Please find below a farewell from Nevenka Krčevski Škvarč, former EFIC Councillor and Board Member. We are incredibly thankful for all her valuable input and hard work in contributing to the work and activities of the European Pain Federation EFIC.
My involvement in pain medicine started in the early eighties of the past century and was significantly fostered after my three-month stay in Winston Salem at Bowman Gray’s Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Center with Richard Rauch in 1994. He recommended me for IASP membership, and my window to pain science was widely opened. The European Pain Federation, EFIC, was founded in 1993 in Paris under the leadership of Prof. Ulf Lindblom, who also served as EFIC President in those early years. Thus, I learned about EFIC immediately after its foundation and took part as an active participant at the first EFIC congress, ‘Pain in Europe,’ in Verona in 1995. As today I remember this session which was chaired by Giustino Varrassi.
In those days, I was working on the foundation of the Slovenian Pain Association, which was established in 1996 and became the Chapter of IASP and EFIC. It was our privilege to host, at the same time, the SPC of IASP Congress and the EXB of EFIC, and to establish valuable connections with many experts and colleagues, mainly from Europe. This experience was of great help for the development of pain medicine in Slovenia and the further organization of pain services. (pictures) After almost 10 years, I handed over the presidency of the Slovenian Pain Association but remained present on its EXB and as a Councillor in EFIC until this year.
My early activity in EFIC started in the functions of Councillor, Member of the Committee for Educational Grants for EEC, and ambassador for East European countries. In visits to many of those countries, I shared my knowledge and EFIC’s policies, gaining many new friends there as well as in EFIC’s EXB and Council. In 2011, I was elected Honorary Secretary, and during my two terms, I had the opportunity to work closely and intensively with Hans G. Kress, Giustino Varrassi, Chris Wells, Eli Allon, Bart Morlion, and Elon Eisenberg. During this time, we worked extensively to diminish disparities between East and West Europe, as EFIC’s policy emphasizes that every European citizen should receive equally appropriate pain management.
So, during my journey with EFIC, I had the possibility to take part in work with all its presidents, other members of the EXB, committee members, task force members, Pain School directors, EFIC’s secretaries, and the current director. Each of them personally gave or is giving their impact, stamp, and contribution to this huge organization. Prof. Ulf Lindblom gave life to this organization. I remember the election process for Prof. Zimmerman’s presidency and his Summer Pain School in Siena. Every morning before lectures, we had to do exercises in the nice courtyard of the castle. David Niv brought great energy and worldwide impact to EFIC and the world of pain with the Declaration on Pain. Harald Breivik researched the prevalence of pain in Europe, Serdar Erdine continued with the realization of David’s projects and ideas and started the first EFIC school in Klagenfurt. Giustino Varrassi initiated activities like ‘Change Pain’ and ‘Societal Impact of Pain.’ Hans G. Kress dedicated a lot of energy to organizing EFIC’s economy, matters on the European Journal of Pain, and, together with Chris Wells, developed programs for extensive education initiatives and a pain diploma. Bart Morlion injected new fresh energy into everything in EFIC, making it dynamic. Brona Fullen continued with this burst of new actions and initiatives, putting in significant efforts to stress the need for comprehensive interdisciplinary and multimodal pain management.
I witnessed the remarkable growth of EFIC, the realization of many dreams we had together, and important achievements and initiatives. There was no EFIC scientific event or congress where I was not present. We started as a small family where I felt like an adolescent, and now EFIC has become a great organization with so many activities that it is hard to follow, and I feel like an aunt in transition to grandmother.
My experience with EFIC is unforgettable. The spirit of affiliation, friendship, solidarity, equality, and creativity present in EFIC gives this federation the power for joint effectiveness in the field of pain. It seems like yesterday that Hans G. Kress and Serdar Erdine produced the booklet for the 20th Anniversary of EFIC, and this year in 2023 we celebrate the 30th Anniversary. In these 10 years, many changes have been made in EFIC with the aim of further improving education and awareness of pain, interprofessional relations, relations with patients and policymakers, and the organization’s leadership. I hope that our pain federation will flourish in the future and contribute to a better understanding of pain and effective pain management for many patients across Europe.
Nevenka Krčevski Škvarč
