Home     |    Contact ASA     |     Join ASA!    |     Members Only     |    Retail Store   |    Advertising Information
 
ASA NEWSLETTER
 
 
October 1996
Volume 60
Number 10
 

Board of Directors Annual Meeting Summary

The ASA Board of Directors held its annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday and Sunday, August 17-18, 1996. The Board committees on Administrative Affairs, Finance, Legislative Review and Scientific Affairs met as reference committees on Saturday to review reports for consideration by the Board of Directors on Sunday. [Click here for a picture of Dr. Ellison addressing the Board.] Among the actions taken by the Board of Directors were the following:

Political Action Committee

Received information that the ASA Political Action Committee (ASAPAC) has received $329,967 in contributions from 2,620 members through July 5, 1996. ASAPAC will sponsor an expanded booth in the exhibit hall during the 1996 ASA Annual Meeting. The ASAPAC booth will feature a computer program that will allow ASA members to inquire about any 1996 congressional race.

ASA Standards and Guidelines

Approved, subject to House of Delegates ratification, revisions to the "Standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring," "Guidelines for Delineation of Clinical Privileges in Anesthesiology" and "Guidelines for Patient Care in Anesthesiology."

Budgets

Approved amendments to the 1996 budget to provide for total expenditures of $15,281,100. A 1997 expense budget of $15,126,400 was approved and forwarded to the House of Delegates for adoption. The 1997 budget includes funding for the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF), the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) and the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology (WLM), as follows:

APSF $400,000
FAER $1,050,000
WLM $400,000

Dues

Recommended that the House of Delegates approve the following 1997 membership dues:

Active Members $350
Affiliate Members $175
Resident Members $25

Beginning in 1997, members will have the option of paying their dues by credit card.

Association of Anesthesia Clinical Directors

Approved a recommendation that the ASA Executive Office provide administrative support to the Association of Anesthesia Clinical Directors on a cost-reimbursement basis.

Membership Directory

Approved inclusion of a single telephone number, a fax number and an e-mail address for each member in the ASA Directory of Members, beginning in 1998.

Journal Anesthesiology

The Board commended Lawrence J. Saidman, M.D., for 14 years of devoted work as Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Anesthesiology.

The Board also extended a welcome to Michael M. Todd, M.D., as the new Editor-in-Chief effective October 1996.

Community Antidrug Coalition

Endorsed support of a congressional initiative to form antidrug coalitions throughout the United States. This initiative will include leadership of local coalitions from key business leaders, religious leaders, the media, parents, law enforcement leaders and youth.

Performance-Based Credentialing

Approved appointment of a task force charged with developing a strategy to provide performance-based credentialing mechanisms to members of ASA. The task force will provide a final report at the Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates in 1999.

Relative Value Guide

Approved, subject to House of Delegates ratification, a number of additions and revisions for the 1997 ASA Relative Value Guide. The Board also approved a recommendation to appoint a task force to investigate the feasibility of developing a procedure-based payment system.

Commendations

The Board offered its heartfelt thanks to Paul G. Barash, M.D., for 11 years of devoted work as Associate Editor and Editor-in-Chief of Refresher Courses in Anesthesiology and to William G. Horton, M.D., for six years of devoted work as Editor-in-Chief of the Self-Education and Evaluation Program.

Overseas Anesthesia Teaching Program

Approved funding to continue support for the program through 1998. A booth will again be available in the exhibit hall during the 1996 ASA Annual Meeting to facilitate recruitment and promotion of the program.

Ether Fountain

Approved a request from the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists for a $5,000 donation to the Ether Monument Fund to initiate repairs to the monument, the oldest one in the Public Garden in Boston.

Editorial Board Elections

Elected Alan J. Schwartz, M.D., to a two-year term as Editor-in-Chief and M. Jane Matjasko, M.D., to a three-year term as Associate Editor of Refresher Courses in Anesthesiology. Patricia H. Petrozza, M.D., was elected to a three-year term as Editor-in-Chief, and James E. Rollman, M.D., was elected as a member of the Editorial Board of the Self-Education and Evaluation Program.

Judicial Council

Confirmed the nomination of Bernard V. Wetchler, M.D., for a five-year term on the Judicial Council. Wilson C. Wilhite, Jr., M.D., will serve as Chair during 1997.

Liaison Representatives

Elected Mark P. Fritz, M.D., as a member of the American Medical Association Section Council for a four-year term beginning in January 1997. Joseph P. Annis, M.D., was elected representative to the ABA-ASA-AMA Joint Committee for a three-year term beginning in spring 1997.

Mary E. Cantrell, M.D., Jan Ehrenwerth, M.D., Joy L. Hawkins, M.D., Susan L. Polk, M.D., Robert K. Stoelting, M.D., and Mark A. Warner, M.D., were elected to three-year terms as representatives to the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation beginning in October 1996.

Gary Thal, M.D., and Ronald L. Harter, M.D., were elected to serve as Delegate and Alternate Delegate, respectively, to the AMA Young Physicians Section for three-year terms beginning in October 1996.

Douglas R. Bacon, M.D., was elected to a three-year term as Trustee of the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology.

 


return to top


 


FEATURES

Value-Based Anesthesia Care

ARTICLES


DEPARTMENTS


The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views, policies or actions of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

NL Archives

Information for Authors