7246)

General Clinical Fax: 415-885-7575

New Patient Referral Fax: 415-885-3883

Diane Ozawa 
Administrative Director 

UCSF Pain Management Center 

Vasili Tabakis

Pain Fellowship Coordinator

Phone: 415-476-9767

Fax: 415-514-0185 (no PHI please)

   

 

Faculty and Providers

Vice Chair, Pain Medicine

Mark Schumacher, PhD, MD 
Professor, Anesthesia 
Vice Chair, Pain Medicine
Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care
 

Chief, Division of Pain Medicine

Chris Abrecht, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor

Chief, Division of Pain Medicine

Medical Director, UCSF Pain Management Center

Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care

Pain Medicine Service Members

Clinical Services and Directors

Pain Management Center (Outpatient Chronic Pain Service)

Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service

Inpatient Acute Pain Service

Regional Anesthesia Service

Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center

Christopher Abrecht, MD

Christopher Abrecht, MD

Matthias Behrends, MD

Pedram Aleshi, MD

Amber Borucki, MD (Pediatric Anesthesia Pain Director)

Faculty and Trainees Title/Role Service
Christopher Abrecht, MD

Chief, Division of Pain Medicine, Medical Director, Pain Management Center

Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | Regional Anesthesia Service
Pedram Aleshi, MD Director, Regional Anesthesia Service and Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesia Fellowship Regional Anesthesia Service
Atsuko Baba, MD Director, Pediatric PREPARE Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Matthias Behrends, MD Director, Inpatient Acute Pain Service Regional Anesthesia Service | Inpatient Acute Pain
Cristina Benki, PhD Pediatric Pain Psychologist Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Philip Bickler, MD, PhD   Regional Anesthesia Service
Amber Borucki, MD Director, Pediatric Anesthesia Pain Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Matthias Braehler, MD, PhD   Regional Anesthesia Service
Daniel Burkhardt, MD Medical Director, UCSF Parnassus Preoperative Evaluation (PREPARE) Clinic Inpatient Acute Pain Service
Nu Cindy Chai, MD Progam Director, Pain Medicine Fellowship. PMC Neurologist Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service
Lee-lynn Chen, MD   Inpatient Acute Pain Service
Mario De Pinto, MD   Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | Regional Anesthesia Service
Christina Dixon, MD 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow  
Gerald Dubowitz, MD   Regional Anesthesia Service
Marla Ferschl, MD Director, Fetal Anesthesia, Director, Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Darren Fiore, MD   Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Audrey Foster-Barber, MD, PhD Medical Director Compass Care, UCSF Pediatric Palliative Care, Residency Director, Child Neurology Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center

Stefan Friedrichsdorf, MD

Medical Director, Center of Pediatric Pain, Palliative and Integrative Medicine at Benioff Children's Hospitals in Oakland and San Francisco  
Seema Gandhi, MD   Regional Anesthesia Service
Justin Grubbs, MD 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow  
Zhonghui Guan, MD   Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service
Alicia Heilman, RN Pediatric Nurse  Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Melanie Henry, MD   Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service
Christina Inglis-Arkell, MD Director, UCSF Mount Zion OR Regional Anesthesia Service
Valerie Jackson, PhD Pain Psychologist, PMC Pain Management Center
Sunitha Kaiser, MD   Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Cynthia Kim, MD   Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Sakura Kinjo, MD Medical Director, Orthopaedic Institute Regional Anesthesia Service | Inpatient Acute Pain
Kerstin Kolodzie, MD, PhD   Regional Anesthesia Service
Merlin Larson, MD   Inpatient Acute Pain Service
Thien Le, MD 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow  
David Lee, MD   Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service
Solmaz Manuel, MD   Regional Anesthesia Service | Inpatient Acute Pain
Robin McCrane, RN Pediatric Sedation Nurse Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Rachel Eshima McKay, MD Director, UCSF Mission Bay Preoperativev Evaluation (PREPARE) Clinic Regional Anesthesia Service
Hung Gia Nguyen, MD   Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
George Pasvankas, MD   Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | Regional Anesthesia Service
Thoha Pham, MD   Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service | Regional Anesthesia Service
Lawrence Poree, MD, PhD Director, Neuromodulation Program Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service
Nitin Prabhakar, MD 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow  
Heidi Reetz, MD PMC Family Medicine  Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service
Thomas Reid, MA, MD Associate Program Director for the UCSF Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program, Director of the 4th year Medical Student elective in Palliative Medicine Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
David Robinowitz, MD, MHS, MS   Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Glenn Rosenbluth, MD Associate Professor, Pediatrics; Director, Quality and Safety Programs GME; Associate Director, Pediatrics Residency Training Program Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Michael Rowbotham, MD PMC Neurologist Pain Management Center
Gabriel Sarah, MD   Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Mark Schumacher, MD, PhD Vice Chair, Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care Inpatient Acute Pain Service
Ann Cai Shah, MD   Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service
Prasad Shirvalkar, MD, PhD PMC Neurologist Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service
Claas Siegmueller, MD, PhD, MBA   Regional Anesthesia Service | Inpatient Acute Pain Service
Karen Sun, MD Chief, Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine; Associate Director, Pediatric Pain and Sedation Service Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Westin Tom, MD 2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow  
Steve Wilson, MD, PhD Associate Chief Medical Officer, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center
Xiaobing Yu, MD Rotation Director, M-PN & Z-PN Anesthesia Resident Rotations and Medical Student Pain Clerkship Pain Management Center | Inpatient Chronic Pain Consultation Service
Maurice Zwass, MD Chief, Pediatric Anesthesia Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center

 

Psychology Faculty

Cristina Benki, PhD 
Child and Adolescent Psychologist, IP3

Valerie Jackson, PhD, MPH
Pain Psychologist, PMC

Pain Fellows

Christina Dixon, MD 
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia 

Justin Grubbs, MD
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia 

Thien Le, MD​
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia 

Nitin Prabhakar, MD​
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia 

Westin Tom, MD​
2022 - 2023 Pain Medicine Fellow, Anesthesia 

Pain Nursing

Sarah Brynelson, RN

Nurse Manager, PMC

 

Ada Edwards, NP

Nurse Practitioner, PMC

 
Julie Guerrero, RN
Nurse, Per Diem, PMC

 

Alicia Heilman, RN 
Outpatient Case Manager, 
IP3

 

Charmaine Penaflor, RN 
Clinical Nurse, PMC

 

Heather Taylor, RN 
PMC

 

Erica Fuchs, RN 
PMC 

Pain Staff

Diane Ozawa 
Administrative Director, UCSF Pain Management Center 
Practice Assistant to Dr. Mario De Pinto
 
Lisa Purser, RN 
Patient Care Manager, IP3
 
Tonia Broden-Gonzales 
Practice Assistant to Drs. George Pasvankas and Thoha Pham, PMC
 
Helen Chin 
Front Office Assistant
 
Vasili Tabakis
Pain Fellowship Coordinator
 
Lona Hermawan 
Practice Assistant, PMC
 
Matthew Jaime-Reyes 
Medical Assistant
 
Practice Coordinator
 
Radiology Technician
 
Noemi Martinez 
Practice Coordinator - Front Desk
 
Shanda Vaughn 
Practice Assistant to Dr. Zhonghui Guan, PMC
 
Make an Appointment

Make an Appointment

New Adult Patients need a referral or consultation request submitted by their primary physician or care team, for Chronic Pain Management or Acute Pain Management.

Returning Adult Patients
Call the UCSF Pain Management Center at (415) 885-PAIN (7246) or
Request your follow-up appointment via UCSF MyChart, an online resource for your routine healthcare needs. 

Pediatric Patients
Caregivers can call the Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center at (415) 353-9517

Locations

Outpatient Clinics

2255 Post Street (cross-street is Divisadero)
UCSF Mount Zion Campus
San Francisco, CA 94143
UCSF Ron Conway Family Gateway Medical Building
Integrated Pediatric Pain & Palliative Care Clinics
1825 Fourth Street, Fifth floor, 5A
UCSF Mission Bay Campus
San Francisco, CA 94143-0106
 
Pediatric Palliative Care Program
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
747 52nd Street, Oakland, CA 94609
 

Inpatient Locations

UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center, Parnassus      
UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay                    
 
 
 
 
Related Clinics & Centers

Photo of the Other Center for Integrative Medicine Building at the UCSF Mount Zion CampusThe UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine provides several non-pharmaceutical pain management services that can be integrated with the Pain Management Center's services, whether your pain condition is acute or chronic. Treatments that we offer are supported by scientific studies for pain management, and include:

          

 

 

Resources for Patients

Services

The Division of Pain Medicine, in partnership with our colleagues, provides pain care pathways to ensure outstanding pain care from inpatient to outpatient settings for both children and adults. See below for details, and visit the patient section of the Pain Management Education at UCSF website.

Adult Pain Medicine

Outpatient Chronic Pain Management Center Clinic
Established in 1987 by the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, the PMC helps patients with various stages and types of complex, acute, and chronic pain. We offer a variety of treatment options with a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach.

Our Center, located at the UCSF Mount Zion campus, provides pain treatment for a wide variety of conditions, including but not limited to the conditions listed below.

Click the links below to get more details about these conditions and the treatments we offer for each.

Pain Psychology Services
Biofeedback
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment
Family Education and Support
Group Psychotherapy
Health Psychology
Individual Psychotherapy
Interdisciplinary Management Of Chronic Pain Syndromes
Psychological Evaluation
Psychological Treatment
Stress Management

 

Inpatient Acute and Chronic Pain Services

The Acute and Chronic Pain Services at the Moffitt-Long, Mission Bay, and Mount Zion Hospitals serve as consultant services for our medicine and surgical colleagues who request our help with acute or chronic pain management. For these patients, we make evidence-based recommendations in collaboration with our colleagues, and a final plan for pain management is implemented.

We assess each patient's overall medical condition in the context of an acute or chronic pain episode or acute on chronic pain history. Our goal is to reduce pain while improving function, thus improving morbidity and mortality and decreasing length of stay. In addition, utilization of multimodal analgesia, including peripheral nerve and neuraxial catheters for adult and pediatric patients represents a frequently used technique to achieve such evidence-based goals.

The Acute and Chronic Inpatient Pain Services are available 24/7.

Pediatric Pain Medicine

Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center

The Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center is dedicated to relieving pain and improving quality of life for our youngest patients, and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our team includes pediatric hospitalists (specialists in managing the care of hospitalized patients), pediatric anesthesiologists, pediatric palliative care specialists, a nurse practitioner, a psychologist and nurses.

Pediatric Patient Education Videos:

See article in UCSF Leaps and Bounds:
Zapping the Pain

See article in UCSF News:
Acupuncture Helps Pediatric Patients Manage Pain and Nausea

UCSF is One of Few Academic Medical Centers to Offer Treatment to Inpatients and Outpatients

Osher Center Mini Medical School for the Public – Pain: New Insights and New (and Old) Treatments

February 11
BACK TO THE FUTURE OF PAIN MEDICINE
Mark Schumacher, PhD, MD
Professor and Chief, Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, UCSF

February 18
BEING “UNSYMPATHETIC”: PSYCHOLOGY’S SECRET WEAPON FOR MANAGING PAIN
Jessica Pullins, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice

February 25
TECHNOLOGY VERSUS PAIN: TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY AND ELECTRICAL STIMULATION
Lawrence Poree, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care; Director, Neuromodulation Service, UCSF

March 3
MY ACHING NECK - MY ACHING BACK
Mario De Pinto, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care; Director, Pain Management Center, UCSF

March 10
EAST MEETS WEST: ACUPUNCTURE AND BEYOND FOR ALL AGES
Sanjay Reddy, MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine; Director, Congestive Heart Failure, Bone Marrow Transplant and Nighttime Hospitalist Services, UCSF

Pain Physician and Anesthesiologist, California Orthopedics & Spine; Medical Director of Pain Management for Marin General Hospital

Instructions for Outpatient Pain Procedures

Link to Verbal Instructions (English)

Link to Written Instructions (English)

Other Resources

Please visit the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine website. The Osher Center offers a variety of groundbreaking lectures, classes, workshops, and therapeutic programs for the public.

Information about various conditions and treatments can be found on the UCSF Medical Center Patient Education page.

The NIH Pain Consortium website includes press releases and news about federal pain activities. You can also find a pain information brochure, indexing various National Institute of Health publications about pain symptoms, conditions and treatments. 

Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or health care provider. We encourage you to discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns you may have.

For Providers | Request Consult or Refer a Patient

Anesthesia Pain Faculty and Resident Clinical Schedule Assignments

Please click here for the Anesthesia Pain Services Clinical Assignments, now on QGenda.

Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Call Schedule

The Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicin Call Schedule is available on Amion.com.

Contact Us

Medical student and Dr. Mario De Pinto

Moffitt Long Hospital Pain Services Phone Numbers
Acute Pain Pager
(415) 443‑6889
Chronic Pain Pager
(415) 443‑4332
Acute Pain Resident ASCOM Day-Time Phone
(415) 514‑6593

Mission Bay Adult Hospitals Pain Services Phone Numbers

Adult Pain Pager
(415) 443‑2676 (voalte 20450)
IP3 (Pedi Pain) Pager
(415) 443‑6100 (voalte 514‑9500)

How to Refer a Patient

Non-UCSF Referring Providers
Please complete the UCSF Pain Referral and fax to us at (415) 885-3883.

UCSF Referring Providers

Please complete a referral within APeX.

Services Available

Drs. Mark Schumacher and Jared Brown

 

Related Clinics & Centers

The Osher Center for Integrative Medicine provides complementary non-pharmacological pain services that can be integrated with conventional medicine, including pharmacological approaches to pain. Integrative Medicine has much to contribute to the management of pain, whether acute or chronic, inpatient or outpatient. Our evidence-based integrative modalities, including acupuncture, mind-body medicine, and manual medicine, can help patients successfully manage their pain, while offering cost-effective alternatives and adjuncts to opiate and other pain medications.

 

 

 

Pain Education Programs

Scope of Education

Despite the prominence and the availability of resources and guidelines from national and international pain societies (American Pain Society; International Association for the Study of Pain), under-treatment of pain remains a widespread challenge. The source of pain management gaps are complex, both at the level of individual providers and at a systems level. Practice gaps include: inadequate understanding of pain assessment scales and appropriate use of analgesic medications, failure to assess and reassess pain in a systematic fashion, fear of producing iatrogenic addiction, concern about analgesic side effects (respiratory depression, hepatic, GI and renal dysfunction) and inability to differentiate opioid tolerance from physical dependence and addiction (Murnion BP et al. Pain Med. 2010 Jan;11(1):58-66. Epub 2009 Nov 17).

Many of these barriers are due to a combination of gaps in knowledge base and at the institutional level due to a failure to embrace an interprofessional model of pain management. A systematic review of the literature suggests that interprofessional education (IPE) is promising as an interventional tool for developing effective pain management skills (Satterfield JM, et al. Acad Med. 2004 Jan;79(1):6-15). As hosted by the Division of Pain Medicine, this website is intended as a tool to address this challenge by establishing a platform for meaningful collaborations across all four professional health science schools at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and beyond.

For Applicants

Undergraduate Medical Education Opportunities

UCSF Anesthesia & Perioperative Care Pain Management Clerkship​ 
This course in pain management allows students to participate in the assessment and treatment of patients with chronic pain in an outpatient setting.
For more information and a full Anesthesia Clerkships course list, please visit:
UCSF Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
UCSF Undergraduate Medical Education

For specific information for visiting students:
UCSF Undergraduate Medical Education - Visiting Students

For any other information, please contact:
Marie Lim
Anesthesia Clerkship Programs Coordinator
Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
University of California, San Francisco
Email: [email protected]

Graduate Medical Education Opportunities

INTERNS
The interdisciplinary Anesthesia internship program at UCSF is a rigorous yet richly rewarding year that includes intensive training in internal medicine, surgery, critical care, neurology, and emergency medicine alongside some of the finest physicians in the country. To gain pain management experience, interns may elect to rotate through our UCSF Pain Management Center and Inpatient Acute Pain Services.

RESIDENTS
The UCSF Pain Management Center welcomes any resident who would like to rotate through the clinic. Coordination with the UCSF Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care Residency Program is required for both visiting and UCSF trainees.
Applicants who would like to apply for a full Anesthesia Internship or Residency must complete an ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) application.

For more information, please contact:
Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care
University of California, San Francisco
Email: [email protected]

FELLOWS
UCSF Pain Medicine Fellowship training consists of 12 months of full-time training after satisfactory completion of a core ACGME accredited residency program.
UCSF Pain Medicine Fellowship Program Overview
Pain Medicine Fellowship Application
The UCSF Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program is a one-year ACGME-accredited clinical fellowship devoted to training future leaders in all areas of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
UCSF Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program Overview
Applicants interested in pursuing training with the UCSF Palliative Medicine Fellowship should follow the instructions via the ERAS Fellowship Documents Office. More information can be found at UCSF Graduate Medical Education.
Inter-program training between the Pain Medicine Fellowship and Palliative Care Fellowship Programs are under discussion.

Other Educational Opportunities

Observational preceptorships of varying lengths are also available. Visiting physicians, scientists, physician's assistants, physical therapists, pharmaceutical representatives, and others have joined us in this capacity. No direct patient care is permitted.

To apply, please contact:
Chris Abrecht, MD
Medical Director, UCSF Pain Management Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pain Fellowships

Pain Medicine Fellowship Programs

ACGME Approved Chronic Pain Medicine Fellowship

The Joint Commission Approved Pain Management Center

Nu Cindy Chai, MD
Nu Cindy Chai, MD
Fellowship Director

FROM THE DIRECTOR
The UCSF Pain Management Center specializes in the multidisciplinary management of patients suffering from acute, chronic, and cancer pain. The faculty consists of the Medical Director, the Administrative Director, the Fellowship Director, anesthesiologists, neurologists, psychologists, physical therapists, nurses, administrative staff, and consultants in Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Rheumatology, Radiology, Internal Medicine, Oncology, and Pharmacology. 

 

ACGME Approved Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesiology Fellowship

Pedram Aleshi, MD

Pedram Aleshi, MD

Fellowship Director

FROM THE DIRECTOR
The UCSF Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesiology Fellowship is one of the first in the nation, with only 8 other institutions offering this ACGME approved fellowship in 2017. This fellowship includes structured acute and chronic pain rotations at UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights, UCSF Mission Bay, some at Kaiser South San Francisco and some at ZSFG. It includes an increased emphasis on acute pain and on multimodal pharmacologic approaches to treat it. “We have a much larger arsenal of tools to treat pain after complex surgeries, and with the opiate crisis, this is especially important,” says Dr. Aleshi. “Using that arsenal effectively demands another level of expertise and our fellows will be much better trained in this aspect of treating pain.” 

 

To Read More, Please visit our Fellowships page 

Current Trainees

Resources for Current Trainees

Moffitt-Long Acute Pain Rotation (M-PN / ML-APS)

ML APS Resident Orientation Apr 2020.pdf

Mount Zion Adult Chronic Pain Rotation (Z-PN)

When: 7am arrival on your first day of rotation (Monday)

Where: UCSF Pain Management Center (PMC) at 2255 Post Street, MZ campus

Z-PN Rotation Welcome Letter_January 2018

Medical student PMC rotation handbook 2015

UCSF-PMC-Survival-Guide 2017

 

UCSF Anesthesia Medical Student Clerkships

Medical student PMC rotation handbook 2015

Pain Research

Pain and Addiction Research Center at UCSF

PARC is a transdisciplinary research center focused on developing and testing new approaches for treating pain, decreasing the negative consequences of opioids, and developing effective ways to mitigate the impact of opioid overuse. Click here for more info about the Pain and Addiction Research Center at UCSF.

Attendees networking at the Pain and Addiction Research Retreat on December 4, 2019

Research in the Division of Pain Medicine

For up-to-date research lectures and more, check the Events section of the Anesthesia and Perioperative Care website. For more information, please contact:
Julie Leong
Research Administration Analyst
UCSF Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care
Email: [email protected]

Pain Management Center (PMC) Outpatient Pain Clinic

The UCSF Pain Management Center, located at the UCSF Mount Zion campus, was established in 1987 by the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care to help patients with various stages and types of complex, acute, and chronic pain. We offer a variety of treatment options with a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach.

 

Mount Zion Hospital

 

Contact

UCSF Pain Management Center
2255 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 
94143-1654
(Express mail ZIP 94115)

Phone: 415.885.PAIN (7246)
Fax: 415.885.7575
Fax for New Patient Referrals: 415.885.3883 

Our Center

Combines traditional and complementary approaches

  • Was designated as a Clinical Center of Excellence in Pain Management in 2007 by the American Pain Society
  • Empowers patients through education about their conditions
  • Identifies the best methods to relieve pain, promote healing, and restore maximum levels of function
  • Has extensive knowledge of the latest pain management treatments and techniques
  • Averages about 800 patient visits per month

Our Center provides pain treatment for a wide variety of conditions, including but not limited to:

  • Back / Spine Pain
    • Cervical and Lumbar Facet Joint Disease
    • Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)
    • Hermiated Discs
    • Low Back Pain
  • Cancer Pain
  • Chronic Abdominal and Pelvic Pain
  • Complex Pain Management
  • Headaches
  • Head, Neck and Facial Pain
  • Musculoskeletal Pain
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Myofascial (Muscular) Pain
    • Sacroiliac Joint Disease
    • Shoulder, Hipe and Knee Pain
    • Spasticity
    • Spinal Stenosis
  • Neuropathic Pain
    • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)
    • Nerve Entrapment Syndromes
    • Peripheral Neuropathy
    • Phantom Limb Pain
    • Post Herpetic Neuralgia (Shingles Pain)
    • Sciatia / Radiculopathy
  • Spinal Cord Injury (Central Pain)
  • Post Surgical Pain

 

Figure showing the wide variety of conditions treated at the UCSF Pain Management Center

Chronic pain is a multifaceted medical problem that affects all aspects of a patient’s life. Our Center is staffed by professionals from multiple disciplines, including Anesthesia, Neurology, Psychology, and Nursing to address the range of issues brought about by pain. Patient involvement and education are important components of our program. 

Map and Directions

Pathway is your guide to getting directions to UCSF at Parnassus Heights, UCSF at Mount Zion, and UCSF at Mission Bay and China Basin. 

Referral Information

The UCSF Pain Management Center is a consultative practice and all patients must be referred for consultation by their primary care physician or other health care provider.

NON-UCSF REFERRING PROVIDERS:
Please complete the UCSF Pain Referral and fax to us at (415) 885-3883.

UCSF REFERRING PROVIDERS:
Please complete a referral within APeX

ALL REFERRING PROVIDERS:
Along with a completed referral form, please include:

  • Reason for referral
  • Most recent medical evaluations
  • Most recent operative reports
  • Most recent X-ray/MRI reports
  • Any psychological evaluations or reports
  • A list of the patient’s current medications
  • If required by the patient’s insurance, the authorization for the referral to the PMC

Evaluation Process:

  • We receive your referral
  • We contact the patient and schedule them for an initial evaluation
  • We send the patient an appointment confirmation letter, with:

Once we have evaluated the patient, the referring provider will be sent a copy of our evaluation summary, treatment plan & recommendations. If you need additional info, please contact us at (415) 885-7347.

Treatments and Recommendations

We will provide recommendations about the proposed treatment or suggested medication regimen to the referring provider.
If required by the patient’s insurance, we will secure prior authorization for recommended treatments prior to scheduling the patient’s appointment.

 

Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center

Drs. Amber Borucki and Karen Sun

Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center

The Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center is dedicated to relieving pain and improving quality of life for our youngest hospitalized patients, and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our team includes pediatric hospitalists (specialists in managing the care of hospitalized patients), pediatric anesthesiologists, pediatric palliative care specialists, a nurse practitioner, a psychologist and nurses.

To provide the right care for each patient, the service is staffed by two teams. The acute and chronic pain team focuses on comprehensive pain management, while the palliative care team provides an extra layer of support for children and families facing serious illness. When a patient is ready for discharge, we work collaboratively with providers from all relevant specialties to bridge the transition home.

Acute and chronic pain team

We embrace innovative and integrative approaches to relieving and managing pain. Our services include:

Palliative care team

For children with serious illnesses, our team – which includes specialists from several fields – focuses on relieving symptoms and stress, fostering wellness and offering comfort. The overarching goal is to improve quality of life for both the child and their family by partnering and collaborating with everyone affected and by ensuring that care meets individual needs and values. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be provided together with curative or life-prolonging treatment.

Our services include:

  • Treatments for acute pain, or short-lived pain related to illness or injury
  • Treatments for chronic pain
  • Specialized treatment for amplified pain, an abnormal neurological response that causes pain to be felt with unusual intensity
  • Sedation for medical procedures
  • Regional anesthesia (numbing the area of the body being treated), such as an epidural injection
  • Complementary and integrative therapies:
    • Acupressure and acupuncture
    • Aromatherapy
    • Biofeedback
    • Massage therapy
    • Music therapy
    • Relaxation training
    • Short-term cognitive behavioral therapy
    • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) 
    • Management of symptoms, such as pain, nausea, constipation, shortness of breath and anxiety
    • Discussions to clarify individual goals of care
    • Help understanding medical conditions
    • Decision-making support
    • Advance care planning
    • Support for emotional, psychological and spiritual issues in developmentally appropriate ways
    • Care coordination for complex and chronic conditions
    • Support and counseling for grief and loss
    • Complementary and integrative therapies, such as massage, music therapy and art therapy
    • Coordination with hospice agencies
    • Coordination with home-based palliative care programs

 

Click here to see a list of Pediatric Pain, Palliative & Integrative Medicine Center providers. 

 

Child's hand gripping parent's finger

Patient Education Videos

 

Location

Ron Conway Family Gateway Medical Building
1825 Fourth Street, Fifth and Sixth Floors
San Francisco, CA 94143-0106
Palliative Care Program
(415) 353-9517 Phone

From UCSF News

Acupuncture Helps Pediatric Patients Manage Pain and Nausea UCSF is One of Few Academic Medical Centers to Offer Treatment to Inpatients and Outpatients

From UCSF Leaps and Bounds

Zapping the Pain

From NPR

Pain Rescue Team Helps Seriously Ill Kids Cope In Terrible Times

 

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco

Support Us

To make a secure donation online, please visit our make a gift page, select “Direct your gift to a specific area,” and choose [Division of Pain Medicine].

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Allison White 

Assistant Director, University Development

220 Montgomery Street, 5th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94104

 

Office Tel: (415) 502-5868

Email: [email protected]