REACH

With only one accredited headache specialist for every 80,000 patients in the United States, access to practitioners with training in Headache Medicine remains the most substantial unmet need for patients with migraine. The Resident Education for Assessment and Care for Headache (REACH) program aims to address this significant problem.

Created to educate neurology residents more extensively about migraine and related headache disorders, the REACH program looks to inspire adult and pediatric neurology residents to receive high-quality education and, potentially, pursue careers in headache medicine so they can better serve the needs of migraine and headache patients. REACH also engages other specialty care disciplines at academic centers with trainees including orofacial pain and pain medicine.

REACH will be centered around an innovative half-day curriculum that covers essential concepts in headache medicine. The program includes neurology or other specialty department-wide Grand Rounds with an expert from AHS and the REACH program. Smaller education modules specific for trainees and customizable for up to a half-day didactic curriculum, as well as online education elements, are available in addition to the Grand Rounds.

Hosted at institutions all over the nation, these half-day programs increase the profile of headache medicine as a subspecialty. They also provide a curricular foundation to educate residents and other trainees on the most common reason patients see neurologists, and inspire a greater number of trainees and faculty members to become educators and serve patients with headache and related pain disorders.

Though neurology and other departments traditionally budget funding for hosting a Grand Rounds speaker, the REACH program by AHS covers expenses, including travel, lodging and meals for the visiting faculty member. Residents in your training program will also receive a complimentary trainee membership to AHS.

If your institution is interested in hosting REACH to educate your department and trainees for an update in the field of headache, please complete an interest form here.