Patient Resource Group
Overview
The Patient Resource Group (PRG) was developed to support and advise patients, investigators, and study leadership regarding the development, implementation, and execution of strategies, engagement, recruitment, and the dissemination of results. The PRG is comprised of veterans and military service members and their dependents and/or family members. All members of the PRG have received education in research principles and practices of clinical research. The PRG offers consultancy services on-demand throughout the research lifecycle.
Overall Mission
The mission of the PRG is to partner with the Pain Management Collaboratory (PMC) community to ensure that the knowledge and perspectives of patients/people with lived experience of pain, caregivers, and advocates inform pain research cycle to enhance the meaningfulness and impact of research results on pain care in military and veteran health systems.
The PRG is intended to serve as a multi-faceted resource to:
Films Featuring PRG Members
Accessing Therapies and Developing Healthy Coping Skills
Many Veterans encounter “bumps and bruises” along the way during their time in service and may have to eventually navigate the VA or alternative health system to manage chronic pain. Some are able to successfully manage their pain while others have a more difficult experience attempting to manage their pain for a myriad of reasons. The veterans in this film share their experiences accessing healthcare for service-related issues and the coping strategies they have developed for PTSD, pain management and other conditions.
Raise Your Hand: Overcoming Stigma
Raising your hand to say you have a problem or reaching out for help can make anyone feel vulnerable. Reaching out to friends, family or health care providers, can be particularly difficult for Service Members and Veterans who are used to pushing through the pain and other issues related to their service such as post traumatic stress or substance abuse. However, as these veterans will attest, getting help and sharing their stories has not only helped them, but helped others experiencing similar issues.
A Caregiver's Perspective on Pain Management
Frances Arias, a member of the Pain Management Collaboratory’s (PMC) Patient Resource Group (PRG), speaks about the need for caregivers to practice self care and shares ideas and resources for helping veterans with pain, caregivers, and families of veterans.
Resources for People with Pain
Find information on talking with providers about your experience of pain and guidance on developing a plan for chronic pain relief. You’ll also find helpful information sheets and links to a variety of sites to help with understanding pain management approaches.
Featured Publications
The Patient Resource Group (PRG) was established as an advisory council to inform research within the Pain Management Collaboratory (PMC) and advocate for veterans and active duty military participating in the 12 PMC pragmatic clinical trials. PRG Leader Adam Anicich, PMC Project Manager, and PMC Co-Director discuss the benefits of...Read More >>
Leadership
Adam Anicich, MBA
Chair
Adam Anicich is the Senior Advisor and Head of the Interagency Securities Council at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Vice Chairman of the Interagency Veterans Advisory Council – having been appointed in 2017, 2021, and again in 2025. Anicich, an Iraq War Veteran from the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, has dedicated his life to serving veterans.
Prior to the SEC, Anicich served as Director of External Coordination and Chief Appropriations Officer at the Department of Homeland Security (2014-2016), and Director (A) of Congressional Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs in The Capitol (2010-2014). He has held leadership positions at the Departments of Health and Human Services and Commerce, the Missile Defense Agency, and spent six years in the private sector at two southern California banks. Anicich received a bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration from Saint Leo University, completed three years towards a Doctorate in Management at the University of Maryland, and obtained an LLM certificate in securities and financial regulation from Georgetown University Law Center. He holds the designation of Certified Regulatory and Compliance Professional.
Anicich continues to serve on a number of executive committees at the Department of Veterans Affairs where he helps inform research strategy, strategic goals, performance measurement, clinical best practices, and funding priorities for traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, pain management, and patient engagement. Anicich continues to support the veterans community as a nationally-recognized advocate for those afflicted with brain injury, PTSD, veterans’ reintegration, and pain management, and regularly speaks at industry and professional conferences regarding healthcare research and veterans issues.
Qualifiers
The PRG cannot conflict with or confound the PCTs. Any direct contact between PRG members and potential study participants will cease at the point of study enrollment. Contact with study participants will only occur through the PCT teams; there will be no direct contact between study participants and the PRG.
The PRG will not: Advise participants or advocate on their behalf regarding treatment in the VA or DOD health systems, including but not limited to encouraging participants to pursue additional Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) activities or other study relevant treatments to avoid contamination; Serve as an ongoing support system for study participants.
