We are dedicated to promoting the practice of safe, accessible, and effective interventional pain management in the diagnosis and treatment of all pain patients. Our goal is to advance the scientific knowledge and education of specialists providing value driven quality pain medicine.
• Through the CalSIPP Political Action Committee we lobby for Interventional Pain at the State level
• We contribute to crucial state campaigns to enhance our political agenda
• We maintain relationships with ASIPP and other societies to further Interventional Pain
• We keep all members informed of changes in billing, coding and laws as it pertains to Interventional Pain through e-blast alerts and Newsletters
• We organize a yearly conference on pertinent topics, state of the art procedures and evolving issues in our field, including regenerative medicine
• We educate pain physicians and other physicians on proper opiate prescribing
• We insure appropriate access to Scheduled medicines for our patients (via meetings with DEA, other societies, pharmacies and editorials)
• We are endorsed and sponsored by multiple companies who appreciate the strength input of our society
Lee Thomas Snook, Jr., MD, FACP, FASAM, is the President and Founder of Metropolitan Pain Management Consultants in Sacramento, California, where he has maintained an active practice since 1992. Dr. Snook holds multi-board certifications in Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, and Addiction Medicine, and is a Certified Medical Review Officer. A dedicated leader in organized medicine, he serves as President-Elect for the California Medical Association and Delegate to the AMA for the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and serves on committees for the California Society of Addiction Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Snook is a Qualified Medical Examiner and an expert consultant to the Medical Board of California, dedicating his career to professional advocacy and patient well-being.
Dr. Vanila Singh is a double-board-certified physician in anesthesiology and pain medicine, educator, and public health policymaker. She spent over 17 years as a Clinical Associate Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, specializing in complex pain management and advanced ultrasound-guided procedures. In 2017, the White House appointed Dr. Singh as Chief Medical Officer of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, she fundamentally shaped national opioid policy and chaired the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force, submitting a landmark report to Congress. Her profound impact on the political and social aspects of pain medicine earned her the 2018 ASIPP Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2020 Distinguished Philipp M. Lippe, MD Award. Dr. Singh currently serves on various boards and provides expert health policy commentary.
Dr. Rever completed her anesthesiology residency at Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine as chief resident with an instrumental role in development of the acute pain service. Upon completion of her neuroanesthesia fellowship at Georgetown University, Dr. Rever joined the faculty there with a focus on neuroanesthesia and pain medicine. In 1993, she joined the faculty of the Keck School of Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology establishing the acute pain service at the LAC+USC Medical Center. Dr. Rever currently serves as director of the acute pain service at LAC+USC Medical Center and at Keck Hospital of USC. As part of the educational mission of the department, she mentors residents and serves on the resident education committee. Since 2007, Dr. Rever has also served as chair of the Bioethics Committee of the USC Norris Medical Staff.
Dr. Arora is Board certified in Anesthesiology and sub specialty of Pain Management American Board of Anesthesiology and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management with eight years of experience in Orthopedic and Surgical training and practice. In addition to providing chronic and acute pain management services in the South Bay for 25 years, Dr. Arora is Adjunct Assistant Professor at Touro University in Vallejo, California. He believes in a multidisciplinary approach to difficult chronic pain problems which include anti-inflammatory drug therapy, physical therapy, psychotherapy and nerve blocks, etc. Dr. Arora also does invasive pain management procedures which include Dorsal Column spinal stimulator, intrathecal infusion pumps for cancer pain and other difficult pain problems and radiofrequency thermocoagulation and neurolysis. He also offers FDA-compliant regenerative medicine to patients when appropriate.
Dr. Standifold Helm has practiced interventional pain management since 1982. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology, holding subspecialty certification in Pain Medicine, and is a diplomate of the American Board of Pain Medicine. As a Fellow and active examiner for the Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP), he possesses elite credentials in performing advanced pain procedures. Dr. Helm serves as the Interventional Pain Management representative on the California Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee. Globally recognized, he has published extensively and lectured internationally on pain treatments. Additionally, Dr. Helm works on state and national levels to ensure patient access to effective therapies, and has collaborated with the FBI and DEA to help agents distinguish legitimate medical prescribing from drug abuse or diversion.
Kartic Rajput, MD, PhD, is a double board-certified physician in psychiatry and pain management from the American Board of Medical Specialties. He is one of the first few psychiatrist in the country who are trained in interventional pain management. He also has unique research background in opioids and pain pharmacology and received his PhD from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He has extensive experience in the area of neuropsychiatry and pain and has been widely published. Dr. Rajput completed his training at Tulane School of Medicine where he also served as chief resident in the department. He also completed an interventional pain fellowship at the Department of Anesthesia, Medical College of Georgia. He currently practices as Interventional pain physician in Stockton, California.
Sheri Lenee Albers, DO, is a highly distinguished radiologist and interventional pain physician with over three decades of leadership in diagnostic imaging and regenerative medicine. Currently serving as the Director of Research for Radiology Research and Consultation, Dr. Albers has held prestigious academic appointments, including Associate Professor and Section Chief of Musculoskeletal and Body MRI at the University of Kentucky. Her extensive expertise is supported by fellowships in Interventional Pain Medicine from UC San Diego and Neuroradiology from UC Davis. She served as the President of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) from 2022 to 2023. A prolific researcher and educator, she was recognized with the ASIPP Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025.
Joseph A. Cabaret, MD, is a triple board-certified physician in Pain Medicine, Addiction Medicine, and Anesthesiology based in Camarillo, California. With over 26 years of experience, he focuses on interventional pain management, regenerative medicine, and addiction care, striving to heal the root causes of pain. A graduate of the University of Bologna School of Medicine in Italy, he completed his residency at the University of Southern California. Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Cabaret is dedicated to humanitarian work, providing medical care and education to orphans and widows in Kenya through Tumaini International. He is passionate about empowering patients to reclaim their lives through personalized, evidence-based care and root-cause healing.
Sheldon Jordan, MD, is a board-certified neurologist who has maintained a private practice in Westwood and Santa Monica since 1981. A Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, he holds multi-board certifications in clinical neurophysiology, addiction medicine, interventional pain medicine, and neuroimaging. Dr. Jordan graduated from UCLA Medical School as a Goldwyn Scholar, receiving the Upjohn Award and the Gold Medal in Surgery. Recognized among the Best Doctors in America, his philosophy centers on listening to patients’ individual stories to provide tailored treatment plans. His extensive research focuses on sports neurology and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Additionally, he serves on the national consortium for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome guidelines and as a consultant for the State of California.
Dr. Joseph Liao, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist, pain management specialist, and clinical instructor at the Stanford University School of Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. His clinical expertise encompasses a wide range of complex conditions, including chronic back, nerve, and cancer-related pain. He specializes in advanced neuromodulation therapies, such as spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation, alongside minimally invasive surgical spine interventions like radiofrequency ablation. An active researcher and educator, Dr. Liao investigates innovative treatments, publishes in leading peer-reviewed journals, and presents at international conferences. Guided by the philosophy of providing the right treatment for the right patient at the right time, he is a dedicated patient advocate who currently holds leadership roles within numerous esteemed medical societies.
Dr. Annu Navani is an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine’s Division of Pain. A pioneer in evidence-based therapies, she serves as Chief Medical Officer at Le Reve Regenerative & Longevity Care, leading programs in precision medicine and cellular regeneration. Dr. Navani is also the Chief Medical Officer of Boomerang Health Care, a multidisciplinary specialty network, and the Founder and Chair of the World Institute of Regenerative Medicine (WIRM). Board-certified in Pain and Regenerative Medicine, she completed her fellowship at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Navani has published extensively, authoring Essentials of Regenerative Medicine and co-authoring several national clinical guidelines. Her vision is to use technological innovations to enhance healthspan, decrease healthcare costs, and maximize patient quality of life.
Dr. Qatu is a board-certified, fellowship-trained pain management specialist at the Stanford Health Care Pain Management Center. He is also a clinical instructor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine, at Stanford University School of Medicine.
He specializes in the diagnosis and management of many different types of pain, including nerve pain, joint pain, cancer pain, low back and neck pain. Dr. Qatu obtained his medical degree from the Grossman School of Medicine at New York University (NYU). He continued on at NYU to complete his residency in anesthesiology after completing an internship in general surgery. He subsequently completed his pain medicine fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Shalini Shah, MD MBA, is an Associate Professor and Vice-Chair for the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care and Enterprise Director of Pain Services for University of California Irvine Health. Dr. Shah completed her residency in anesthesiology from Cornell University and a combined fellowship in adult and pediatric chronic pain at Harvard Medical School. She has been featured in Time Magazine, The Doctors, NBC Nightly News, Business Insider and is a frequent guest on NPR on the topic of safe pain care options. Dr Shah is an NIH- funded researcher with a focus on pediatric pain therapeutics. She completed her MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management with a certificate of distinction in finance and entrepreneurship. Dr. Shah is strongly committed to pain advocacy and healthcare regulatory reform both in the state of California and nationally to improve healthcare experiences for patients.
