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December 2001
Volume 65 |
Number 12
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RESIDENTS'
REVIEW
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| ASAPAC …What Does That
Have to Do With Residents? |
Tripti C. Kataria, M.D.
ASA Political Action Committee Executive Board
Over the last couple of years, we as residents have been hearing
more and more about that amorphous organization called the ASA
Political Action Committee (ASAPAC). We get solicitations from
them in the mail, see advertisements in the ASA NEWSLETTER, people
are telling us to contribute to them, but what does this ASAPAC
have to do with residents? To have a better understanding about
the ASAPAC, let’s start at the beginning.
What is a PAC? PAC stands for Political Action Committee, a popular
term for a political committee organized for the purpose of raising
and spending m oney to elect and defeat candidates. Most PACs
represent business, labor or ideological interests. The ASAPAC
represents anesthesiologists. In this age when patient safety
is at risk due to the Medicare supervision issue, the role of
the ASAPAC has become of greater import. PAC dollars will not
buy votes on the floor of the House or Senate or in their committees.
PAC dollars will provide access to fund-raisers for our lobbyists
and members and will provide name recognition for ASA among legislators
and their staffs. Name recognition is important in Washington,
where legislators are outnumbered 100-to-1 by lobbyists!
In the words of ASA Past President Norig Ellison, M.D., “I
like to view the use of PAC dollars in a different way. There
is an old political adage, ‘Reward your friends and court
your enemies.’ Contributing funds to the campaign of someone
who has supported ASA positions in the past is a material way
to say ‘thank you.’ Contributing in selected cases to
those who have been less than supportive may be the first step
in educating them on the validity of our position.”
The major principle governing our political action activity is
the development and maintenance of personal relationships with
legislative members. We strive to support existing relationships
of key legislators.
With this basic understanding of the function of a PAC, we can
now ask the question: What does it have to do with residents?
We, the residents, represent the future of anesthesiology. The
ASAPAC works to ensure we have a future. The ASAPAC represents
academic medicine — our residencies are directly affected
by the government’s actions on graduate medical education
funding. The ASAPAC represents private practitioners. The ASAPAC
represents patient safety. ASA has had a long track record of
being a patient safety advocate. This was noted in the recent
Institute of Medicine Report “To Err Is Human” and throughout
the history of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. This
naturally translates to the ASAPAC and our position beseeching
Congress to preserve physician supervision of nurse anesthesia
practice.
Now that we are all aware of how the ASAPAC benefits residents,
what can we do to support the PAC? The easiest way to support
the PAC is to become a member. For the cost of a dinner out, you
can endorse your future. Resident membership is a mere $25. For
your contribution, you receive a pin that shows everyone our solidarity,
commitment to the safe practice of anesthesiology and commitment
to the future of our specialty. This is our future and our specialty.
Take this step to pledge your commitment to anesthesiology.
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Tripti
C. Kataria, M.D., is a cardiothoracic anesthesia fellow at
Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York. She is immediate
Past Chair of the ASA Resident Component Governing Council. |
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