Penney Cowan,
Founder and Executive Director,
Chronic Pain Association
Penney Cowan is the founder and executive director of the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA). Cowan lives with chronic pain and established the ACPA in 1980. The ACPA provides peer support and education in pain management skills to people with pain and their families. The ACPA also works to build awareness about chronic pain among professionals, decision makers and the general public.
Over the past 28 years, Cowan has been an advocate and consumer representative for pain issues. She was awarded the Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Citizen by the Institute for Public Service, Washington, and is listed in Who's Who in America, 24th Edition. The American Pain Society awarded her the 2005 John and Emma Bonica Public Service Award.She is the author of Patient or Person, Living With Chronic Pain, published by Gardner Press. In addition she has written all manuals and materials used by the American Chronic Pain Association. She serves on local, national and international committees as the voice of the consumer. Cowan began the Partners for Understanding Pain campaign in 2002 in an attempt to raise awareness about the need to better understand, asses and treat pain. Today there are more than 80 partner organizations. |
