Gregory K. Unruh, M.D.

reat news: Membership levels are at an all-time high with 25,561 active members, 3,157 affiliate members, 225 educational members, 80 educational student members, 33 life members, 80 educational student members and, importantly, 6,069 resident members. It is easy to see that our specialty Society remains strong and vibrant (see “ASA at a Glance” on page 17)! As chair of the Committee on Membership, my members and I study trends. It is heartening to see the number of resident members continue to grow, and the strength of the Resident Component and its activities are indications of good things to come for our specialty.

One of the interesting things that occurs annually in the membership numbers is the May drop date. Dues notices are mailed in January to all members. Most members promptly submit their dues to maintain their membership. Second dues notices go out as reminders to those responding slowly. Even with this prompting, every year almost 3,500 members receive notices in May that their membership has lapsed, and they are dropped from the ASA membership roll. Happily, most respond with a dues payment and are reinstated, but this is a costly and time-consuming process for ASA staff and may lead to hassle and interruption of benefits for members. I hope that all members will promptly renew their memberships to avoid this process.

The Committee on Membership also continually looks at member benefits and what can be done to enhance them. Clearly the educational side of ASA stands out as the most important single benefit! The journal Anesthesiology and the Annual Meeting accrue benefits to members far in excess of the cost of membership. Advancing the specialty in both basic science and the clinical arenas enhances our care of patients and our professional lives as anesthesiologists. I want to point to some other areas where ASA membership can provide added value to you.

As I write this article, publishing deadlines being what they are, I just returned from the ASA 2006 Legislative Conference, which took place on May 1-3. ASA members who attended understand what a great opportunity it is to study and learn about the issues facing our specialty in Washington, D.C. There also were terrific presentations on legislative and regulatory issues facing states and state components. It is incredibly helpful to learn that other state components faced the same issues we all face and to learn how leaders from other states met these challenges. The visits to Capitol Hill are important for establishing and continuing to maintain relationships with our senators and representatives. The Committee on Governmental Affairs, headed by Patricia J. Davidson, M.D., and the ASA Washington Office, including Ronald Szabat, J.D., LL.M., and Manuel Bonilla, put on a terrific conference. If you have never been to one, work with your component society to join us!

Prior to the Legislative Conference, the Committee on Communications, under the leadership of Michael H. Entrup, M.D., provides the Leadership Spokesperson Training Program (LSTP). Thirty individuals, chosen through component societies, study and learn about anesthesiology issues. They then train with media professionals about how to effectively communicate their message in print and television media and how to make effective legislative visits. Besides the LSTP, there are regional programs that run with selected state component society meetings (Arizona and Texas for 2006). These programs have run very successfully for 18 years and have trained more than 800 ASA members to communicate our messages more effectively. If you are going to be involved in any type of media communications, this training is invaluable, and I highly recommend it!

Gina A. Steiner is Director of Communications for ASA. She handles media inquiries for ASA and directs those requests to the appropriate individuals within ASA, whether that person is an ASA staff member, an officer or a committee chair. President Orin F. Guidry, M.D., is our spokesperson for national issues and does a terrific job representing us on the national stage, and he is well-equipped to handle issues such as capital punishment and intraoperative awareness. If you are approached for information or an interview on the local or state level, however, Ms. Steiner and her staff stand ready to provide you with information on almost any topic. ASA maintains copies of other interviews for your review. ASA staff can access documents and point you to reference information to help you present the best and most recent information as well as to offer a cogent argument consistent with ASA policies and procedures. Our communications staff welcomes your inquiries — please let them help you.

If you need help with a legislative issue, Sarah Paff, Advocacy Communications Manager for the Washington Office, will be glad to help.

I want to recognize and thank the members of the Committee on Credentials. This unsung committee ensures the composition of the House of Delegates at the Annual Meeting. Assisted by ASA Assistant Executive Director Denise M. Jones, the committee rises early to prepare for seating the House, sometimes arriving as much as two hours before the House convenes. They greet each officer, director or delegate with their credential badge and maintain an accurate roster of House members seated during voting on various issues. The committee seats all 350 members of the House within a period of 25-30 minutes, as most House members arrive very shortly prior to the published start time. As with any committee, there is unseen work going on to plan, prepare the envelopes and credentials and monitor the process. I had the privilege to work with these dedicated individuals for the last three years during my terms as Assistant Secretary. My special thanks go to Jessica A. Alexander, M.D., David E. Byer, M.D., Milamari A. Cunningham, M.D., Richard M. Flowerdew, M.D., Charles D. Gregorius, M.D., Helena B. Gunnerson, M.D., Craig M. Johnson, M.D., Murray A. Kalish, M.D., Keith D. Knopes, M.D., Norman Levin, M.D., Donald E. Martin, M.D., Marilyn A. Resurreccion, M.D., and Catherine L. Scholl, M.D.

The Committee on Membership will now be under the able leadership of your new Assistant Secretary, Arthur M. Boudreaux, M.D. Good luck to Art and all the committee members!

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