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April
2002
Volume 66 |
Number
4
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SUBSPECIALTY
NEWS
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| Enlarging
and Staying Focused: A SAMBA Snapshot |
Barbara
S. Gold, M.D., President
Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia
Is
it safe to discharge a patient with sleep apnea the same day following
a general anesthetic? At what gestational age can an infant be
safely cared for on an outpatient basis? What is the latest in
preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting? How can simple nerve
blocks be used for postoperative analgesia? Such questions reflect
issues almost all anesthesiologists face because almost all of
us care for the surgical outpatient. Fortunately, the Society
for Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA) offers answers and solutions.
For 17 years, SAMBA has provided a forum for anesthesiologists
to ask questions, find answers, discuss problems and suggest solutions.
Members have access to recognized expertise in all aspects of
ambulatory and office-based anesthesia and immediately join more
than 4,000 anesthesiologists who share their concerns and interests.
SAMBA has
continued to develop and expand concurrently with the growth of
outpatient surgery. Fueled by unrelenting economic pressures,
75 percent of the surgical procedures in this country are now
performed on an outpatient basis (SMG Marketing Group, 1999; National
Center for Health Statistics www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats
). By 2005, the proportion is expected to rise to more than 80
percent (SMG Marketing Group, 1999). In addition, as the numbers
grow, so does the level of patient complexity. Inevitably, anesthetizing
this spectrum of patients while maintaining a stellar safety record
not only challenges our clinical skills and stretches our resources
but also raises issues that are unique to the ambulatory venue.
How do we respond to cuts in staffing yet still maintain productivity?
Should I set up an office-based practice? How is this done? What
are the regulations in my state?
The questions
and issues are endless. Frequently, they cannot be solved in the
isolation of our own operating suites. Paradoxically, finding
time and resources to attend meetings and be involved in the very
societies that help us to deal with these essential issues is
becoming even more difficult. SAMBA has responded by re-evaluating,
revising and expanding its communications, research and educational
programs in order to enhance member value. These efforts have
helped us to remain focused on our core mission, which is to provide
ongoing education, member value and the support of fundamental
research in the area of outpatient anesthesia. Here is a snapshot
of our most recent activities.
This year,
to complement our printed newsletter, SAMBA launched a monthly
electronic bulletin that is sent via e-mail to all SAMBA members.
Under the leadership of J. Lance Lichtor, M.D., this communiqué
provides a rapid mechanism for alerting SAMBA membership on recent
research, meetings and other timely topics. The SAMBA Web site
has been enhanced to provide a moderated discussion
forum for members thanks to the efforts of Terri G. Monk, M.D.,
and the Committee on Communications. Patient information, online
annual meeting registration, educational guidelines and more also
are available from our Web site. On the education front, the SAMBA
Annual Meeting has always been a popular highlight, and this year
is no exception. The 2002 meeting, chaired by Walter G. Maurer,
M.D., will take place in Orlando, Florida, from May 2-5. Slightly
reformatted to take advantage of the location, this year¹s meeting
is specifically designed to provide a concentrated amount of clinically
relevant information and still provide plenty of opportunity to
enjoy the numerous local attractions with friends and family.
In response to member input, features this year include: workshops
on regional anesthetic techniques (including the continuous block),
use of anesthesia simulators, discussion of new regulatory issues,
new practice guidelines and management of difficult patients from
ages 0 to 99. Registration is available online at .
SAMBA is committed
to promoting research to meet the challenges of our constantly
evolving field. In May 2000, we proudly presented the first SAMBA
Outcomes Research Award in the amount of $100,000. This highly
competitive award was a first for SAMBA, born of the belief that
significant innovations and advancement require serious investment
of talent and resources. In addition, SAMBA leadership thought
it important, given the nature of ambulatory anesthesia practices,
to invest in well-conducted outcomes research – a field not
traditionally funded in anesthesiology. The First SAMBA Outcomes
Research Award recipient was Lee A. Fleisher, M.D., of Johns Hopkins
University for his investigation of "Impact of Location of
Care and Patient Factors on the Rate of Complications and Readmissions
After Outpatient Surgery: A Claim Analysis." This two-year
project is nearing completion, and we are eager to learn and share
the findings. In light of the enthusiasm and interest generated
by this award, SAMBA is actively exploring ways to continue this
innovative program in a fiscally responsible manner.
Finally, SAMBA
continues to build and maintain bridges with other organizations
in order to be a major stakeholder in issues that are key to ambulatory
surgery safety and education. SAMBA has been actively involved
with organizations such as the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory
Health Care, Inc., and the National Patient Safety Foundation
in order to help promote patient safety in the office setting.
In May 2003, SAMBA will cohost, along with the Federated Ambulatory
Surgery Association (FASA), the meeting of the International Association
of Ambulatory Surgery (IAAS) in Boston, Massachusetts. Thus, the
SAMBA Annual Meeting will occur alongside the FASA and IAAS meetings
with plenty of opportunity for "cross pollination" with
our colleagues from around the world. In addition, we are "going
global" with our first major meeting in Europe in 2004. We
encourage you to join us in Paris, France, when SAMBA hosts a
one-day meeting prior to the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists
in April 2004.
SAMBA remains
committed to our long-standing vision that education is one of
our best tools for creating opportunity, for providing member
value and ultimately improving patient care. We welcome you to
join us.
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Barbara
S. Gold, M.D., is Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. |
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