ASA 100th Anniversary
Ratified Board of Directors’ previous action that corporate sponsorship be sought for the production of a history video. Also approved a recommendation that a commemorative issue of the ASA NEWSLETTER be produced.

Continuing Medical Education (CME) in Anesthesiology
Ratified Board of Directors’ previous approval of a new CME in Anesthesiology program that will award up to 12 category 1 credits per year. The vehicle for this new program will consist of reviewing and being tested on a selected article in each monthly issue of Anesthesiology.

Administrative Support for Component Societies
Ratified Board of Directors’ previous action approving a pilot program for ASA to make available administrative support to component societies with 100 or fewer active members. Such support would be provided upon the request of the component and only if administrative support could not be supplied by the state medical society.

Critical Care Medicine and Trauma Medicine
Ratified the Board of Directors’ previous approval for the Committee on Critical Care Medicine and Trauma Medicine to be renamed “Committee on Critical Care Medicine.” Also ratified was a recommendation that an ad hoc committee be named to consider the establishment of a new standing committee on the role of anesthesiology in trauma and emergency medicine, particularly as it relates to terrorism mass casualties and biological and nuclear weapons.

Task Force to Study Payment Methodology
Approved a recommendation that exploration of payment methodologies that would allow integration into the resource-based relative value scale (either flat-fee or time-based) be referred to an ad hoc committee of the President’s choice for further study with authority to utilize external consultants as necessary and report back to the 2005 House of Delegates.

Governmental Affairs
Ratified Board of Directors’ previous approval of a new annual Governmental Affairs Award to recognize an individual’s outstanding contributions to the Society’s governmental affairs efforts. Also ratified board action for the establishment of a Public Policy Fellowship to provide an opportunity for an ASA member to participate in a supervised training experience working in a congressional or federal branch office.

Intravenous Catheters
In response to a declaration by intravenous catheter manufacturers that they will manufacture only safety-type catheters in the near future, approved a resolution as follows:

RESOLVED, That ASA encourage the manufacturers of intravenous catheters to continue to produce traditional-type catheters.

Establishment of New Committees
Ratified the Board of Directors’ previous approval of the establishment of a new standing Committee on Anesthesiologist Assistant Education and Practice and also a new standing Committee on Transplant Anesthesia.

Practice Parameters
Approved a new “Practice Advisory for the Perioperative Management of Patients with Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices: Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators.”

Also approved a recommendation from the Task Force to Study Spinal Manipulation Under General Anesthesia that the Committee on Practice Parameters draft a Practice Alert on “Issues for the Anesthesiologist Participating in Spinal Manipulation Under Anesthesia Therapy.” It was suggested that this Practice Alert appear in a future issue of the ASA NEWSLETTER [see article here).

Management of Pain Relief in Labor
Received information from the ASA Committee on Obstetrical Anesthesia relating to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice’s Committee Opinion No. 295 that states, “In an effort to allow the maximum number of parturients to benefit from neuraxial analgesia, ASA and ACOG believe that labor nurses should not be restricted from participating in the management of pain relief in labor, including following patient-specific written protocols for management of epidural infusions.”

Medical Student Representation
In response to interest by medical students to have more formal representation in ASA, approved a resolution from the Resident Component as follows:

RESOLVED, That

1. A Medical Student Delegation consisting of five members be created to represent the Medical Student Members of ASA within the ASA Resident Component House of Delegates.

2. ASA assist with the creation of a listserve to facilitate communication among Medical Student Members.

3. ASA establish a Medical Student Forum where medical students may meet and discuss concerns specific to them, to take place annually at the ASA Annual Meeting.

Subspecialty Society Representation at Board of Directors Meetings
Ratified the Board of Directors’ previous approval for the presidents of the seven subspecialty societies that are seated in the House of Delegates to attend and participate in ASA Board of Directors meetings at ASA expense.

Committee on Public Outreach
Received, for information, detailed proposals from the Committee on Public Outreach regarding a “Communications Plan” from the Colorado Society of Anesthesiologists and a Community Outreach Pilot Program from the District of Columbia Society of Anesthesiologists.

Relative Value Guide
Ratified Board of Directors’ previous approval of an appointment of a committee of the President’s choice to better define Physical Status modifiers and Risk Stratification reporting.

Annual Practice Management Conference
Approved a recommendation from the Committee on Practice Management that exhibit space be made available at future Conferences on Practice Management.

Standards, Guidelines and Statements
Approved or ratified previous Board action regarding reaffirmation or revision of the following documents:

“Standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring”

“Continuum of Depth of Sedation; Definition of General Anesthesia and Levels of Sedation/Analgesia”

“Guidelines for the Practice of Critical Care by Anesthesiologists”

“Distinguishing Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) From Moderate Sedation/Analgesia (Conscious Sedation)”

“Guidelines for Office-Based Anesthesia”

“Statement on Labeling Pharmaceuticals for Use in Anesthesiology”*

“Standards for Postanesthesia Care”

“Policy Statement on Practice Parameters”

“Statement of Purpose and Core Principles” (formerly “Statement of Policy”)

“Statement on Qualifications of Anesthesia Providers in the Office-Based Setting”

“Statement on Safe Use of Propofol”*

*New document

Board of Directors
Following adjournment of the House of Delegates on October 27, 2004, the Board of Directors met in Las Vegas, Nevada. Board members were elected to serve on the Board of Directors committees on Administrative Affairs, Finance, Legislative Review and Scientific Affairs.