The Anesthesia Foundation: Giving Back to Those Who Have Given So Much

Jill E. Beland, M.D.,
Delegate to AMA Section on Anesthesiology

I recently discussed the financial and personal costs of being a resident in the October 2003 “Residents’ Review” column. During my time as Alternate Delegate and Delegate of the ASA Resident Component to the American Medical Association (AMA) Section Council on Anesthesiology, I have heard countless stories and complaints from residents around the country about medical school debt and the financial burden of residency. Many anesthesiology residency programs offer education stipends or moonlighting opportunities, which help to alleviate educational costs. Even with these perks, there are several residents throughout the country who struggle to maintain economic balance. A very bright side to this struggle is an organization with resident interests at heart, the Anesthesia Foundation.

The Anesthesia Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1956 in the memory of several prominent and beloved anesthesiologists. The Foundation’s original goal “to loan or give money to deserving persons to assist them in becoming specialists in anesthesia or for research or study in the field of anesthesia or related fields …” is maintained by the Board of Trustees, a group of kind-hearted anesthesiologists who recognize the importance of resident training and the congruent financial responsibility.

The current goals and purposes of the Foundation are to:

• support young physicians in their choice of anesthesiology as a specialty;

• support specific projects that enhance the specialty of anesthesiology but are not supported by other agencies; and

• recognize and preserve the American heritage of anesthesiology.

Unlike other institutions, the Anesthesia Foundation is committed to the specialty of anesthesiology and does not provide loans to residents in other fields. Residents who demonstrate financial need are granted small, low-interest-rate loans, which they pay back at the conclusion of their residency.

In 1956 the Foundation began accepting donations in memory of deceased anesthesiologists. These funds were amplified with donations from private and industrial sources that sympathized with the Foundation’s goals. By 1959, 17 anesthesiology residents benefited from more than $16,000 in loans. At the beginning of 2004, this number has increased to more than 130 residents at a dollar amount of roughly $1 million. This exponential increase in loans is a tribute to the generosity and success of the Foundation.

For 48 years, the Anesthesia Foundation has been a bright light in the lives of anesthesiology residents across the country. Recently this light has dimmed as loan applications have exceeded donations, and the Committee on Finance of the Foundation has recommended a temporary freeze on the loan program. Over the past few years, the Foundation has received numerous applications, sometimes up to 20 or 30 in a six-month period. Seldom are residents denied assistance if their need is easily demonstrated. The average CA-1 resident has a debt of approximately $67,000. Add loan interest and mandatory expenses such as medical licenses and American Board of Anesthesiology fees, and you will find these residents with a generous obligation. Currently the Foundation’s only sources of income are the tax-deductible donations generously given by the anesthesiology community. In order for the Foundation to continue its wonderful work and service, these contributions must continue to increase.
The freeze on loan applications and distribution was a decision that did not come easily to the Board of Trustees. The trustees recognize the importance of this service and the dependence that many residents have on the loan program. According to Foundation Secretary John R. Moyers, M.D., “The Foundation is looking for sound fiscal and responsibly creative ways to put money into the loan program.”

An immediate solution to this supply-and-demand problem is to increase the supply by private, tax-deductible donations from all anesthesiologists.

If you are interested in learning more about the Anesthesia Foundation or would like to offer a donation, please visit <www.anesthesiafoundation.org>.

On behalf of all anesthesiology residents, I would like to thank the Anesthesia Foundation and its Board of Trustees for their continued efforts. I also would like to thank them for allowing me to recognize their wonderful contributions.

Please send any topic ideas, sample articles or questions to the editors of “Residents’ Review” at <residents.review@ASAhq.org>.

Jill E. Beland, M.D., is Chief Resident, University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is the Resident Component Delegate to the American Medical Association Section Council on Anesthesiology.