Anesthesiology Residents and the ASA Legislative Conference:
Let’s Get Ready to Make a Difference for Our Future

Crystal C. Wright, M.D., Past Secretary
Resident Component Governing Council

he annual ASA Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., taking place this year on May 7-9, is the setting for a different type of education for anesthesiology residents and fellows. Every year the number of young physicians traveling from across the country to join on Capitol Hill with their state delegation increases. There they help to represent the voice of current and future practicing anesthesiologists at the Legislative Conference. This yearly conference is an educational experience for all anesthesiologists. It provides an update of political and policy issues that concern our specialty. The conference allows anesthesiologists the opportunity to hear from many of our influential political leaders in the country. More importantly every year more than 400 anesthesiologists representing ASA are able to bring our issues of concern to U.S. representatives and senators.

The ASA Legislative Conference allows many anesthesiology trainees to see firsthand the growth our profession has made through its political activism. It also highlights the work needed to ensure that anesthesiologists are able to provide adequate health care in the future. The D.C. meeting serves as a stage to discuss many important state and federal issues that our specialty faces. In the past, the conference has hosted many notable members from the Senate and House of Representatives, and it is truly an enlightening experience to hear our policymakers discuss issues that are important to our community and our patients. Additionally attendees also hear from the ASA Washington Office staff, ASA lobbyists and physician leaders from ASA. They provide conference attendees with updates and help to ensure that we are able to effectively communicate our points of interest to our congresspersons and their staff members.

Over the past three years, the number of residents attending the conference has increased. So the ASA Legislative Conference has become a powerful forum for residents to congregate and learn among themselves how to be effective leaders in voicing the concerns of our specialty. The conference has realized our interests, and for the past two years, separate meetings have taken place during the conference for residents to discuss the importance of getting involved in the political process and for learning how to effectively communicate with members of Congress.

For residents, the events of the legislative conference have often culminated in the last day when they accompany their state delegations and visit Capitol Hill. There anesthesiologists and residents have the opportunity to meet with their senators and representatives and inform them of issues impacting our profession and the patients they represent. At the ASA 2006 Legislative Conference, ASA’s agenda included discussing the Medicare “teaching rule” as well as the inadequacy of the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula. Many residents also were educated on the disparity of anesthesiologists’ reimbursement, compared to other medical specialties, under Medicare.

Residents are always enthusiastically encouraged by the members of their state delegation to actively participate in all aspects of the conference. All residents in attendance of the conference are invited to go to Capitol Hill with members of their state delegation to discuss important issues with their congresspersons. This is a valuable experience not only for residents but also for the Congressmen and their staff because as residents we are able to express our perspective as “young physicians” in medicine, thereby providing additional insight to members of member of Congress, allowing them to make informative decisions when representing our field.

This year’s conference on May 7-9 is undoubtedly going to be another venue for change in our profession, so all residents should try to attend. It’s a great time to meet other residents with the same enthusiasm regarding policy issues facing our profession as well as to become educated on issues that will affect our future. Throughout the conference, we are reminded that as young physicians we are the future of anesthesiology. As one ASA member told a group of residents in the past, “The art and practice of medicine occurs with our patients, but the policy and decisions of medicine are on Capitol Hill.” As residents we are encouraged to become active in the political aspects of medicine so that we can effectively provide high-quality care to our patients. So let’s get excited about impacting the future of our profession.

Crystal C. Wright, M.D., is a Cardiovascular Anesthesiology Fellow at Texas Heart Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. She served on the ASA Resident Component Governing Council from 2003-04.