Deborah Kukal has a tough job, but it has a large upside.
“I get to learn new things, share important ideas and make a difference in people’s lives,” she says.
As lead psychologist and clinical team leader with the Mercy Multidisciplinary Pain Management program for the past 15 years, Kukal is tasked with developing and coordinating pain treatment initiatives for the hospital; developing and presenting behavioral medicine in-service training for the hospital; facilitating reams of research; conducting behavioral medicine and pre-surgical psychological assessments for chronic-pain patients; and ongoing development of psychological-behavioral medicine assessment processes and procedures. She also works one-on-one and in group settings with chronic-pain and cancer patients, helping to develop coping strategies and to process the trauma they have suffered.
Kukal says these things inspire her, but her deepest professional motivation is also deeply personal.
“The true motivation for my professional work is the opportunity to connect with the hearts of my patients,” she says.
That’s a connection that can be difficult to forge. Patients battling chronic pain can shut themselves off from others, even family members. Some seek alternatives that can actually make their situations worse.
“We serve a low socioeconomic demographic, including a segment of high substance-abuse pain patients who use the ER inappropriately for medication-seeking rather than for actual treatment,” Kukal says.
To combat this destructive pattern, Kukal has developed strategies to guide patients to new pain-management services, including consultation and direction to physicians and psychologists. Kukal doesn’t just provide patients with access to treatment – she creates the programs.
“Through her guidance and participation, the pain-management program at Mercy Hospital has become the foremost pain-management program in the region,” says Dr. Benjamin Lampert, section chairman of Mercy Pain Management.
Kukal’s influence extends beyond the Ozarks. She’s been recruited to participate in research to develop testing procedures that are used internationally; has given presentations to groups such as the North American Spine Surgeons; was recently invited to be a national guest scholar at Stanford University’s Clinical Excellence Research Center; and developed the website TheHomeInYourHeart.com to address spiritually based concerns patients may have about mind and body interactions.
“It is my desire to connect with those who are alone in their pain in a way that honors and supports their unique humanness,” Kukal says. “Each time a patient allows me into the heart of their pain, each time a patient chooses to work with me to make their life better, each of those experiences is a gift, a triumph of hope over despair.”
Yes, Kukal has a tough job. But she doesn’t see it that way.
“It’s a joy to me. And I’m grateful to have the joy in my life.”[[In-content Ad]]
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