Massachusetts General Hospital

Biography

Clinical Care: I dedicate my clinical time to the evaluation and treatment of patients with persistent pain conditions, with activities that include screening and psychological evaluation for chronic opioid therapy, screening for interventional procedures, and cognitive behavioral interventions. Therapeutic goals include improvement in patient coping skills, maximizing adherence, and managing disability associated with chronic pain. I coordinate a time-limited behavioral group program, focusing on short-term, cost-effective strategies for the management of pain.

Education: Work in education and training includes coordination of behavioral science teaching for the MGH Pain Fellows and medical staff. Activities include directing the MGH Chronic Pain Rounds at the Ether Dome, as well as hosting other regional and national conferences on pain. Past education work has included membership and chairmanships of subcommittees through the American Pain Society, Presidency of New England Pain Association for two terms, and recent co-director of the Boston Pain Forum. Recent activities involve collaborative efforts with other institutions, including the Tufts and Harvard Dental Schools of Dental Medicine, and the Tufts Medical School.

Research: My earlier career was devoted to program development and quality improvement with private sector pain practice, while ongoing research has addressed public policy issues with access to pain care. This includes co-authorship of the book Managed Care in Pain and recent publications addressing access to cost-effective treatment. Recent published work has also addressed issues in forensic/medico-legal assessment, evidence in the courtroom, and risk management with opioid therapy in pain medicine practice.

Publications

In press:

1. Rochman D, Ray S, Kulich RJ, Mehta N. Validity and utility of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure in a craniofacial pain center. Occ Ther J of Research
2. Vranceanu AM, Ring D., Kulich R, Zhao M, Cowan J, & Safren S. Delivering cognitive-behavioral therapy as part of a surgical practice. Cognitive Behavioral Practice
3. Chandwani B, Kulich RJ, Andrew L, Scrivani SJ. Tapering Chronic Opioid Therapy in Chronic Neuropathic Facial Pain - An Interdisciplinary Approach: Case Report. J Opioid Therapy
4. Kulich RJ, Scrivani S, Maciewicz: Functional Imaging in the Courts: Applications for Pain Medicine? Pain Medicine
5. Mehta N, Maloney GE, Bana D, Scrivani SJ, Kulich R, Maciewicz R: An Integrative Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Head, Face and Neck Pain. In Mehta N, Maloney GE, Bana D, Scrivani SJ (eds): Head, Face and Neck Pain: Science, Evaluation and Management. 1st ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 2008
6. Scrivani SJ, Mehta NR, Keith DA, Stiles A, Maciewicz RJ, Kulich RJ: Facial Pain. In Ballantyne JC, Rathmell JP, Fishman SM (eds): Bonic's Management of Pain, 4th Edition, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA., 2008
7. Vranceneau AM, Kulich RJ. Psychological aspects of head and neck pain. In Mehta N, Maloney GE, Bana D, Scrivani SJ (eds): Head, Face and Neck Pain: Science, Evaluation and Management. 1st ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 2008
8. Kulich RJ, Vranceneau AM. Disability in chronic head and neck pain, In Mehta N, Maloney GE, Bana D, Scrivani SJ (eds): Head, Face and Neck Pain: Science, Evaluation and Management. 1st ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 2008