American Pain Foundation. Micke Brown, BSN, RN, is a pain management nurse
and pain advocate, whose work has focused on caring for patients with pain, ...
Micke A. Brown BSN, RN Director of Communications American Pain Foundation Micke Brown, BSN, RN, is a pain management nurse and pain advocate, whose work has focused on caring for patients with pain, providing healthcare professionals with pain management training, and organizing the public and healthcare professionals around pain management issues. Today, as the Communications Director for the American Pain Foundation (APF), a national nonprofit organization serving people affected by pain through education, support, and advocacy, Ms. Brown’s role is to develop and guide communications services that include policy, media and public awareness programming for APF. She responds regularly to professional and consumer inquiries, aids in the development of education materials, and assists with organizational planning efforts. She has experience speaking with media about pain management issues that range from conducting conference presentations, telephone interviews, as well as serving as a guest expert for radio and television venues. Ms. Brown is the 2006 recipient of the Richard S. Weiner Pain Education Fund Advocacy for People with Pain Award from the American Academy of Pain Management. Brown has over thirty years experience in nursing with fifteen years in the specialty of pain management. For the final six years of clinical practice, she worked as the Pain Care Specialist at a 300‐bed hospital system in a rural setting of central Maryland. She practiced within a collaborative pain management service with anesthesiology, physical medicine, pain physicians, and other healthcare disciplines. She assisted patients, families and healthcare professionals with the development of pain management strategies whether focused on curative, palliative, and/or complementary care therapies. In addition to clinical practice, Brown has worked as a private consultant for over three years with healthcare systems and non‐profit organizations committed to improving pain management. Brown has extensive experience in establishing hospital‐based pain programs, healthcare professional training courses, performance improvement projects, and leading multi‐disciplinary collaborative practice committees. As a public speaker and lecturer, she has addressed multiple issues that surround untreated pain including ethical challenges, end‐of‐life care, cultural disparities and care of special populations. Brown has served on speakers’ bureau for pharmaceutical companies and has taught pain management courses as guest faculty for local community colleges in Central and Western Maryland, and the American Healthcare Institute. Brown has been an active member of the American Society for Pain Management Nursing since 1991. ASPMN is a professional organization dedicated to promoting the advancement and promotion of optimal nursing care for people affected by pain. She served as their President for 2003‐2004 and was the Maryland Chapter President for 2005‐2006. Her work with ASPMN includes contributing to publications, chairing task forces, and serving their board appointed public policy liaison. She represented ASPMN to the Nursing Leadership Consortium on End of Life (EOL) Care from 2000‐ 2003. Brown has served on numerous boards and committees. A few include: the Board of Directors for Hospice of Washington County in Maryland; the Board of Directors for the Maryland Pain Initiative; and the Quality Improvement Committee for Star Communities, Inc, an organization who provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities.
