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December 1998
Volume 62 |
Number 12
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| ASAPAC 1998: We
Have Grown, But How? |
Rodney C. Osborn, M.D.,
Chair
ASA Political Action Committee
The 1998 fiscal year for the ASA Political Action Committee drew
to a close on September 30, 1998. At the ASA Annual Meeting in
Orlando, Florida, I had the opportunity to present the results
of our seventh fiscal year to the members of the House of Delegates
on October 21. By most measures, this has once again proven to
be a banner year for the PAC. This year, 2,711 ASAPAC members
gave $592,257 to ASAPAC, an increase of nearly $100,000
over the $492,835 given in our previous fiscal year 1996-97. Our
total ASAPAC contributions have increased once again. 1998
was a great year! Given the issues facing our specialty, including
physician supervision of nurse anesthetists providing care for
the Medicare population, it should have been a great year for
the PAC.
As promised (or threatened), I reported to the House of Delegates
on the various success stories among our states plus Puerto Rico
and the District of Columbia by highlighting the top states in
terms of total dollars given and the top percentage of state members
who have given to the ASAPAC [Table 1, page 16]. There were a
number of interesting stories among the state components as we
analyzed the giving patterns.
The Florida Society of Anesthesiologists increased the
number of ASAPAC members in their state from 120 to 121, but their
contributions increased from $20,925 to $29,230, representing
nearly a 40-percent increase in the amount raised. This brought
them to fourth place in total contributions. (Did they find the
right one member?)
West Virginia increased the number of component members
joining the ASAPAC by 50 percent, raising their participation
from 10 percent in 1997 to 15 percent of the members and giving
their component first place in increased growth.
Wisconsin moved from 13 percent contributing to the PAC
to 15 percent membership, resulting in second place in that same
category of growth.
Not all of the stories and patterns were as clear. Nevertheless,
many showed marked determination and support on behalf of ASAPAC
members. The Nebraska component's participation dropped
to 7.2 percent participation, but that 7 percent gave approximately
60 percent of that state component's previous year's contribution
total. (Did they, too, find the right members?) California
also dropped from 8 percent to 5 percent of their members contributing
to ASAPAC, thus ranking with five other states for the lowest
percentage of participation. But the California Society of Anesthesiologists,
with 173 PAC members, gave $35,700 in 1998, resulting in their
being second in contribution rank (by number).
Several results were not the least ambiguous and easy to report.
The top honors in terms of contribution rank by number goes to
North Carolina for raising $38,250 from 104 of their members.
This was in spite of decreasing from 24 percent to 19 percent
of their membership giving to the PAC. Third place, with 123 members
giving $30,516 in contributions, went to the Texas Society
of Anesthesiologists, again in spite of a decrease from 9 percent
to 5.7 percent of their members joining the ASAPAC.
With regard to state rank by percentages of participants, South
Dakota (ASA's newest component society) and Oregon
captured first and second place with 23 percent and 22 percent
of their members contributing, respectively. Interestingly enough,
Oregon actually fell from 33 percent in 1997 to the 1998 result.
Arizona gave them the closest competition with almost 17
percent of their members contributing to ASAPAC. Fourth-place
honors went to Colorado with 15.5 percent of its members
joining the PAC.
If you have been reading between the lines, you know what is
coming. For 1998, our contribution total of $592,257 came from
2,711 members. For 1997, the $492,835 contributed came from 2,851
members. In 1996, 2,787 individuals who joined the ASAPAC gave
total contributions of $352,982. Hence, fewer individuals gave
considerably more on average in 1998 than in our previous years.
This result is obviously not all bad, considering the amount raised.
Yet while our percentage of ASA members who support the ASAPAC
continues to be about 12 percent, the American Association of
Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) PAC is rumored to enjoy a better than
70-percent participation rate among AANA membership.* We continue
to lag far behind in the participation rate of ASA members in
ASAPAC when compared with AANA contributions. We still have
much work to do in order to help our membership understand that
political involvement is crucial to the future of the medical
specialty of anesthesiology.
Fortunately, the work is already off to a good start for fiscal
year 1999. Thanks to the support of the ASA Board of Directors,
Administrative Council and the ASA staff of both the Washington,
D.C., and Executive Offices, the ASAPAC raised more than $166,000
during the recent ASA Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The
ASAPAC Board of Directors attributes this to both the new location
of the PAC booth close to the main entrance in the Exhibit Hall
and to the use of an additional booth located in the Registration
Area during the two-day period prior to the opening of the exhibits.
Volunteers staffing the two sites were able to reach ASA members
attending the Refresher Course Lectures and the ASA meetings who
had previously been unable to visit the ASAPAC booth in the exhibit
areas.
Last year, I set two goals for the ASAPAC Board in terms of
participation. They were 1) to raise $600,000 for the year and
2) to increase the number of contributors to 4,000 PAC members.
As they say, you "do the math." As you do, let me ask that you
review the information found in Table 1 (page 16). See
what your component society has been doing for the ASAPAC. Consider
this in light of your participation and that of other members
of your group. Then, first, consider what you have done and what
you will do to help these efforts. Make a decision to be generous
in your contribution. Second, talk with your fellow ASA members
in your group, your city and your state. Encourage them to be
equally supportive.
Soon after the first of the year, you will be receiving the
first solicitation for 1999 ASAPAC membership. If you are not
already a member, please act quickly to join for 1999. There remains
much to be done to preserve our medical specialty of anesthesiology.
Table 1: ASAPAC Contributions by State - October 1, 1997,
Through September 30, 1998
Click here
for Table 1
*Component membership count as of December 31, 1997.
* According to a list of national political action committees
reported in the Chicago Tribune, October 25, 1998, the American
Association of Nurse Anesthetists contributed $239,178 in PAC money
to congressional candidates, including $138,529 to Republicans and
$100,649 to Democrats between January 1997 and August 1998.
Rodney C. Osborn, M.D., is affiliated with
Associated Anesthesiologists, S.C., at the University of Illinois
College of Medicine at Peoria, Illinois. He is Alternate Director
for District 14.
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