The ASA Board of Directors held its interim meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7, 2004. The Board Committees on Administrative Affairs, Finance, Legislative Review and Scientific Affairs met as Review Committees on Saturday to review reports for consideration by the Board of Directors on Sunday. Among the actions taken by the Board of Directors were the following:

Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF)
Received information that the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation will publish, in a future edition of the APSF Newsletter, a discussion of the use of audible alarms on physiologic monitors and the use of the audible beep tone from the pulse oximeter during anesthetics. It also was reported that APSF will sponsor a workshop on this topic at the 2004 ASA Annual Meeting.

Committee on Practice Parameters
Approved a recommendation that a practice parameter be developed for “Brain Function Monitoring.” Received information that new parameters in various stages of development are “Practice Advisory for Perioperative Management of Patients With Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices,” “Practice Alert on Operating Room Fires” and “Practice Advisory on Perioperative Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.” It also was reported that the “Practice Guidelines for Blood Component Therapy” are being revised.

Task Force to Study Payment Methodology
Approved a recommendation from the Task Force to Study Payment Methodology that ASA retain the services of an outside consultant to review the fundings of the Hsiao study and the processes used by the Health Care Financing Administration (now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) to arrive at the valuation of anesthesia services at implementation of the Medicare Fee Schedule.

ASA’s 100th Anniversary
Received information that highlighting the celebration of ASA’s 100th anniversary will be a celebratory meeting to be held at the Long Island College in New York in October 2005.

Administrative Procedures
Approved new Administrative Procedures governing retention of electronic records, giving of memorial donations, approval of committee work products and documents from outside organizations, budget methodology for foundation funding and the bestowing of an annual Governmental Affairs award.

Liaison with United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
Approved a recommendation from the Ad Hoc Committee on Transplant Anesthesia that ASA establish a formal liaison with UNOS to include representation on six UNOS committees.

Anesthesiology Continuing Education (ACE) Program
Received information from the editorial board for the ACE Program that the target date for the publication and distribution of the first edition will be October 2004. Approved a recommendation from the Board that the pricing structure of the ACE Program will be the same as the Self-Education and Evaluation Program.

2004 Budget
Amended the 2004 budget to provide for income of $20,386,500 and expenses of $21,551,875.

Legislative Consultants
Approved a recommendation that ASA retain a 2004 legislative team of Downey/McGrath and Infrastructure Solutions.

Paramedic Training
Approved the following resolution on paramedic training:

RESOLVED, That ASA encourage its members and other qualified providers to offer supervised operating room experience or simulation in airway management, including endotracheal intubation, to paramedics; and be it further

RESOLVED, That ASA develop suggestions for patient informed consent in connection with such training and work with insurers to lessen liability concerns for its members who engage in supervised training of paramedics; and be it further

RESOLVED, That ASA encourage the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation to foster research on the use of laryngeal mask airway and other methods of airway management as effective alternatives to endotracheal intubation in emergency medical services.

Liaison Representatives
Elected Norig Ellison, M.D., to a one-year term as Representative to the Council of Medical Specialty Societies. Jeffrey L. Apfelbaum, M.D., Salvatore G. Vitale, M.D., and John M. Zerwas, M.D., were elected Delegates to the American Medical Association (AMA) for two-year terms. Ronald L. Harter, M.D., James S. Hicks, M.D., and Candace E. Keller, M.D., were elected as Alternate Delegates to AMA for two-year terms.

William S. Turnage, M.D., was elected to a four-year term as Representative to the American Association for Respiratory Care Board of Medical Advisors.

Manuel R. Castresana, M.D., was elected as Representative to the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care for a four-year term.

David S. Bronheim, M.D., was elected as Representative to the National Board for Respiratory Care for a four-year term.

William H. Montgomery, M.D., and Adolph H. Giesecke, M.D., were elected as Representatives to the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Profession for four-year terms.

H. J. Przybylo, M.D., was elected to a three-year term as Representative to the AMA Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)-5 Advisory Committee. Stanley W. Stead, M.D., was elected as Representative to the AMA CPT-4 Editorial Panel for a four-year term.

Gregory A. Nuttall, M.D., was elected to a three-year term as Representative to the American Association of Blood Banks. Donald E. Martin, M.D., was elected to a one-year term as Representative to the American Society for Testing and Materials.

Lydia A. Conlay, M.D., Ph.D., John B. Neeld, Jr., M.D., and Susan A. Vassalo, M.D., were elected to serve three-year terms as Trustees of the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology. David J. Birnbach, M.D., was elected as Representative to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice for a one-year term.

Andrea Gabrielli, M.D., was elected to a three-year term as Representative to the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiac Care Committee.

John F. Dombrowski, M.D., was elected to a three-year term as Representative to the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants. Craig M. Johnson, M.D., was elected to a three-year term as Representative to the Anesthesia Administration Assembly.

Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., was elected to a four-year term as Representative to the Council for the Continuous Professional Development of Anesthesiologists.

Scott E. Kercheville, M.D., Jeffrey S. Plagenhoef, M.D., and Patricia J. Davidson, M.D., were elected to three-year terms on the Executive Board of the ASA Political Action Committee (ASAPAC). Brian N. Vaughan, M.D., was elected to serve a one-year term as Resident Member. Danial O. Laird, M.D., was elected Chair of ASAPAC for a one-year term, and Scott B. Groudine, M.D., was elected Secretary-Treasurer for a one-year term.