Philanthropy as an Investment

Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., Chair
FAER Board of Directors

“Generosity is one of the most widely shared values in the United States. It reflects our compassion and our entrepreneurial spirit as well as our democratic values. It is the work of everyone, not just the extremely wealthy or the religiously oriented.”

These are words articulated by Claire Gaudiani, author of the book The Greater Good: How Philanthropy Drives the American Economy and Can Save Capitalism, which looks at philanthropy and its impact on our culture.

She notes in her book that in 2001, 89 percent of Americans made voluntary contributions addressing a wide variety of needs. Thirty-eight percent of our philanthropy went to support religious causes. The rest went to education, health, human services and areas such as art, culture, humanities and the environment. Most of the donations came from individuals who gave more than $177 billion in gifts. These donors represented all races and all economic levels and ethnicity. More Americans give than vote!

The important point that Ms. Gaudiani makes is that philanthropy is the ultimate investment in people and intellectual property:

“Just imagine how your city, New York or San Francisco, would look if every building funded by individual donors were suddenly to disappear. The hospitals, museums, universities, theaters … gone. Imagine the work day the rest of us would experience if all the people educated thanks to privately donated need-based scholarships were suddenly to stay home for one week, their offices, labs, operating rooms, studios, classrooms, court rooms empty. What if all of the inventions, all the research funded by private gifts likewise suddenly disappeared, sucked out of the system and no longer available for our society’s benefit. Just imagine if the medicine initially developed with funding from donations were no longer available in your local pharmacy.”

The impact of philanthropy on our culture and way of life is tremendous.

This year during the ASA centennial celebration, ASA members have a unique opportunity to begin a tradition of giving. Invest in the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) or in any of the ASA foundations. Your FAER dollars represent an investment in the future of anesthesiology research. Remember, you do not have to conduct research in order to support it. Creative personal generosity is as essential now as it always has been.

“In our knowledge-based economy, ideas beget new ideas, technologies ensure newer technologies, and new ideas and new technologies build more of each.”

Large donors, first-time givers and those who have given steadily, philanthropically, we ask you to continue to support, dollar by dollar, the future of research in anesthesiology education. Many of our anesthesiology scientists have begun their research careers with FAER grants. Help us to continue to invest in and create the next generation of scientists, physician mentors and anesthesiology leaders.

“Most people in the world think that Americans are generous because we are rich. But the truth is that we are rich because we are generous.”

Research Not Taken for Granted: Announcing 2004 Award Recipients, Part 2 The following is a continuation of the list of FAER recipients that appeared in the “FAER Report” in the February 2005 NEWSLETTER. Research Education Grant ($50,000 Year 1, $50,000 Year 2) Gail I. Randel, M.D., Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois: “Effectiveness of a Difficult Airway Program Using the Intranet and a High-Fidelity Human Patient Simulation for Department Training.” My goal is to assess the effectiveness of instructing anesthesiology residents using an intranet tutorial and high-fidelity human patient simulation for difficult airway management. The expectation is to confirm that an educational intervention focused on airway management will improve resident achievement of predefined clinical competence. Chair: M. Christine Stock, M.D.; Mentor: William C. Mc Gaghie, Ph.D.; Mentor: John J. Schaefer III, M.D. Research Starter Grant ($35,000 Year 1, $50,000 Year 2) Lorri A. Lee, M.D., University of Washington, Seattle, Washington: “Effects of Hypovolemia, Deliberate Hypotension, Anemia and Venous Congestion on Optic Nerve Blood Flow in the Pig.” We propose to simulate intraoperative conditions encountered during major spine surgery and study the effects of low blood volume, low blood pressure, anemia and venous congestion, both alone and in combination, on optic nerve blood flow in pigs. Chair: Frederick W. Cheney, M.D.; Mentor: Arthur M. Lam, M.D.; Mentor: Steven A. Deem, M.D. David Kaczka, M.D., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland: “Noninvasive Determination of Mechanical Heterogeneity in a Canine Model of Acute Lung Injury.” The goal of this project is to develop noninvasive techniques for assessing mechanical heterogeneity in the lungs to optimize mechanical ventilation during acute lung injury. Chair: John A. Ulatowski, M.D., Ph.D.; Mentor: Brett A. Simon, M.D., Ph.D. Zheng Xie, M.D., Ph.D., University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois: “Molecular Mechanisms for Catecholamine Secretion by Anesthetics.” My goal in this grant is twofold. First, I would like to determine the molecular composition of the GABAA receptor found in chromaffin cells, since it responds to such low concentrations of etomidate. Second, I would like to determine whether inhalational anesthetics, in particular, isoflurane, can directly activate this receptor at therapeutic dosages. Chair: Jeffery L. Apfelbaum, M.D.; Mentor: Aaron Fox, Ph.D. FAER is grateful to ASA, its individual members, component societies, subspecialty societies and corporations for the generous contributions that allow funding of these awards. On behalf of all recipients and programs who have been helped by your support of FAER, thank you for your generosity. We look forward to your continued involvement.

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