| The
Anesthesia Foundation: More Than 50 Years of Serving
William D. Owens, M.D., President
John R. Moyers, M.D., Secretary
This year, the Anesthesia Foundation
celebrates more than 50 years of accomplishments
in satisfying its missions. The purposes
of the Anesthesia Foundation are to
provide financial help to anesthesia
residents in the form of low-interest
loans and to stimulate innovation in
educational endeavors through books
and multimedia presentations. The Anesthesia
Foundation was originally founded by
the leadership of ASA as a memorial
to several of the founding fathers of
the organization.
Since 1956, the Anesthesia Foundation
has depended primarily upon gifts from
individuals (mostly anesthesiologists)
and anesthesia societies. Many of the
gifts are given as memorial gifts, keeping
with the original name “The Anesthesia
Memorial Foundation.” The only
money obtained from ASA was a loan of
$5,000 at the onset of the Foundation.
This loan was later “written off”
so that, in fact, it became a gift from
the Society. The Foundation generates
other income from temporary investments
and from the interest the young physicians
pay on their loans. Most of the assets
of the Foundation are committed to the
loan program. A very small part of the
assets are earmarked to honor excellence
and innovation in books or multimedia
projects. A monetary award is made for
this prestigious accomplishment every
four years.
— William D. Owens,
M.D., President |
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 urrently
the Foundation loans amounts of up to $6,000 per
year to a resident who demonstrates financial need.
The number of loans is now set at 12 per year, but
as the Foundation’s assets grow, the number
of loans granted will increase. No doubt there is
a need for more loans judging by the number of applications
annually. In 2007, there has been an infusion of
some monies from the ASA 100th anniversary celebration
in Chicago in 2006. The members of the Anesthesia
Foundation Board of Trustees thank all who helped
to support its missions through gifts directly to
the Foundation and for those who supported the ASA
Gala celebration.
The assets of the Anesthesia Foundation now exceed
$1.5 million, and, as stated earlier, most of this
amount is designated for loans with the remainder
held in reserve for emergencies. An example of “an
emergency” would be the granting of gifts
of money to the residents who were unfavorably impacted
by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. No
other medical society or foundation supported its
residents in any manner similar to that provided
by the Anesthesia Foundation and ASA and its members.
The Anesthesia Foundation Board of Trustees is 12
in number, and all trustees (except for one public
member) are members of ASA. Each trustee serves
without pay or reimbursement. Each may serve up
to three four-year terms. These individuals are
nominated by the ASA president and must be approved
by the ASA Board of Directors.
We would like to welcome a new member of the Board
of Trustees, Charles W. Otto, M.D., who was approved
by the Board in August. Dr. Otto replaces Thomas
G. Johans, M.D., who decided not to seek an additional
term. This year we also must recognize with sadness
the passing of a long-time member of the Board of
Trustees and member of the Anesthesia Foundation
Advisory Committee, Jess B. Weiss, M.D.
We would personally like to invite each and every
one of you to support the Anesthesia Foundation
by sending a gift this year or by placing the Foundation
on the list of charities that will be supported
by your estate. Our administrative expenses are
less than 1.5 percent of our assets. I can assure
you that the need is there and that the Foundation
will use that support to help others in need.
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William
D. Owens, M.D., is Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology,
Washington University School of Medicine, St.
Louis, Missouri. He was 1998 ASA President. |
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John
R. Moyers, M.D., is Professor, Department of
Anesthesia, Carver College of Medicine, University
of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. He is the ASA Director
from Iowa. |
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