UH expands options for patients struggling with chronic pain

CLEVELAND – Patients suffering from chronic pain will find many more options at University Hospitals Comprehensive Pain Center. UH is debuting the first of its centers at UH Parma Medical Center, with its proven interventional pain management program making it the ideal location for the new Center.

The UH Comprehensive Pain Center builds on existing treatments for management of chronic pain (such as injections, spinal cord stimulators, and infusion therapy) with the addition of the UH Connor Integrative Health Network, offering chiropractic care, lifestyle and integrative health medical consults, massage therapy and guided meditation to complement its integrated approach to pain management. Additionally, the multi-disciplinary Center also offers physical and occupational therapy, behavioral health and addiction services.

“Our dedicated team of physicians and clinicians are already experienced in helping patients struggling with pain,” says Brian Monter, Chief Operating Officer of UH’s West Market, which includes UH Parma Medical Center. “To enhance our care offerings, we recently recruited new physicians with decades of experience in treating patients with pain. I am confident that their expertise, combined with the multi-disciplinary slate of clinical practitioners available through the Center, will provide our community with an unmatched program that’s desperately needed.”

This Center will enhance access to comprehensive care for chronic pain so that multiple avenues can easily be explored, with the goals of reducing pain, improving functioning, and decreasing reliance on opioid medications. UH Parma Medical Center also served as one of the first launch sites for Thrive ED, a peer support program linking ED patients to substance abuse treatments.

“Opioids still serve as a necessary pain management option in some cases, but we need to ensure other options are explored which is why we are addressing the crisis holistically and creating this compassionate care model,” says Jeanne Lackamp, MD, Director of the UH Pain Management Institute and Vice Chair, Department of Psychiatry, UH Cleveland Medical Center. “Creating our first Comprehensive Pain Center at UH Parma gives us the chance to demonstrate innovation in partnership with an existing group of renowned providers.”

Kutaiba Tabbaa, MD, Medical Director of the Comprehensive Pain Center at UH Parma, notes that the interdisciplinary program blends the latest technologies and therapies and thoughtful medical management and behavioral health to help chronic pain patients.

“Pain management is not only a pill, an injection, surgery, therapy or an implant,” says Dr. Tabbaa. “Pain management is an art tailored to each individual by their trusted pain specialist to preserve, regain and improve quality of life, accompanied by total patient involvement and empowerment.”

While services will primarily be provided at UH Parma Medical Center, some services will be offered at the North Royalton Family YMCA as well as virtually. Appointments can be made by calling the UH Comprehensive Pain Center at (440) 743-4333.

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About the UH Pain Management Institute

Launched in 2018, the UH Pain Management Institute brings together health care providers from multiple disciplines across the University Hospitals system to optimize patient care and treat patients with physical pain, psychological pain or a combination of both. The multi-disciplinary team comprising primary care, internal medicine, anesthesiology, surgery, emergency medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, pain management, and integrative medicine routinely meet to discuss new regulations, policies and treatment modalities for treating pain. The Institute also provides opportunities for continuing medical education on topics related to pain management and safe prescribing practices for controlled substances.

About University Hospitals

Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 20 hospitals, more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located in Cleveland’s University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, a high-volume national referral center for complex cardiovascular procedures; and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals – part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with 28,000 physicians and employees. Advancing the Science of Health and the Art of Compassion is UH’s vision for benefitting its patients into the future, and the organization’s unwavering mission is To Heal. To Teach. To Discover. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook @UniversityHospitals and Twitter @UHhospitals. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.