ASA Participation in Anesthesiologist Assistant (AA) Accreditation
The Commission for the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) recently mandated an update of AA Accreditation Standards. Although ASA was not an AA sponsor, ASA reviewed and endorsed the changes.

Approved a recommendation that ASA become the physician organization involved in future AA accreditation and appointed four members to the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the AAs.

Reduced SEE and ACE Costs
Approved a recommendation that all required participants who attend the House of Delegates be offered a 50-percent reduction for one-year’s subscription to either the Self-Education and Evaluation (SEE) or the Anesthesiology Continuing Education (ACE) Program. This would include officers, members of the Board of Directors and their alternates, members of the House of Delegates, chairs of the Society’s sections, chair of ASA’s delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA), past presidents, members of the Committee on Credentials, tellers and members of Reference Committees.

ASA-American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Meetings
Disapproved prior Board action and approved the following:

RESOLVED, That the leadership of the American Society of Anesthesiologists immediately withdraw from any further meetings with the leadership of AANA facilitated by ThoughtBridge. Dialogue with AANA may continue at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Appropriate Nomenclature for Anesthesiologists and Nurse Anesthetists
Approved a resolution relating to appropriate use of practitioner nomenclature as follows:

Resolved, That ASA advocate for specific terms consistent with definitions of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that would clearly identify the training and educational background of an anesthesia practitioner, and be it further

RESOLVED, That ASA advocate for terminology clearly differentiating physicians in an anesthesiology residency program from nursing students training to be CRNAs.

Testimony indicated that “title creep” may become a concern to other specialties. Legislative action at the individual state level may be needed to codify patients’ and families’ “right to know” in order to prevent confusion as to the type of education and training of their caregivers.

Relative Value Guide
Received information from the Committee on Economics regarding the additions and revisions for the 2006 Relative Value Guide. (Copies of the 2006 Relative Value Guide are now available through the ASA Publications Department.)

Practice Parameters
Approved the updated “Practice Guidelines for Perioperative Blood Transfusion and Adjuvant Therapies,” first published in 1995. Also approved the following new advisories and guidelines: “Practice Advisory for Perioperative Visual Loss Associated With Spine Surgery,” “Practice Advisory for Intraoperative Awareness and Brain Function Monitoring” and “Practice Guidelines for the Perioperative Management of Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.”

Also approved a recommendation from the Committee on Practice Parameters that a task force be appointed for the development of a practice advisory for operating room fires. Currently the committee also is working on an update for the “Practice Guidelines for Obstetrical Anesthesia” and will begin to review the existing cancer pain, chronic pain, preoperative fasting and transesophageal echocardiography guidelines as well.

The Committee on Standards of Care and the Committee on Practice Parameters have been combined to form the Committee on Standards and Practice Parameters.

Standards, Guidelines and Statements
Approved or ratified previous Board action revisions in the following documents:

“Basic Standards for Preanesthesia Care”

“Credentialing Guidelines for Practitioners Who Are Not Anesthesia Professionals to Administer Anesthetic Drugs to Establish a Level of Moderate Sedation”

“Guidelines for Minimally Acceptable Continuing Medical Education in Anesthesiology”

“Guiding Principles for Management of Performance Measures by the American Society of Anesthesiologists” (formerly known as “Guidelines for Database Management by the American Society of Anesthesiologists”)

“Educational Mission Statement”

“Standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring”

“Statement on Intravascular Catheterization Procedures”

“Statement on Transesophageal Echocardiography”

“Position on Monitored Anesthesia Care”

All current standards, guidelines and statements are available on the ASA Web site at <www.ASAhq.org/publicationsAndServices/sgstoc.htm>.

Organ Donation After Cardiac Death
Approved a resolution relating to organ donation after cardiac death, as follows:

RESOLVED, That patients presenting for organ donation after cardiac death optimally should receive end-of-life care by the donor patient’s own physician; and be it further

RESOLVED, That anesthesiologists, while they should not be required to administer care to patients presenting for organ donation after cardiac death, nevertheless should be respectful of the wishes of donor patients, their families and their physicians when they are in the operating room setting; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Committee on Transplant Anesthesia, with further input from the Committee on Ethics and the Committee on Critical Care Medicine, should educate members and assist them in developing guidelines and protocols; and be it further

RESOLVED, That anesthesiologists should help to develop protocols within their own hospitals, with the assistance of guidelines developed by the Institute of Medicine and the United Network for Organ Sharing, for the provision of ethical terminal care for organ donor patients and their families.

ASA Resident Component
Approved the establishment of a program of ASA grants for locally organized resident practice management seminars cosponsored by the host-state anesthesiology society. The first year would be limited to offering two grants of up to $1,000 each in two separate ASA caucus regions.

Governmental Affairs
The Committee on Governmental Affairs announced that Ervin Moss, M.D., of Verona, New Jersey, was the recipient of the committee’s second annual Excellence in Government Award. The award for a non-ASA member was given to Senator Bill Frist, M.D. (R-TN).

Support of Military Anesthesia Personnel
Ratified the Board of Directors previous approval of the following resolution:

RESOLVED, That Active and Affiliate Members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, upon the member’s request, have American Society of Anesthesiologists’ membership dues waived once for one year following a period of Active Duty (90 days or longer) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and/or the Global War on Terror*; and therefore be it further

RESOLVED, That the start date for this benefit be September 11, 2001, and the first dues cycle for this benefit begin in 2006.

*Annual training and civilian contracting with military practices would not qualify for this benefit. Copies of orders must be submitted with the member’s request for this benefit.

ASA strongly supports and commends our military anesthesiologists for their service and dedication to our country and their excellent care of our wounded military personnel.

Annual Meeting Moved to Atlanta From New Orleans
The ASA staff was congratulated for their efforts in moving the ASA Annual Meeting from New Orleans to Atlanta on such short notice.

ASA’s 100th Anniversary
The Gala Dinner to celebrate ASA’s 100th Anniversary will be held during the 2006 Annual Meeting in Chicago. The four foundations of ASA (Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and the Anesthesia Foundation) had planned this Gala. Please check the FAER Web site as details and plans become available.

Board of Directors
Following adjournment of the House of Delegates on October 25, 2005, the Board of Directors met in Atlanta, Georgia. Board members were elected to serve on the Board of Directors committees on Administrative Affairs, Finance, Legislative Review and Scientific Affairs.

Media Awards
This year’s winners were Thomas Hayden of U.S. News & World Report, and producers Susan Kroll, Jane Derenowski and Tammy Filler of NBC’s “Today” show.