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About Us Board of Directors

2010 - 2012 Board of Directors

President: Judson Somerville, MD, DABPM, FIPP

Dr. Somerville serves as the medical director of The Pain Management Clinic of Laredo,

the first physician-led clinic in Laredo directed toward healing chronic pain. He has

trained with Dr. Gabor Racz, a world authority on invasive pain management at Texas Tech

Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, to learn the latest techniques in treating chronic pain.

Dr. Somerville also visited the Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital in New York City to learn

recent innovations in cancer pain treatments. During his residency at The University of

Massachusetts, the largest pain management clinic on the East Coast, he completed

extensive training in acute and chronic pain management. Curriculum Vitae

President Elect: Miles R. Day,

MD, DABPM, FIPP

Dr. Day is the Pain Fellowship

Program Director and Associate Professor for the

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at Texas Tech University Health Sciences

Center in Lubbock, TX. He also serves as Examiner for the World Institute of Pain

Interventional Pain Practice Exam. Curriculum Vitae

Treasurer:

Donald D. Bacon, MD

Secretary: Larry C. Driver, MD

Dr. Driver is Professor and Deputy Chairman in the Department of Pain Medicine, and also

an Adjunct Ethicist for the Clinical Ethics Consultation Service at the University of

Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He received his undergraduate education at

Austin College followed by medical education at The University of Texas Medical School at

San Antonio in 1980. Completed his Anesthesiology Residency at The University of Colorado

Health Sciences Center in Denver in 1984, and he completed a Clinical Fellowship in Pain

and Symptom Management at M. D. Anderson in 1999. He is Board Certified in Anesthesiology,

Pain Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Interests and activities include

clinical pain and symptom management for patients with active cancer and advanced cancer,

as well as cancer survivors; ethical issues surrounding those clinical efforts; research

focused on symptom burden and impact in cancer patients; and pain education and public

policy initiatives. Curriculum Vitae

Past President: Allen W. Burton, MD

Dr. Allen W. Burton is the Section Chief of Cancer Pain Management and Professor of

Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

(MDACC) in Houston TX, where he has practiced and led the pain program since 2000.

Curriculum Vitae

Directors:

Aaron K. Calodney, MD

Curriculum Vitae

John Claude Krusz, PhD, MD

John Claude Krusz, PhD, MD, has an undergraduate degree in pharmacy (BS) and was a

Registered Pharmacist (RPh), practicing in this field part-time, while completing his

medical studies. Following undergraduate training, he completed graduate studies in

neuropharmacology (PhD). Dr. Krusz then completed a 2 year post-doctoral research

fellowship in geriatric neuropharmacology, receiving several academic and teaching

appointments, together with consulting activity in advertising, as he completed his

medical studies (MD), with specialized training in neurology. Curriculum Vitae

Graves Owen, MD

Graves T. Owen, MD, graduated with honors from Southwest Texas State University in San

Marcos, Texas where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. He earned a

medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and completed an

internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center (Also

located in Houston). Dr. Owen also completed residency training in Anesthesiology at the

University of Texas Health Science Center.Curriculum Vitae

Carlos O. Viesca, MD

Dr. Viesca is a Diplomat American Board of Pain Management with Subspecialty

Certification in Pain Medicine by the American Board of Anesthesiology. He is the current

Director for Pain Management Services at El Paso Pain Management Center and El Paso

Orthopaedic Surgery Group. Curriculum Vitae

Directors Emeritus:

Ralph Rashbaum, MD

Dr. Rashbaum is a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon with specialization in spinal

surgery. He is the co-founder of the Texas Back Institute and concurrently founder of one

of the first back schools in the United States. Dr. Rashbaum has referred complex spine

cases from across the country, aiding patients from railroad workers to celebrities like

golfer Lee Trevino and country singer Willie Nelson. Full Bio

James E. Heavner, DVM, PhD

Dr. Heavner is the Director of Anesthesiology/Pain Research at Texas Tech University

Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, TX. He is one of the original founder of the Texas Pain

Society and currently serves of the Board as a Director Emeritus. Curriculum Vitae

C. Stratton Hill, Jr., MD

Gabor B. Racz, MD

Dr. Racz filled numerous assignments, such as respiratory consultant in the neurosurgical

head injury unit and Associate Professor at SUNY, until 1977 when he moved to Lubbock,

Texas to become the first Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at the new Texas

Tech University Health Sciences Center. He held that position until March 1, 1999 when, as

Director of Pain Services, he focused full attention to treatment of patients, expanding

the operations of pain services, and the future development of an international pain

institute in Lubbock, Texas. Curriculum Vitae

P. Prithvi Raj, MD

Dr. Raj has done extensive postgraduate work. He has held many positions in the medical

field from house surgeon to Orthopedic Registrar in India and England. Dr. Raj did

Rotating Internship in Connecticut and his Residency in Anesthesiology in Texas. He has

also held positions in Anesthesiology in Norway, England, Texas, California, Ohio and

Georgia. His last position before retiring was Professor of Anesthesiology and Co-Director

of the International Pain Institute at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He is

past president of the World Institute of Pain and an active member of many other

professional organizations and committees.

Dr. Raj has earned numerous awards and honors and is listed in the Best Doctors in

America in Chronic Pain Management. He has contributed to over 100 articles, edited

numerous editorials, and is the past Chief Executive Editor of Pain Practice and past

Editor in Chief with MD Consult Pain Medicine. To add to his credits are books, movies,

videotapes, models and exhibits.

Dr. Raj is currently retired but still involved in many new projects and travels all over

the world lecturing and promoting the World Institute of Pain.

C. M. Schade, MD, PhD

Dr. Schade is Board Certified in Pain Management and currently practices in Garland,

Texas. He is a past president of the Texas Pain Society and currently serves on the Board

as a Director Emeritus. Dr. Schade is also the Texas Pain Society representative for the

Texas Medical Association's House of Delegates. Curriculum Vitae

Past Presidents

Gabor B. Racz, MD 1990-1992

C. Stratton Hill,

Jr., MD 1992-1994

C. Stratton Hill,

Jr., MD 1994-1996

Sharon Weinstein, MD 1996-1998

P. Prithvi Raj, MD 1998-2000

C. M. Schade, MD, PhD 2000-2002

Samuel J. Hassenbusch, MD, PhD 2002-2004

Ralph Rashbaum, MD 2004-2006

Aaron Calodney, MD 2006-2008

Allen W. Burton, MD

2008-2010

Judson Somerville, MD, DABPM, FIPP 2010- present

In Memory of Samuel J. Hassenbusch, III, MD, PhD

A Celebration of His Life

Samuel Sam Hassenbusch, III, MD, PhD lost his fight with glioblastoma multiforme on

February 25th 2008, at home in the company of his beloved family. His family and the

entire pain community deeply mourn his passing. We have lost one of our true shining

stars.

Samuel was born on February 6th, 1954 in St. Joseph, MO. As Sam grew up under influence

of his parents Samuel and Suzanne, he achieved high marks at school and excelled at

everything he tried, including playing both the violin, the trumpet, and becoming an Eagle

Scout as he entered high school at Central High School.

In 1970 while in high school he met Rhonda Warner and fell in love. Sam and Rhonda

married on May 23, 1972 in St. Joseph, MO. Sam attended Johns Hopkins University where he

excelled obtaining both an MD and PhD. He stayed at Johns Hopkins to complete

Neurosurgical residency and his PhD in pharmacology. While living in Baltimore, Samuel

Jack Hassenbusch IV was born in 1978, Jason Arthur was born in 1980, and Amanda Sue was

born in 1982. Sam, Rhonda and family stayed in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins until 1988 where

Sam was an Instructor for the Department of Neurosurgery.

In 1988 the family relocated to Cleveland, Ohio where Samuel continued his career as a

neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation specializing in pain medicine. He remained

at the Cleveland Clinic until 1993 as a neurosurgical pain specialist of distinction.

Finally, in 1993 the Hassenbusch family relocated to Houston, Texas where Sam continued

his career at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center which he joined as an

Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery with a co-

appointment in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. In 1998, he became an Associate Professor

with Tenure and from 2001 to the present he was a Professor in the Department of

Neurosurgery in the Division of Surgery. Beginning in 2005 to the present he was also the

Medical Director of the Physicians Referral Service at The University of Texas MD Anderson

Cancer Center. From 2006 to the present he was also an Associate Professor

in the

Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine.

It is difficult to capture the essence and energy of Sam on paper. He was at once a

scholar, friend, trusted colleague, loving husband and father, wonderful spirited

adventurer, patient advocate, philanthropist, evangelist, auto mechanic/enthusiast, gifted

surgeon, leader, and sadly- cancer patient.

He served in so many leadership roles and earned so many, many awards during his too

brief 54 years of life, an all encompassing listing of them would go on for pages. Some

selected roles/awards include: Past president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine,

Past president of the Texas Pain Society, Past president of the Texas Society for

Neurological Surgeons, Past president of the North American Neurological Surgery Society,

with awards including the Distinguished Service Award from the American Neuromodulation

Society, the World Institute of Pain, the American Society of Interventional Pain

Physicians, the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies to name a few.

Sam contributed greatly to the scholarship of the pain medicine field and traveled the

world speaking and teaching at medical congresses. He published more than 25 book chapters

and 50 peer reviewed articles and in 2002 he aired on the Houston Medical TV show

concerning one of his patients (Marnie Rose) with a brain tumor. Sam subsequently

contributed much love, energy, and time to the Marnie Rose foundation.

In May of 2005 Sam was diagnosed with glioblastoma in the right frontal lobe. After

surgery to remove the tumor, Sam embarked on a novel research protocol that he helped

design. Sam was very public with his diagnosis and experiences as a cancer patient

appearing in print and media regularly as an outspoken advocate for patient issues and

funding for medical research. His journey as a cancer patient has been inspirational for

countless patients and friends. During his cancer journey many articles were written about

Sam including those published in The Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly Magazine, Newsweek

Magazine, and aired on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

Sam was an amazing man that I (AB) had the privilege to work with at MD Anderson since

2000. He was so completely in the moment whether talking about patient care,

reimbursement issues, a research project, upcoming family vacation, a grandchild, a bible

verse, his beloved Rhonda, his beloved children, or his nearly as beloved Dodge Charger or

Victory Vegas motorcycle! He was loved by so many, and he openly loved them right back. He

truly loved life and is gone too soon.

Contact Details

Texas Pain Society

PO Box 201413

Austin, Texas 78720-1413

Ph: 512-***-**** / Fax: 866-***-****

Email: abo47j@r.postjobfree.com

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