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Please allow
me to introduce you to the ASA Committee on Anesthesia
Care Team (ACT) — a committee that is very ACTion-oriented,
pardon the pun! The ACT committee falls under the
jurisdiction of the Section on Executive Affairs,
chaired by James E. Cottrell, M.D. This committee
has two major goals: 1) to liaison with other members
of the perioperative health care team and 2) to periodically
review ASA documents that relate to the anesthesia
care team mode of practice.
We liaise with many organizations that are involved
in the perioperative care of our patients. The following
individuals have been designated as ASA liaisons to
various national organizations.
Arthur M. Boudreaux, M.D., liaison
to the American Academy of Anesthesiologists’
Assistants; Andrew M. Herlich, M.D.,
liaison to the American Dental Association, the American
Society of Oral Surgeons and the American Dental Society
of Anesthesiology; Sean K. Kennedy, M.D.,
liaison to the Association of Operating Room Nurses;
Earl S. Ransom, Jr., M.D., liaison to the
American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians
(William H. King, M.D., previously
held this position for several years); Jane
C.K. Fitch, M.D., liaison to American Society
of PeriAnesthesia Nurses; Holly C. Gunn, M.D.,
liaison to the Association of Women’s Health,
Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (James P. McMichael,
M.D., previously held this position).
Other members of our committee include: Sherwin
M. Angus, M.D., Joseph P. Annis, M.D., Arnold J. Berry,
M.D., John F. Dombrowski, M.D., Beth A. Elliott, M.D.,
D. David Glass, M.D., Steven D. Goldfien, M.D., Michael
S. Jakubowski, M.D., Pete Kaluszyk (anesthesiologist
assistant consultant), Lawrence G. Kushins,
M.D., David C. Mackey, M.D., Michael H. Mendeszoon,
M.D., Kathy M. Perryman, M.D., Deborah A. Rusy, M.D.,
and Paul J. Schaner, M.D.
These ASA liaisons attend the annual meetings of the
respective organizations to learn of the various concerns
that might have implications for ASA. The liaisons
then give annual reports of the organizations to the
House of Delegates at the Annual Meeting. Representatives
from these different organizations also are invited
to an open session at our Annual Meeting to voice
their concerns directly to the committee. In addition,
the liaisons serve as key contacts for these organizations
so that if the groups have immediate concerns or need
guidance, they have a designated individual to contact.
The liaison, working through our committee structure,
can provide feedback and guidance to these organizations
and refer them to the most appropriate contacts within
ASA when needs arise.
Our other goal is to periodically review ASA documents
that relate to the anesthesia care team mode of practice.
Most documents are reviewed at least every five years,
or sooner if necessary.
Our committee is available to serve the ASA leadership
in any way needed. A recent example concerned a request
by Immediate Past President Barry M. Glazer, M.D.,
to review the ASA “Statement on Regional Anesthesia.”
Our options were to reaffirm the existing statement,
revise it or revoke it. This review project occupied
our meeting agendas for the last year, resulting in
the newly revised “Statement on Regional Anesthesia,”
which was passed at the October 2002 House of Delegates
meeting. Many thanks are offered to the members who
responded to our surveys and who gave valuable testimony
in helping us arrive at the current revised statement.
ACT works closely with other committees when the need
arises. This year, the committee worked with the Committee
on Quality Management and Departmental Administration
(QMDA), which is chaired by Jeffrey L. Apfelbaum,
M.D. The purpose of this project is to add
information to the next edition of the QMDA’s
“Manual for Anesthesia Department Organization
and Management.” The QMDA committee will be
providing information on the credentialing, privileging
and practice of anesthesiologist assistants, and our
ACT committee will provide the same information for
nurse anesthetists.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
members of ACT for all of their time, energy and efforts
put forth in behalf of ASA. A special thank-you goes
to the ASA staff (especially Ronald A. Bruns) in both
the Park Ridge, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., offices
for all of their assistance.
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Jane C.K. Fitch, M.D., is Professor and Chair,
Department of Anesthesiology, University of
Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. |
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