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January 2006
Volume 70
Number 1

Filling the Chairs at SAAC/AAPD Meeting

John E. Tetzlaff, M.D



he 2005 Society of Academic Anesthesiology Chairs/Association of Anesthesiology Program Directors (SAAC/AAPD) Annual Meeting on November 4-6, 2005, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C., began with a repeat of the popular “New Chairs” workshop, which was highly appropriate given that there are more than 20 new chairs in the 2004-05 year, and several others are open at this time. This workshop is run by experienced chairs, hospital administrators and medical school leaders and is offered to all new chairs and those considering positions in the immediate future.

The Friday afternoon session focused on economics with reports from Steven J. Barker, Ph.D., M.D., about the potential benefits of consultants, Kevin K. Tremper, M.D., Ph.D., about the economic health of academic departments and Alexander A. Hannenberg, M.D., about how academic anesthesiology is attempting to change the Medicare teaching rule. The decision of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) not to reverse the teaching rule (which currently reimburses teaching anesthesiologists at 50 percent for concurrent cases when teaching surgeons are reimbursed 100 percent for both concurrent cases) was received with concern. In a separate presentation, Dr. Hannenberg reviewed the interface between anesthesiology and the resource-based relative value system. Norman A. Cohen, M.D., presented a detailed description of how Current Procedural Terminology™ codes are created and used.

Saturday morning began with a session that focused on the future of anesthesiology and issues that could influence anesthesiology education to adapt to these changes. David A. Lubarsky, M.D., presented this subject from the business perspective, Mark A. Warner, M.D., from the academic perspective and Michael “Monty” Mythen, M.B., from the international view. This was followed by a session that focused on participation of academic anesthesiology in organized medicine. Jeffrey L. Apfelbaum, M.D., presented the role of ASA in advocacy for academic anesthesiology. Jane C.K. Fitch, M.D., presented information on the activities of the American Medical Association on behalf of academic anesthesiology. Dr. Warner made a strong case for participation in the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) via the Residency Review Committee for Anesthesiology.

The luncheon speaker was ASA 2006 President Orin F. Guidry, M.D., and he focused on how academic anesthesiology needed to work with ASA to achieve goals that were in the interest of both. Dr. Guidry’s talk was followed by a panel about faculty development. Margaret Wood, M.B., presented the role of mentorship in junior faculty development. Roberta L. Hines, M.D., presented the idea that recognition of excellence in clinical care and education can advance academic development. Thomas K. Henthorn, M.D., discussed the needs of departments to encourage clinical and basic science research.

The final panel of the day was chaired by Berend Mets, M.B., Ph.D., and focused on the ACGME core competencies. John Bingham, Director of the Center for Clinical Improvement, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discussed the Institute of Medicine “Aims for Improvement.” Doris Quinn, Ph.D., presented an approach to the linkage of the competencies to outcome measures. The session ended with a brief update on the status of the four-year curriculum.
Sunday morning began with an update from ACGME and RRC by Judith S. Armbruster, Ph.D., and Mark A. Warner, M.D. They discussed new program rules for core residency and anesthesiology pain medicine. This was followed by a panel by John A. Ulatowski, M.D., Ph.D., and Dr. Fitch, about residency accreditation issues. Glenn P. Gravlee, M.D., presented an update from the ABA-ASA Joint Council on In-Training Examinations, and Steven C. Hall, M.D., presented an update from ABA.
Presiding over the SAAC/AAPD Annual Meeting in addition to serving as moderators and lecturers were AAPD President Daniel M. Thys, M.D., and SAAC President Lydia A. Conlay, M.D., Ph.D.




    John E. Tetzlaff, M.D., is Professor of Anesthesiology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, and Director, Center for Anesthesiology Education, Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio.
Roger W. Litwiller, M.D.

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