Dr. Robert (Rob) Landry, Spring 2024
As a seasoned veterinarian specializing in pain management, Dr. Robert (Rob) Landry cares deeply about improving the quality of life for his patients. For Rob, this means continually learning and exploring new treatments.
Translational Medicine: Applying Learning Across Boundaries
“There were materials we learned that continually refreshed my understanding of pain pathophysiology and ultimately helped me better understand how to improve management of pain in veterinary patients. The comprehensive program at UConn provided me a platform to continually learn and fuel my passion for what I do and how I can help others live a less painful life. So, it was a wonderful experience.” – Dr. Robert (Rob) Landry, Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate, Graduate Spring 2024
As a seasoned veterinarian specializing in pain management, Dr. Robert (Rob) Landry cares deeply about improving the quality of life for his patients. For Rob, this means continually learning and exploring new treatments. After engaging in a clinical study on the successful use of gene therapy to treat arthritis in dogs, a treatment that is now being tested on humans, Rob became particularly interested in translational medicine. This interest led him to pursue the Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate program at the University of Connecticut (UConn). Recently graduating, Rob says the program fueled his passion for his work and his canine patients are already benefitting from the knowledge and insights he garnered in the program.
Always continuously learning
Rob has been a veterinarian general practitioner for more than 23 years, and a pain specialist for more than 12 years. He owns his own animal hospital (the fourth one he has built and owned): CCAPM Veterinary Care Center. CCAPM stands for Colorado Center for Animal Pain Management. It is a full-service care center for all general medicine, with pain specialty and rehabilitation attached.
With multiple credentials, Rob embodies his strong belief that continuous learning is essential for anyone working in the medical professions. In addition to earning his doctorate in veterinarian medicine in 2001, Rob is certified in veterinary acupuncture, canine rehabilitation, and nutritional pain management, and he is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. As Rob explains, “I’m always continuing learning. Even this far in my career, I’m always advancing my knowledge base and reaffirming what I continue to study or learning new things. I feel if you don’t do that as a medical practitioner, you’re not doing a service to your patients. So, I’m always seeking additional education.”
Introduction to translational medicine
In addition to his veterinary practice, Rob has been an Instructor of Integrative Pain Management for the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and since 2013, he has been involved in clinical research studies as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience for the University of Colorado (CU). This latter experience is how Rob first became interested in translational medicine: “I did a clinical study with CU on the use of Interleukin 10 (IL-10) for treating arthritis in dogs, and through that process, became very much interested in translational pain medicine. The Interleukin 10 stuff I’ve been studying for many, many years is now in phase 3 of the FDA approval for people. They’re doing studies now to help people with joint disease based on the literature that we published on dogs. What I’m doing in veterinary care now can help people.”
It was his interest in translational medicine that led Rob to pursue UConn’s Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate program. Beginning the program in spring 2023, Rob recently graduated in spring 2024. “I added the certificate program to my plate and found that it would be a very good educational opportunity in terms of translational medicine. It’s a whole different ball game, but a lot of the pathophysiology is the same between humans and animals. Animals just don’t express pain or show it the same way, but they still go through it.”
Anybody can do it
In addition to owning a multi-doctor veterinary hospital, Rob also owns a restaurant, Blake’s Taphouse (named after his son and located across the street from his veterinary hospital). With limited time to spare, the online, asynchronous format of the certificate program was essential for Rob. Despite juggling the many competing responsibilities of two businesses and a family, Rob says the way the program was organized made it all doable for anyone willing to invest the time and effort. “The way it’s organized allows somebody who lives a life like I do to succeed. If they really want to put the effort and time into it, it can be done. If someone like me who runs two businesses, including a full veterinary hospital that’s growing like crazy, can still spend 9, 10, 11 hours per week reading, studying, researching, and commenting on things, anybody can do it. Even though I’m probably a little more experienced than some of the graduate students that were in the program, I was still crossing thresholds in treatments for problems in people that I don’t experience with animals. I don’t deal with a lot of stuff that we were talking about. So, I still had to go through and read the journals and articles and extrapolate a response to them. Anybody can do it.”
Eye-opening program
Expanding on the organizational structure and comprehensive nature of the program, Rob considers the program highly beneficial for all healthcare professionals. “The simplicity of the way the program is organized allows a streamlined, organized approach to learning subjects in pain medicine. It’s very comprehensive and thorough. It’s not just the pain pathophysiology, it’s practical use of it too. Looking into adolescent pain, looking into incarcerated patients’ pain, and considering some of the ethical, moral and other issues involved. It’s not just the pain issues. So, it’s a really good comprehensive program that addresses not only socioeconomic issues, but ethical issues of pain medicine, things that practitioners struggle with when trying to manage pain. We have to look into all that stuff. I don’t have a lot of those issues in veterinary care, and that was one of the advantages of this program was that I could see insight on what the struggles are with people, and why people are getting underdiagnosed and undermanaged or undertreated because of fear. It was a great eye-opening program to look at that. That’s why I think healthcare professionals will get a huge benefit from it.” And of Dr. Steven Kinsey, program director and instructor for all four courses, Rob adds: “He’s great. Very friendly, very knowledgeable, very helpful and responsive.”
As the only veterinarian to do the program, Rob brought a unique perspective to the table, particularly when engaging in the HuskyCT/Blackboard online discussion board with his classmates. “In all my discussion posts, I would frame it from a veterinary standpoint, with ‘Well, this is what we see on the veterinary side of things.’”
Motivated to keep learning
For Rob, pursuing the certificate program was grounded in his unending pursuit to broaden and deepen his knowledge so he can better help his patients. “I felt the need to earn more knowledge. I didn’t need another certificate or credential after my name. But for me, it was the challenge of seeing the human side of what they’re teaching people on pain, while also learning the science behind what’s coming out in new developments in pain. I don’t deal with infant and adolescent pain. I don’t deal with PTSD. I don’t deal with all these conditions that people deal with that animals don’t necessarily experience that we know of. We don’t have a lot of rheumatoid arthritis in dogs. We have cancer pain, and other kinds of pain. That’s what gave me a better clue on how to change therapeutics to see if they work. I wasn’t necessarily going after another certificate because I don’t think I need it at this stage in my career; I was just going after learning more.”
Still, Rob says the certificate is one he will proudly display. “Clearly, the research behind the nursing program and the education you get from UConn in general has a great reputation. I’m proud of it. I’m going to hang that certificate. I didn’t do it for the certificate, but I’m proud of what I did. When people see that certificate, they see that I’m 20+ years into my career and still actively learning.”
Applying learning to improve canine pain
Rob is already applying the knowledge he gained to help ease the pain of his canine patients. “I use certain therapeutics now in veterinarian medicine to see if they provide similar benefits for dogs as humans. I’m using therapeutics a little differently to gauge clinical response, when in fact in veterinary care, there’s no placebo effect. So, the dog or cat doesn’t know I’m changing it, so if we’re seeing a better improvement in their quality of life and they’re more functional, the proof is in the pudding. There’s a placebo effect in people, but not in veterinarian care, which is beautiful. So, it's better being a pain practitioner in the veterinary side, because you can really see a difference, if the owners give the meds.”
Rob goes on to explain a few examples of the similarities and differences across species: “Antidepressants are used as therapeutics in people with chronic pain all the time, because similar parts of your brain that pain pathways terminate from is your limbic system and that’s where you get emotional response to pain. Chronic pain is very depressing in people, so many people with chronic pain will be put on antidepressants. Some of the antidepressants have more impact on the pain pathways than others. So, I use more of certain therapeutics for dogs that have chronic pain that may have anxiety issues as well. I started using Amitriptyline more in dogs who have chronic pain as opposed to other antidepressants therapies. But I would look at cancer patients, and we don’t use a lot of opioids in dogs because they metabolize them differently. They don’t get absorbed very well. They use opioids in people a lot, but I’m using a lot of cannabis and CBD now. Actually, I’ve done two clinical studies with CU on it, and it works. But in dogs, you got to get it under the tongue. So, there are different things that may be used in people that I can try on the veterinary side, understand the science behind it to minimize adverse side effects, and see if we can get clinical benefit.”
Fueled his passion
For those considering the program, Rob advises, “I think if somebody wants to really learn about some of the challenges that people face with pain to have a better understanding of what they’re going through, this would be a great program for them. It’s not easy; it is challenging and it is time-consuming, but it is something that somebody like me can get done. It’s not something you can just go through and wing it. You have to do the work, you have to read about it, you have to study it, you have to look into it and comprehend it. It is really a great program. I’m really grateful I did it.”
Further reflecting on the impact to his work, Rob adds, “There were materials we learned that continually refreshed my understanding of pain pathophysiology and ultimately helped me better understand how to improve management of pain in veterinary patients. The comprehensive program at UConn provided me a platform to continually learn and fuel my passion for what I do and how I can help others live a less painful life. So, it was a wonderful experience.”
Closing the Knowledge Gap
“I tell anyone who asks me about the UConn program that pain management is really in its infancy and still stuck in a biomedical approach. There are very few practitioners who are skillful in working holistically with pain; as clinicians, we owe it to ourselves to acquire a basic education in pain management. By earning the certificate from UConn, you’ll differentiate yourself in this growing and critical space.” - Dawn Bazarko, DNP, MPH, RN, FAAN, Graduate, Fall 2019, UConn Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate program
To say Dawn Bazarko is highly educated is an understatement. Dawn is a Registered Nurse, has a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master’s of Public Health from the University of Minnesota. She also attended an Executive Education Program through The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and she holds a Certificate in Mindfulness Facilitation from the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.
From 2000 to 2019, she worked for a large managed care organization, most recently as a Chief Clinical Officer. With her expertise in mindfulness, she was enlisted to teach mindfulness courses to the organization’s nursing staff. As she discovered, many of her students suffered stress and burnout, as well as acute and chronic pain. “Nurses care for others at the expense of their own health,” she notes. Yet despite her educational credentials and extensive medical expertise, Dawn admits that she had, in her own words, a “big knowledge gap when it came to helping people who experience acute and chronic pain.”
At the same time, Dawn says, the opioid crisis was on the rise. She saw that physicians would typically prescribe drugs like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone buprenorphine to help reduce withdrawal symptoms. “All of the solutions were traditional and based on the biomedical model of treatment,” she says. “I felt like I needed new tools in my pain management arsenal and I wanted to be part of leading systemic changes designed to meet people where they are at and approach treatment from a biopsychosocial perspective, helping people deal with the underlying physical and emotional aspects of pain using methods other than drugs. There are many other social and psychological issues that persist with every pain condition, and unless they are addressed, quality of life remains impaired.”
Google to the rescue!
Dawn became curious about how to fill her knowledge gap and decided to do a Google search to see if there were programs available that could help her gain a better understanding of the underlying causes of pain and how she might use mindfulness and other mind-body therapies in the treatment of pain. Fortunately, one strong contender immediately popped up: The Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate program from the University of Connecticut (UConn).
“I spoke with Donna Campbell, who is the enrollment specialist for UConn’s online graduate certificate programs, as well as several of my colleagues,” says Dawn. “I felt that the program would fit with my career goals and provide the additional skills I would need to harness the power of taking a biopsychosocial approach to help people suffering with acute and chronic pain. And I have to admit, I am an academic geek. It was a big deal to me that the program was tied to UConn. I saw that the professors teaching the courses had published extensively. I very much respected that.”
Dawn started the first course in the fall of 2017, completing the program in December 2019. “It was a technically difficult program. Since I was working full time, I could only take one course a semester. Then I had to skip the spring 2018 semester because my grandmother got sick and later passed away. Fortunately, the program is very flexible. I spoke with my advisor, and he helped me work out my schedule, which I very much appreciated.” Dawn also liked the online nature of the certificate program. “The design of the program was thoughtful and the content was very rich. I found the HuskyCT/Blackboard platform easy to use and all of the database resources available through UConn were easy to access.”
A real eye-opener
When Dawn started the program, she admits she knew very little about preclinical research models. “I had no idea how new drugs go through testing nor did I know much about the clinical models of research. I remember being so surprised to learn that pain is always an expression of the brain and one can have pain with no tissue damage and tissue damage without pain. That really spoke to me. I wondered, ‘How can I help people better manage pain without drugs?’ The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. I was so fascinated.”
In fact, the program fired up Dawn’s interest in pain management, inspiring her to enroll in the Online Master of Science in Pain Management program at the University of Southern California (USC). “Earning the certificate from UConn definitely helped me get into the program at USC.”
Opening the doors to new opportunities
In addition to working on her master’s degree, Dawn recently started her own consulting practice (Dawn Bazarko Healthcare Consulting) in January 2020). Earning the certificate from UConn has opened doors to a wide range of opportunities, including the establishment of an online coaching practice in which she works individually with patients who suffer from chronic pain, teaching them how to use mindfulness, enhanced pain literacy, and other problem-solving techniques to augment their care plan.
“Chronic pain can be debilitating; it causes a great deal of stress and contributes to poor sleep—and these relationships are bi-directional. I use mindfulness-based techniques to help patients establish a different relationship with their pain, so that they can begin to appreciate that pain changes all the time; it is not static. As they learn this concept, I can teach them self-regulation skills, for example, to help them lower their stress levels and sleep more restfully." Through her consulting company, she also plans to offer programs to nurses to teach them how to help their patients—and themselves—learn how to manage pain in non-traditional ways. “The credentials from UConn have been super helpful in terms of establishing myself in the field.”
Through the entire process of gaining expertise in the field of pain management, Dawn found out quickly that there aren’t good systems and procedures in place to deal with pain. “I tell anyone who asks me about the UConn program that pain management is really in its infancy and still stuck in a biomedical approach. There are very few practitioners who are skillful in working holistically with pain; as clinicians, we owe it to ourselves to acquire a basic education in pain management. By earning the certificate from UConn, you’ll differentiate yourself in this growing and critical space.”
Mandy Luckanizh, Spring 2021
Mandy Luckanish is one of only a handful of pain management specialists in Delaware that work with patients suffering from long-term chronic pain.
No Pain—Lots of Gain
“The online platform worked out wonderfully for me because I didn’t have to fit into anyone else’s schedule. Coursework was clearly laid out in the syllabus, with defined expectations and deadlines. I could plan my life around completing course responsibilities in a time frame that worked for me. And the ability to put my new skills to use in real-time clinical situations with actual patients has been invaluable.” - Mandy Luckanish, Graduate, Spring 2021, UConn Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate program
As the saying goes, “Life happens.” And life sure happened in a big way to Amanda (Mandy) Luckanish! When her boss passed away unexpectedly three years ago, she had a big decision to make. Should she take over his practice? Or move on and find a new job?
“Despite having lost my boss, who I really enjoyed working with, I was fortunate. When I decided to step up and take over the practice, all of our patients stayed with us,” says Mandy. “I didn’t lose my job, and our patients were able to continue their care with the same medical team. Plus I didn’t have to build a whole new patient base.”
In many parts of the country, including Delaware, where Mandy practices, there’s a shortage of qualified pain management specialists, especially for patients suffering from long-term chronic pain. As the Medical Director at Eclipse Wellness, Mandy sees a lot of patients with degenerative conditions caused by working at physically difficult jobs for decades, as well as cancer patients who are left with widespread pain issues after treatment. Many of these patients suffer from a neurological condition called hyperalgesia, in which specific nerve receptors in the body become more sensitive to pain. Mandy and her team primarily treat patients with medication, referring them as necessary to colleagues who specialize in other avenues of treatment, such as injection therapy and massage.
“We all know about the opioid crisis and concerns about patients using pain medication for reasons not intended,” says Mandy. “Because we treat patients with such medications, I’m often in the position of having to justify a specific course of treatment with pharmacists, the Drug Enforcement Agency, among others. So for me, it’s extremely important to have specialized knowledge about the way pain works, how patients with similar conditions can experience pain very differently and understanding the underlying causes of pain so I can achieve the best outcomes for my patients.”
Conducive to adult learners
When she took over Eclipse Wellness, Mandy also decided she wanted to get certified in Pain Management. “That’s when I did an online search to find certificate programs.” As she discovered, the University of Connecticut Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate Program was the only one of its kind in the United States offering the curriculum she was looking for, without having to earn another degree. “I would have been looking at thousands of dollars and a huge time commitment to go for another Master’s,” she notes, and adds: “The Pain Management program was conducive to adult learners like me, with a demanding job and family.”
The program was exactly what she was looking for, says Mandy, and with the certificate, she is able to sit for the AANC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) certification exam. Once she passes the exam, she will be a Certified Nurse Practitioner in Pain Management, credentials that will allow her to refer to herself as a Certified Pain Management Specialist. “I gained so much from the program,” she says and adds: “The ability to put my new skills to use in real-time clinical situations with actual patients has been invaluable.”
Supportive, approachable faculty
Mandy also absolutely loved her professor, Dr. Mallory Perry. “I don’t know if I could have completed the program with someone else who didn’t interact with her students like Dr. Perry. She was very approachable and down to earth. She also provided a lot of individual feedback and was always supportive and encouraging. She wants her students to get as much as possible from the program.”
Mandy also notes that Dr. Perry, along with Donna Lee Campbell, Enrollment Services Specialist for UConn’s eCampus, were extremely helpful when she had to take an academic leave of absence because she was in the midst of the Eclipse Wellness transition. As she explains, “One of the best attributes of the program was its flexibility when I had to withdraw half way through the first semester. Both Dr. Perry and Donna went above and beyond to make sure I was able to return. While I did have to restart the two courses, I was not charged again.”
A familiar online platform
Mandy also greatly appreciated the online nature of the program. In fact, it turns out that when she was getting her Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Wilmington University, she and her fellow students used the Blackboard platform for submitting their assignments. “I was already well versed in using Blackboard when I enrolled in the UConn program. The online platform worked out wonderfully for me because I didn’t have to fit into anyone else’s schedule. Coursework was clearly laid out in the syllabus, with defined expectations and deadlines. I could plan my life around completing course responsibilities in a time frame that worked for me.” She also notes that Dr. Perry encouraged students to connect with each other beyond actual classwork. “It was so interesting to get to know other students with similar interests from all over the country.”
In summary, Mandy says that the course curriculum is ideal for anyone interested in understanding the mechanics of pain from the most basic elements of how pain is experienced to how it is treated. “Pain is very elusive and these days, it can be a taboo topic, especially when it comes to justifying that an individual in need of medication is truly experiencing pain,” she says and adds: “Pain is also subjective. You can’t prove someone has pain by giving them some type of test. And two people can have the same kind of injury, but experience pain completely differently. At the end of the program, you’ll have the expertise you need to make a huge difference in your patients’ lives.”
Mandy should know. When asked if she feels she has helped her patients, she says: “If you were to ask my patients, they will tell you that their livelihoods, their quality of life and even their ability to get out of bed in the morning depend upon our being able to successfully treat their pain. And that makes me feel like I’m doing something very meaningful.”
Ashley Cocilova, Spring 2021
While Ashley Cocilova has been in the pain management field for more than a decade, today she feels much more confident working with patients suffering from chronic pain, thanks in part to UConn’s Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate program.
The Perfect Complement to On-the-Job Training
“Thanks to having gone through the UConn program, area physicians are increasingly acknowledging that I have formal credentials in the field and am very knowledgeable in pain management, which goes a long way toward establishing trust.” - Ashley Cocilova, MSN, FNP-C, Spring 2021 Graduate, Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate Program
Since 2010, when Ashley Cocilova started her new job as a registered nurse for NewSouth NeuroSpine in Flowood, MS, working in the field of pain management has turned into a passion. In fact, over the past 11 years, Ashley has specialized in the field and now works as a Lead Family Nurse Practitioner with Total Pain Care of Flowood. There, she partners closely with physicians, assisting with interventional procedures designed to help eliminate chronic pain. "I'm responsible for doing patients' pre-operative assessments for such interventional procedures as epidural steroid injections, medial branch blocks, sacroiliac joint injections, among many others. One of our primary goals is to help patients manage their pain without invasive surgery," she notes.
Although she is immersed in managing chronic pain on a daily basis at Total Pain Care, she felt strongly that she could benefit from additional education in pain management. "Managing pain is not something I was taught in school, but it's all I've ever done. I really wanted to get more formalized training in the field," she says. A Google search took her to the University of Connecticut's (UConn) online graduate certificate website. There she found exactly what she was looking for: the UConn Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate program.
Online - a huge plus
The fact that the program was fully online was a big plus for Ashley. "Having access to the program online broadened my options because I live in Mississippi, yet I could still get the caliber of education offered through UConn without having to be physically onsite. There just isn't anything like UConn's program near me," says Ashley, who adds that the online platform was second nature, since she had done her nurse practitioner program online using Blackboard.
Another benefit of the online platform? Ashley not only works, but she has two children. "Between my job and kids, it was so beneficial being able to do the coursework around my schedule."
Ashley also says she was pleasantly surprised by the level of discussions throughout the program. "It's not like being on campus, of course, but we had terrific class discussions. Best of all, I was able to connect with many different types of professionals from all over the country who work in pain management. It was so interesting to learn how they manage patients living with chronic pain and seeing how things are done differently depending on their geographic location."
Beyond her comfort zone
So what about course content? As Ashley notes, all four courses were very thorough and addressed pain management as it relates to a wide range of patients, including infants. “The first course, NURS 5101: Fundamental Mechanisms of Acute and Chronic Pain, was my favorite. The course reviewed the various pathways of pain, getting at its root causes. It was a great refresher for what I do every day,” says Ashley, who adds: “We also delved into areas that were out of my comfort zone, which I really appreciated. For example, while I worked at Children’s of Mississippi Hospital at the University of Mississippi Medical Center early on in my career, pain management in babies was not something I had been exposed to. In the course, we learned a lot about how infants process pain differently and how it affects them later in life.”
She also greatly appreciated Dr. Mallory Perry, who taught all four courses. “Dr. Perry was wonderful. She was always available and encouraging. As we know, 2020 was a crazy year. She recognized how hard it was for students like me who were working with patients through telemedicine, while at the same time, homeschooling our kids. She made the program so much more manageable because she really understood what we were going through.”
Trust leads to more referrals
Now that Ashley has earned the Pain Management Online Graduate Certificate, she’s noticed that physicians in the area are referring more patients to her. “Thanks to having gone through the UConn program, area physicians are increasingly acknowledging that I have formal credentials in the field and am very knowledgeable in pain management,” which she says, goes a long way toward establishing trust. In addition, the 12 graduate credits Ashley earned will be applied to education credits that she is required to have in order to be certified by the American Society of Pain Management Nurses.
In conclusion, Ashley says: “Sadly, pain is not seen as a disease process and is often stigmatized. The program helped me understand pain management much better to ultimately provide better treatment for our patients. I highly recommend anyone interested in more formal training in pain management to consider applying for this incredible program.