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ASA Joins ABMS’ Multi-Specialty Portfolio Program

Double board-certified physician Dr. Dan Kendall practices interventional pain medicine as a senior executive physician of National Spine & Pain Centers. Active in the professional community, Dr. Daniel “Dan” Kendall belongs to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). In April 2018, the ASA, an organization dedicated to promoting professional education and maintaining standards in anesthesiology, announced that it joined the Multi-Specialty Portfolio Program. Maintained by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS, the program allows physicians to earn maintenance of certification (MOC) credit when they participate in the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) Learning Collaborative. Physicians who are eligible to earn this credit must have the required board certification from one of the 20 ABMS Member Boards participating in the Portfolio Program and be seeking MOC Part IV credit. The ASA plans on operating the Portfolio Program through the Economics and Practice Innovation Department. Although PSH, a patient-centered model for coordinated care, is the only ASA-approved activity that grants physicians MOC Part IV credit, the organization plans on approving more quality improvement activities for credit in the future. Since the ABMS created the Portfolio Program, it has helped physicians participate in more practice improvement and quality initiatives around the country. Additionally, the ASA hopes to spread this impact to its own members by joining the program.

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Osteopathic Medicine Increases Ranks of Younger and Female Physicians

As a senior executive physician with National Spine and Pain Centers in McLean, Virginia, Dr. Dan Kendall treats spinal conditions and pain through a variety of nonsurgical techniques. Dr. Dan Kendall maintains memberships in professional organizations including the American Osteopathic Association. In the United States today, there are some 108,000 practicing osteopathic physicians. The American Osteopathic Association, a leading professional organization, serves these doctors and an additional approximately 30,000 students of osteopathic medicine. Over the past decade, the number of students focusing on osteopathic care has increased by 85 percent. In fact, for years, the osteopathic field has experienced one of the strongest growth surges among all health care fields. The total number of osteopaths working with patients in the United States has more than tripled over the past three decades. The profession has begun to skew toward younger practitioners: in 2017, osteopathic physicians under the age of 46 made up fully half of the total number. In addition, more than 40 percent of all current osteopaths are women, with women making up 47 percent of the under-46 cohort. Doctors of osteopathy, or DOs, are fully licensed medical doctors focused on offering a holistic, patient-centered approach in treating a variety of conditions. More than 50 percent of American osteopathic physicians provide primary care.

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Electrodiagnostic Tests Give Doctors Detailed Look at Sources of Pain

Interventional pain management specialist Dr. Dan Kendall is a senior executive physician at National Spine & Pain Centers. Based in McLean, Virginia, Dr. Dan Kendall and his team offer nonsurgical alternatives to managing spinal injuries and acute and chronic pain, often utilizing electrodiagnostic testing to determine the appropriate treatment. The advanced electrodiagnostic testing available at National Spine and Pain Centers helps physicians identify the sources of pain as a first step in controlling or eliminating it. Using electrodiagnostic tests, doctors can see how a patient’s muscles and nerves function and can gauge the extent and type of nerve or muscle damage the body has accumulated. Because the body’s nervous and muscle systems transmit electrical signals along predefined pathways, any injury to nerve or muscle tissue can significantly impede or even block these signals. By using the precision measuring capabilities of electrodiagnostics, medical professionals can see where these blocks occur due to the weakened signals emitting from the damaged tissue. Doctors typically consider performing electrodiagnostics when a patient is experiencing unexplained weakness, tingling, or pain.

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The Difference between Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty

As a fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Daniel (Dan) Kendall trained in a wide range of pain management techniques. For more than a decade, Dr. Dan Kendall has used these techniques to treat patients through National Spine & Pain Centers, where he serves as an interventional pain medicine specialist. Among the many treatments offered through National Spine & Pain Centers are vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Both of these procedures take a similar approach to relieving pain attributed to spinal compression. In both procedures, X-ray imaging is used to guide the injection of a bone cement into a damaged vertebra. This cement helps restore the original shape of the vertebra to lessen compression. In a vertebroplasty, the cement is injected directly into bone that has suffered a fracture. In kyphoplasty, clinicians first insert a balloon that is inflated to expand the vertebra before injecting cement. Both vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are helpful for patients with osteoporosis. As these patients' bones become more brittle, the risk of spinal compression fractures increases and these fractures can lead to a hunched posture and severe pain in the back and hips. These procedures restore strength to vertebrae and can often enable patients to regain a healthy posture.

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Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Features Simulation Center

An interventional pain medicine specialist at National Spine & Pain Centers in McLean, Virginia, Dr. Daniel “Dan” Kendall formerly served as chief fellow and clinical instructor of anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Named one of The Washingtonian’s Top Doctors for two consecutive years, Dr. Dan Kendall is a graduate of Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) at Midwestern University. CCOM offers students the opportunity to enhance their medical education at the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center (CSC) on Midwestern University's campus. Shared by CCOM and other medical students, the mission of the CSC is to integrate patient simulation technology into the curriculum so that students have more chances to apply their classroom learning in realistic medical environments. Not only do students have the chance to practice their history-taking and physical exam skills in the simulated environment, but they also get to practice their critical thinking skills in a more high-stress clinical setting. The CSC is located on the fourth floor of Cardinal Hall. Reservations to use the facility must be made at least six weeks in advance to ensure availability.

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What to Expect When Undergoing a Radiofrequency Rhizotomy

Based in McLean, Virginia, Dr. Daniel (“Dan”) Kendall practices interventional pain management at National Spine & Pain Centers. Over the course of more than a decade, Dr. Dan Kendall has earned numerous awards and recognitions, published several articles, and lectured extensively about various pain management topics, including radiofrequency (RF) rhizotomy. Patients with pain caused by degenerative facet joints in the spine may be candidates for RF rhizotomy or neurotomy. Before this therapeutic procedure is scheduled, physicians verify where the pain originates from using an MRI, discography, or facet nerve injections. This verification is needed to ensure a person is eligible for the procedure before it is scheduled with a surgery center or local hospital. At their initial appointment, patients must bring previous imaging study results with them, along with a list of medications they are currently taking. For those people who chose to undergo IV sedation during the procedure, they must follow all eating and drinking instructions that their physician gave them and bring along someone who can drive them home and stay with them for at least 12 hours after the procedure is done. During an RF rhizotomy, physicians use X-ray guidance to inject a contrast solution that highlights a person’s anatomy around the nerve affecting them. A thin needle electrode is then placed next to the degenerative facet joint and a numbing medication is administered to desensitize the nerve. Physicians then use heat to cauterize the nerve and disrupt its communication with the brain. Following the procedure, patients may experience numbness for two to eight hours until the anesthetic wears off. The pain usually returns after that point and may persist or worsen for about one to four weeks before people start feeling an improvement.

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The 2018 ASIPP Annual Meeting

Dr. Dan Kendall earned a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree in 1999 from Midwestern University, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Today, he serves as an interventional pain medicine specialist at National Spine & Pain Centers in McLean, Virginia. Dr. Dan Kendall is a member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP). ASIPP was established 20 years ago with the aim of promoting cost effective, safe, and high-quality interventional pain management techniques and ensuring that these treatments are accessible. From March 15 to 17 in Orlando, Florida, ASIPP and the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians are holding the 2018 ASIPP Annual Meeting. The convention will develop the theme "Excellence in IPM: Education, Research, Advocacy". The meeting is intended to be an educational program at which attendees will learn from 8 keynote and many other notable speakers. There will also be over 100 exhibitors displaying new IPM products and services for upwards of 1,000 attendees from all over America. Those planning to attend will be able to take advantage of deluxe rooms and amenities at the Marriott Orlando World Center.

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Epidural Nerve Blocks - Addressing Spinal Nerve Pain Issues

An Arlington, Virginia, interventional pain medicine specialist, Dr. Dan Kendall assists patients in navigating the challenges associated with neck and back pain. Dr. Dan Kendall is knowledgeable in a variety of clinical approaches to back pain treatment, including epidural nerve blocks and radiofrequency rhizotomy. An effective form of regional anesthesia, epidural nerve blocks address a form of damage or inflammation to the nerve known as radiculopathy. This issue centers on the point where the nerve exits the spine and is associated with herniated discs and spinal stenosis, or a narrowing of the spine. Symptoms include sharp pain that shoots down a single leg or both legs, or to the arm via the neck. The nerve block involves the injection by a qualified professional of a numbing anesthetic such as lidocaine directly into the impacted area. This blocks the sending of nerve impulses from segments of the lower spine to areas registering pain. While the effects wear off after several hours, they fulfill a vital role in enabling patients to relax and rest without being interrupted by severe discomfort. Well published in his field, Dr. Daniel Kendall has presented on approaches to pharmacological care and chronic pain in a number of public venues.

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Dr. Dan Kendall | Radiofrequency Neurotomy

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The Trial Period Associated with Spinal Cord Stimulation

Based in Arlington, Virginia, Dr. Dan Kendall offers comprehensive care for chronic back pain and related issues as an interventional pain medicine specialist at National Spine & Pain Centers. Emphasizing treatments that enhance patients’ quality of life, Dr. Dan Kendall is experienced in spinal cord stimulation. Spinal cord stimulation is typically preceded by a trial period of up to a week. This begins with the placement of a hollow needle into the epidural space, which surrounds the spinal canal. The needle contains leads, or thin insulated wires that attach to electrical contacts. The leads are in turn connected with a belt-affixed exterior pulse transmitter, with wires taped and running along the back to the external neurostimulator. The patient employs a handheld controller throughout the trial and adjusts stimulation levels within programmed ranges. Throughout the trial period, the patient records pain relief levels in a variety of situations spanning day and night. If successful, the device transmitting current may be implanted within the body and a course of long-term therapy commenced. Dr. Dan Kendall also treats patients through radiofrequency ablation and nonsurgical disc decompression procedures.

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Virginia’s Dr. Dan Kendall

An experienced anesthesiologist and pain management physician, Dr. Dan Kendall holds active licensure in the states of Virginia and Maryland as well as the District of Columbia. For the past 17 years, Dr. Kendall has treated patients as an interventional pain medicine specialist at the Arlington offices of National Spine and Pain Centers near his hometown of Vienna, Virginia. Dr. Daniel “Dan” Kendall also oversees the administrative operations of these offices as a senior executive partner. Before joining the National Spine and Pain team, Dr. Dan Kendall served tenures as chief pain management fellow with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and as chief anesthesiology resident at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Dr. Kendall is board certified in both anesthesiology and pain management and holds active membership in the American Osteopathic Medical Association, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and the International Spine Intervention Society.

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Dr. Dan Kendall - A Full Range of Pain Management Solutions

Based in Arlington, Virginia, Dr. Dan Kendall helps patients with pain management needs through treatments such as intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty, spinal cord stimulation, and non-surgical disc decompression. Dr. Daniel Kendall emphasizes clinical pathways that improve patient quality of life and has experience addressing chronic pain through medication.

Known for his thought leadership on spinal cord stimulation (SCS) best practices, Dr. Dan Kendall is active with the National Physician Advisory Board for Advanced Bionics. Frequently consulted on complex cases, he has instructed physicians on advanced techniques using SCS technologies. Dr. Dan Kendall earned a doctor of osteopathic medicine from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University before going on to complete his residency at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, where he held responsibilities as chief resident. He subsequently served as chief fellow during his fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Among Dr. Kendall’s professional affiliations are the American Osteopathic Medical Association and the American Society of Anesthesiologists.