he 58th ASA House of Delegates met during the ASA Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on October 14-18, 2006. Among the significant actions of the House of Delegates were the following:

Officer Elections

President – Mark J. Lema, M.D., Ph.D.

President-Elect – Jeffrey L. Apfelbaum, M.D.

Immediate Past-President – Orin F. Guidry, M.D.

First Vice-President – Roger A. Moore, M.D.

Vice-President for Scientific Affairs – Charles W. Otto, M.D.

Vice-President for Professional Affairs – Alexander A. Hannenberg, M.D.

Secretary – Gregory K. Unruh, M.D.

Assistant Secretary – Arthur M. Boudreaux, M.D.

Treasurer – John M. Zerwas, M.D.

Assistant Treasurer – James D. Grant, M.D.

Speaker of the House of Delegates – Candace E. Keller, M.D., M.P.H.

Vice-Speaker of the House of Delegates – John P. Abenstein, M.S.E.E., M.D.

Special Awards
Carl C. Hug, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was named as the recipient of the 2006 Distinguished Service Award.

Nicholas P. Franks, Ph.D., of Imperial College of Science, London, England, was presented with the 2006 Award for Excellence in Research.

Budget
The 2007 Budget was approved, which includes total income of $25,035,625 and expenses of $25,055,600.

Dues
The following 2007 membership dues (unchanged from 2006) were approved:

Active members: $450

Affiliate members: $225

Educational members: $225

Educational student members: $ 25

Resident members: $ 25

Medical student members: $ 10

Branding Campaign
Approved a recommendation from the Committee on Communications for ASA to initiate a branding campaign. The intent of such a campaign would be to identify the desired image and message of ASA as well as its membership and to create key messages and graphic depictions to support its public identity. It would further lend a cohesive look to the materials that the Society presents to the public.
 
ASA NEWSLETTER
Approved a recommendation from the Committee on Newsletter to increase the annual production budget of the monthly NEWSLETTER to fund up to 48 pages per issue; also approved funding to allow all future issues to be printed in color.

Privileging for Moderate and Deep Sedation
Approved a revised “Statement on Granting Privileges for Administration of Moderate Sedation to Practitioners Who Are Not Anesthesia Professionals,” which can be accessed on the ASA Web site at <www.ASAhq.org/publicationsAndServices/standards/40.pdf>. Also approved the following statement relating to administration of deep sedation:

“Because of the significant risk that patients who receive deep sedation may enter a state of general anesthesia, privileges to administer deep sedation should be granted only to practitioners who are qualified to administer general anesthesia or to appropriately supervised anesthesia professionals.”

This document also may be accessed on the ASA Web site at <www.ASAhq.org/ publicationsAndServices/standards/39.pdf>.
 
Formal Representation at the American Hospital Association
Approved a resolution to investigate formal representation at the American Hospital Association (AHA), as follows:

RESOLVED, That ASA formally approach officials of the AHA with the purpose of establishing mutual communications between the two organizations; and therefore be it further
RESOLVED, That ASA investigate the possibility of establishing formal representation at the AHA.

Committee on Performance and Outcomes Measurement
The Committee on Performance and Outcomes Measurement (CPOM) provides oversight to ASA’s involvement with the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Consortium for Performance Measurement. The consortium currently has 98 performance measures covering 17 clinical topics available for implementation. Liaison with the Consortium allows ASA to monitor the activity of AMA and medical specialty societies with regard to their development of performance measures.

The House of Delegates approved recommendations made by CPOM that:

1. ASA propose a Consortium performance measurement set and become a “lead organization” in order to take advantage of the Consortium’s expertise and position in developing such measures.  
 
2.  Compliance with all performance measurements proposed by ASA include only interventions that are supported by the evidenced-based literature in accord with the ASA methodology for developing clinical practice guidelines, in view of the fact that anesthesiologists will be compelled to comply with performance measures through accrediting and regulatory actions as well as pay-for-performance initiatives. 

3. Because ASA Bylaws state that CPOM has “broad responsibility for overseeing the initiatives of this Society that pertain to the measurement of clinical performance and outcomes” and because performance measures can greatly influence the way that anesthesiologists practice medicine, the House of Delegates approved a recommendation that all ASA performance measures be evaluated by CPOM, prior to release as an ASA work product, in accordance with ASA Administrative Procedures, and be approved by the Executive Committee. These work products will be presented to the ASA House of Delegates at the Annual Meeting.

Task Force on Smoking Cessation 
Approved a recommendation that ASA promote an initiative which will train and encourage anesthesiologists to help their patients quit smoking.   Also approved a recommendation that the task force be continued with the goal of developing final strategies to increase the involvement of ASA members in smoking cessation efforts, with a report to the Board of Directors in March 2007.

Relative Value Guide
Received information from the Committee on Economics regarding the additions and revisions to be included in the 2007 Relative Value Guide. (Copies of the 2007 Relative Value Guide are now available through the ASA Publications Department.)
 
Trauma and Emergency Preparedness
Approved a recommendation that ASA, through the Committee on Trauma and Emergency Preparedness and the Web Site Editorial Board, establish a page on the ASA Web site to provide information on and links to other sources of information regarding all-hazards preparedness for use by anesthesiologists.
 
New Journal Agreement
Approved a recommendation that, subject to satisfactory review by legal counsel, the Executive Director, with concurrence of the Executive Committee, be authorized to sign a new agreement with Lippincott Williams & Wilkins to continue to serve as the publisher of Anesthesiology through 2011.
 
Transesophogeal Echocardiograpohy (TEE) Certification for Anesthesiologists
Approved the following resolution addressing TEE certification for anesthesiologists:

RESOLVED, That ASA uniquely or collaboratively develop and implement a program of basic-focused education in perioperative echocardiography; and be it further
RESOLVED, That ASA uniquely or collaboratively explore a pathway for supporting privileges in basic perioperative echocardiography for anesthesiologists.

Standards, Guidelines and Statements
Approved or ratified previous Board action on the following new or current documents:

• Statement on the Anesthesia Care Team

• Guidelines for Patient Care in Anesthesiology

• Statement on Principles of Critical Care and Trauma Medical Services

• Statement on Physician Nonparticipation in Legally Authorized Executions

• Granting Privileges for Administration of Moderate Sedation for Practitioners Who Are Not Anesthesia Professionals  

• Guidelines for Granting Privileges to Nonanesthesiologist Practitioners for Personally Administering Deep Sedation or Supervising Deep Sedation by Individuals Who Are Not Anesthesia Professionals

• Statement on Transesophageal Echocardiography.

Practice Parameters
Approved the updated “Practice Guidelines for Obstetric Anesthesia” first published in 1998.
 
Board of Directors
Following adjournment of the House of Delegates, on October 18, 2006, the Board of Directors met in Chicago, Illinois. Board members were elected to serve on the Board of Directors committees on Administrative Affairs, Finance, Professional Affairs and Scientific Affairs.