October 1997
Volume 61 |
Number 10
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| Board of Directors
Annual Meeting Summary |
The ASA Board of Directors held its annual meeting in Chicago
on Saturday and Sunday, August 16-17, 1997. The Board Committees
on Administrative Affairs, Finance, Legislative Review and Scientific
Affairs met as Review Committees on Saturday to review reports
for consideration by the Board of Directors on Sunday. Among the
actions taken by the Board of Directors were the following:
ASA NEWSLETTER
The Board commended Erwin Lear, M.D., for 14 years of devoted
work as Editor of the ASA NEWSLETTER. Effective January
1998, Mark C. Lema, M.D., will be the new Editor.
Continuing Education
Approved a number of recommendations from the Committee on Outreach
Education, suggesting that traditional regional meeting formats
be continued through the year 2000, while plans for Web-based
interactive meetings are developed. Marketing efforts for ASA's
continuing medical education activities will be increased, and
greater utilization will be made of current electronic technology.
Long-term strategies will include Web-based education, site-based
simulators, critical pathway management programs and the development
of skill-focused, hands-on training workshops.
Budgets
Approved amendments to the 1997 budget to provide for total expenditures
of $15,821,700. A 1998 expense budget of $15,211,800 was approved
and forwarded to the House of Delegates for adoption. The 1998
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 |
Membership Dues
Recommended that the House of Delegates approve the following
1998 membership dues:
| Active Members |
$350
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| Affiliate Members |
$175
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| Resident Members |
$25
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This represents the seventh consecutive year without a dues increase.
Legislative Activities
Approved a request from the Committee on Governmental Affairs
that ASA continue to fund our proactive state legislative program.
This activity has assisted state component societies in moving
from a reactive to a proactive mode in the state legislative arenas.
Medicare Compliance Manual
Approved funding for the preparation of a manual on aspects of
complying with billing requirements by Medicare and other third-party
payers to avoid fraud and abuse challenges. The manual, including
a compliance section, was published in mid-September and is available
to members upon request, on a complimentary basis, as a member
service.
Substance Abuse
Referred to the Committee on Occupational Health of Operating
Room Personnel were two resolutions dealing with the subject of
substance abuse and the creation of a foundation on physician
well-being. These resolutions ask that ASA declare a renewed commitment
to address the problems of substance abuse and addiction among
anesthesiologists and to develop preventive measures, including
career counseling, practice guidelines and periodic education
for members, spouses and their families.
Political Action Committee
Received information that this year's average contribution to
the ASA Political Action Committee (ASAPAC) has risen from $126-$130
per contributor to $175 per contributor. As of June 30, 1997,
2,555 members have contributed $446,805. ASAPAC will again sponsor
an expanded booth in the exhibit hall during the ASA 1997 Annual
Meeting. The Board offered its thanks to Roger W. Litwiller, M.D.,
for his leadership of ASAPAC during its first six years.
Anesthesia Simulators
Approved a recommendation that the ASA President appoint a task
force on simulators to define the future use of simulators in
the specialty of anesthesiology, develop guidelines for use of
these devices and maintain the specialty's leadership in this
area.
Relative Value Guide
Approved, subject to House of Delegates ratification, a number
of additions and revisions for the 1998 ASA Relative Value Guide.
The Board also expressed its gratitude to Stephen J. Thomas, M.D.,
for his many years of service as Chair of the Committee on Economics.
Data Collection
Approved recommendations from several committees that ASA increase
its data collection efforts to obtain state- and hospital-specific
information on the number of surgical and obstetric cases, numbers
of anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists working in each hospital,
and state-specific information on laws and regulations that govern
nonphysician anesthesia providers.
2002 Annual Meeting
Approved a change in the meeting dates for the 2002 Annual Meeting
in Orlando, Florida, from October 5-9, 2002, to October 12-16,
2002.
Board Committee Elections
Elected Karim F. Rashad, M.D., to a fill a vacancy on the Board
Committee on Legislative Review created by the resignation of
William L. Collins, M.D. Elected Gopal Krishna, M.D., to fill
a vacancy on the Board Committee on Scientific Affairs created
by the resignation of J. Dickinson McGavic, M.D. The Board commended
Drs. Collins and McGavic for their many years of service to ASA.
Editorial Board Elections
Charles W. Otto, M.D., was elected to a three-year term as Associate
Editor of Refresher Courses in Anesthesiology. Also elected
to serve three-year terms on the Editorial Board of the Self-Education
and Evaluation (SEE) Program were Leslie C. Jameson, M.D., and
Andrew M. Malinow, M.D. Nathan Leon Pace, M.D., who serves as
Medical Editor of the SEE Program, was elected to serve another
three-year term on the Board.
Judicial Council
Confirmed the nomination of Norig Ellison, M.D., for a five-year
term on the Judicial Council. Bernard V. Wetchler, M.D., will
serve as Chair during 1998.
Liaison Representatives
David T. Porembka, D.O., was elected representative to the Joint
Review Committee on Educational Programs for the EMT-Paramedic,
for the balance of a term ending in October 2000. Alan W. Grogono,
M.D., and Ronald D. Miller, M.D., were elected to three-year terms
as Directors of the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research.
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