Our History
Northern Illinois Pain Resource Nurse Consortium began in 1997 as a cooperative venture of Medical Pain Management Services, Swedish American Hospital (now UW-Health), and Saint Anthony Hospital (now OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center). They were later joined by CGH Medical Center in Sterling, Illinois, Freeport Health Network (FHN), Northern Illinois Hospice, and Rockford Memorial Hospital (now Mercyhealth). The group’s mission was to “provide education and networking opportunities for the Pain Resource Professionals and the regional healthcare community” with the goals of:
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Providing & pursuing excellence in pain management education to all healthcare professionals in the Midwest region
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Providing a pain forum for networking between healthcare professionals in the region
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Promoting pain awareness, pain management and the rights of those with pain throughout the community
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Providing & pursuing excellence in pain management education to all healthcare professionals in the Midwest region
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Providing a pain forum for networking between healthcare professionals in the region
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Promoting pain awareness, pain management and the rights of those with pain throughout the community
The group organized Pain Resource Nurse (PRN) Education programs—based on Betty Ferell and City of Hope PRN Pain Education—which provided training for decentralized staff to function as resources/experts in pain management for other staff members and colleagues. Over the timeframe of 27 years and through their collaborative efforts, NIPRN trained over 1,000 nurses in the role of PRN, networking with international, national, and local experts to speak at ten 2-4 day PRN programs and 20 full-day conferences led by clinical leaders in pain management.
In recognition of their advocacy for safe and effective pain management throughout the lifespan and crossing all specialties, as well as their outstanding contributions to quality care for patients with pain, NIPRN was awarded the 2014 ASPMN National Advocacy Award. The Joint Commission also recognized NIPRN as a resource for other communities desiring to improve pain management in their own regions.
Our Present and FutureÂ
Fast forward to 2024, the NIPRN group embarked on an exciting new chapter of their history. They have entered a partnership with Stateline Nurses Network (SNN), rebranding as the Pain Resource Committee, under the umbrella of SNN. With a continued goal of offering nursing resources to the local community, the two leadership groups plan to include a pain-focused conference speaker at each annual Nursing Expo in the spring, and offer additional pain resource education sessions throughout the year.
Contact Us
To learn more about the Pain Resource Committee, please contact our chair, Pamela Moore: libitina7@yahoo.com or administrative assistant, Patty Hall:  statelinenurses2013@gmail.com
Friday November 14, 2025
Pain Resource Committee Program
