March 1998
Volume 62 |
Number 3
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COMPONENT SOCIETY NEWS
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| District Reports
Summarize States' Activities |
Selected reports from the ASA District Directors during the ASA
Annual Meeting in October illustrate some of the work being conducted
by state component societies for the benefit of their members
and to promote the medical specialty of anesthesiology to the
public and civic leaders.
District 2 - Massachusetts
Members of the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists (MSA)
took a successful, proactive approach in their support of a state
measure that concerns the education of physicians and nurses about
pain management, end-of-life issues and the regulation of opiates
and other controlled drugs. A state commission that will study
the issues includes two anesthesiologists as members. MSA members
went to the state house and spoke with their respective representatives,
promoting the proposed bill. The bill is now out of committee
with a favorable recommendation.
District 3 - Connecticut and Rhode Island
One of the most comprehensive patient-oriented managed care reform
bills went into effect in Connecticut in October due to the efforts
of the Connecticut State Society of Anesthesiologists (CSSA) and
other state medical organizations. The reforms include provisions
for binding independent appeals process, a ban on gag clauses,
a consumer-oriented report card on managed care companies and
physician input into medial protocols, to name a few. CSSA is
now online with its own Web site. It can be accessed at <gasnet.med.yale.edu/
cssa>.
In the state of Rhode Island, the state legislature is beginning
to look at regulations concerning office-based anesthesia. The
Rhode Island Society of Anesthesiologists (RISA) is actively involved
in discussions with state legislators. In addition, members of
RISA have been very active and visible in developing a state resolution
for a bill concerning payments to nurse anesthetists.
District 6 - Pennsylvania
Members of the Pennsylvania Society of Anesthesiologists (PSA)
were instrumental in the development of regulations by the State
Board of Medicine regarding the requirements for supervision of
nurse anesthetists. The following statement was approved by the
board following PSA's input.
"It is not our intent to support the concept that medical
direction always be provided by an anesthesiologist. Rather, it
is our intent to provide that medical direction should always
be provided by a physician and the physician would need the experience
and training to effectively direct the nurse anesthetist in performing
the anesthetic actually used in the case."
District 7 - Maryland and District of Columbia
While the Maryland Board of Nursing announced new regulations
governing the practice of nurse anesthesia, the Maryland Society
of Anesthesiologists (MSA) succeeded in retaining in the regulations
the collaborative relationship between physicians and nurse anesthetists.
Maryland District Court has previously defined collaboration as
"medical direction and supervision." MSA also has been
participating in a state legislative study program concerning
the state of pain treatment in Maryland.
District 8 - Florida and Puerto Rico
The Florida Society of Anesthesiologists (FSA) had direct influence
on the passage of several state legislative issues, including
the removal of gag clauses from contracts between managed care
companies and providers, extending health insurance coverage for
mastectomies to now include prosthetic devices and reconstruction
surgery, and preventing managed care companies from limiting inpatient
hospital coverage for any time less than what has been determined
by the attending physician.
District 13 - Indiana
In 1997, members of the Indiana Society of Anesthesiologists
(ISA) participated in the Doctors Day Fair sponsored by the Indiana
State Medical Society and a number of other medical specialty
organizations. The ISA booth at the Indianapolis Children's Museum
contained an anesthesia machine, monitors, hats, masks and posters.
District 28 - Virginia and West Virginia
An important project currently under way at West Virginia's only
residency training program, West Virginia University, is the design
of an anesthesia simulation center. Glaxo Wellcome has contributed
$45,000 toward the $200,000 needed for the project that the West
Virginia Society of Anesthesiologists (WVSA) is also helping to
fund.
The WVSA has established an anesthesiology externship for medical
students who are between their first and second year of medical
school. The goal of the program is to increase the knowledge and
respect for the medical specialty of anesthesiology and to recruit
competitive medical students.
District 29 - Idaho, Montana and Utah
The Montana Society of Anesthesiologists (MSA) is making multiple
use of the World Wide Web. MSA membership joined an electronic
bulletin board last year that allows the members immediate communication
with one another. The electronic bulletin board proved to be very
useful in MSA's efforts to defeat a state proposal to cut anesthesia
reimbursement by more than 50 percent. Members were kept up to
date on the latest developments and were able to share their thoughts
and ideas quickly with the Society's leadership.
District 30 - Kentucky
The Kentucky Society of Anesthesiologists sponsored an exhibit
at this year's state fair titled "The Physicians of the Kentucky
Society of Anesthesiologists: Your Guardians in the Operating
Room." The exhibit, staffed by KSA members, was designed
to educate the public about the anesthesiologists' level of training
and services they provide.
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