Established in 2003, the Army Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management Initiative (ARAPMI) sought to improve the management of acute pain in military and civilian medicine. Through clinical research efforts, it has become the model of integrated acute and chronic pain medicine.
During the next six years, the ARAPMI vision expanded exponentially and now encompasses all aspects of pain management beginning at point of injury, regardless of where the injury occurs (battlefield, training or motor vehicle accident). The organizational objective expanded to ensure that pain management services are available at all military treatment facilities, those in-theatre, in Germany, and throughout the continental United States. A collaborative working relationship with Navy, Air Force and Veterans Administration (VA) colleagues was established.
In 2009, the Military Advanced Regional Anesthesia & Analgesia (MARAA) Consultant Board voted to authorize a name change from ARAPMI to the Defense & Veterans Pain Management Initiative (DVPMI) to better reflect tri-service and VA participation, as well as the importance of pain management across the continuum of care from injury through rehabilitation. Lieutenant General Eric B. Schoomaker, Army Surgeon General, chartered the Army Pain Management Task Force, which makes recommendations about comprehensive pain management strategies.
In 2011, the Defense & Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM) was established, as the DoD-level advisory organization for pain management.
