Welcome to The Society of Women Innovators
in Pain Management

We encourage and empower current and future women pain leaders to realize their professional and personal goals. We do this through a commitment to mentoring, supporting, educating, training and developing future influencers within our field.

WIPM was founded in 2019 by a small group of female physicians who recognized the under representation of women in the field of pain management. The goal of this organization is to be a stand alone
entity who can act as the collective voice for women in pain management.

Lisa Stearns Scholarship Memorial Fund

We, atWIPM,lost one of our most prominent leaders; and the community of patients with chronic and cancer pain lost a brilliant clinician and advocate. Much has been written about the accomplishments of Dr. Lisa Stearns by colleagues and business partners. We will not recount her myriad professional successes here, but instead, we want to tell you about Lisa - our friend and mentor.

Lisa Stearns was, first and foremost, a person gifted with extraordinary compassion and an ability to connect with people. Those of us who were fortunate enough to train with her admired and respected her deeply, but what was most striking was her connection with her patients. We watched her effortlessly build and foster close working relationships with them. She valued their opinions about their care, their feelings, and she made it a point to spend extra time with them when needed. Those of us who worked with her know about the 14- and 15-hour days. Lisa was tireless in her drive to help everyone in whatever way she could.

Lisa was a mentor to all of us atWIPM. She was a founding member of this organization because she knew the struggles women faced in pain medicine - she had encountered many of these herself. Lisa lent her experience to the rest of us, knowing that by empowering us, she would leave behind her a legacy of more women in pain management - women who would face down and dismantle the barriers that those before us had to overcome.

Lisa Stearns was our friend. Some of our most enjoyable times with her were not in ‘work mode,’ but were at gatherings after conferences, when we would sit back and tell stories about life and laugh until tears over a glass of wine. She was the light in the room; people simply gravitated to her.

Lisa - our mentor and friend - we miss you dearly. We hope that in carrying out the mission ofWIPMwe honor you and your legacy.

In honor of Dr. Lisa Stearns,WIPMhereby establishes the Dr. Lisa Stearns Memorial Scholarship, which will be awarded to aWIPMmember and pain medicine fellow or early career physician each year, beginning in 2021.

Please consider making a donation to the Lisa Stearns Memorial Fund to support Lisa’s legacy and passion for years to come.

Ready to take the next step? Become a member of our society!