After more than four decades of leadership in pediatric pain medicine, Gary Walco, PhD, is retiring from his roles at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital. A professor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine and director of pain medicine at Seattle Children’s, Dr. Walco leaves behind a legacy shaped by advocacy, scholarship and deep commitment to improving the experience of children in pain.
Over the course of his career, he has made significant contributions to research and clinical practice, publishing more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. He is also co-editor of Pain in Children: A Practical Guide for Primary Care. His work has focused on advancing the assessment and treatment of pain in infants, children and adolescents—an area that, early in his career, was frequently misunderstood and overlooked.
“A big part of my focus has been advocacy,” Walco said. That advocacy has taken many forms, including national policy work, and direct engagement with state-level decision-makers. He has played a key role in shaping professional guidance around pediatric pain care and worked to ensure that children were not subject to disparities in treatment, including facilitating clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of analgesics in pediatric populations.
His leadership in the field has been widely recognized: he founded the American Pain Society’s Special Interest Group on Pain in Infants, Children, and Adolescents, was elected president of the society in 2018, and received numerous honors including the Jeffrey Lawson Award for Advocacy in Children’s Pain Relief (2003), the Lee Salk Distinguished Service Award from the American Psychological Association (2006), and the American Pain Society Distinguished Service Award (2019).
Walco joined the University of Washington in 2009, drawn by the institution’s longstanding prominence in the field. “If you’re in the world of pain medicine, the University of Washington has been seen as the mecca for many, many years,” he reflected.
At Seattle Children’s, he recognized both the history and the opportunity ahead. As director of pain medicine, he led with a clear vision for how pain care should be delivered. “I am exceedingly wedded to an interdisciplinary approach,” he explained. Under his leadership, the pain medicine program strengthened partnerships across specialties, creating integrated approaches to care that reflected the complexity of pain and the needs of patients and families.
Just as important was his focus on culture. He consistently emphasized that addressing pain is not limited to clinicians, but should be a responsibility shared across the entire institution. “What’s wrong with being a human and showing compassion?” he asked. This perspective informed his work to ensure that patients and families feel heard and supported, ideally by every team member they encounter at the hospital.
His contributions to education further extend his impact. In response to a national shortage of specialists, Walco helped build and expand training opportunities in pediatric pain medicine, mentoring trainees across disciplines and helping prepare the next generation of providers.
As he steps into retirement, Walco reflects candidly on the transition. “Retiring is the opposite of what I have been doing my entire life,” he said. At the same time, he feels ready for the change and plans to spend more time with family, travel, and explore volunteer opportunities.
His legacy is reflected not only in the programs he built and the scholarship he produced, but in the standards he set for compassionate, collaborative care. His work has helped shape a more thoughtful and responsive approach to pediatric pain, one that will continue to guide the field in the years ahead.
On behalf of the department, we thank Dr. Walco for his extraordinary contributions and wish him all the best in this next chapter.
—–
Pictured above: Dr. Tonya Palermo, vice chair for research, and incoming interim director of pain medicine at Seattle Children’s Dr. See Wan Tham flank Dr. Walco at his retirement celebration during a Mariners game at T-Mobile Park in May.