American Society of Anesthesiologists names Ronald L. Harter, M.D., FASA, new president

SAN FRANCISCO — Ronald L. Harter, M.D., FASA, professor of anesthesiology in the Department of Anesthesiology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, was today named president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the nation’s largest organization of physician anesthesiologists. Dr. Harter assumed office at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2023 annual meeting and will serve for one year.

“ASA is the premier educational, research and scientific organization representing anesthesiology in the U.S., and I’m honored to have this opportunity to advance our Society’s mission and strengthen our specialty for the benefit of our patients,” said Dr. Harter. “I’m committed to addressing the many challenges in the health care environment, including preserving physician-led anesthesia care for our Veterans, addressing the broken Medicare physician payment program, tackling health care workforce imbalances, and working to create an efficient and balanced process to resolve payment disputes between anesthesiologists and insurers.”

Dr. Harter is a member of ASA’s Executive Committee and Administrative Council. Over the past three decades, he has served ASA in numerous roles, most recently as ASA president-elect. He served as speaker of ASA’s House of Delegates and ASA’s representative to the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience. He has chaired ASA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Physician Well-Being, Committee on Young Physicians, Committee on Medical Students and Residents, and Committee on Bylaws.

Additionally, Dr. Harter has been an active member of the Ohio Society of Anesthesiologists since 1994 and served as its president in 2003.

“Dr. Harter brings an incredible breadth of experience and expertise to this position,” said ASA Immediate Past President Michael W. Champeau, M.D., FAAP, FASA. “His leadership, perspective and collaborations will continue to help ASA better serve its 56,000 members, advance our specialty and ensure that patient safety remains our highest priority.”

Dr. Harter received a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Capital University in Bexley, Ohio, and completed his Doctor of Medicine at The Ohio State University in Columbus. He completed his residency in anesthesiology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology. He resides in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife Katharine; they have five children.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific professional society with more than 56,000 members organized to advance the medical practice of anesthesiology and secure its future. ASA is committed to ensuring anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of all patients before, during and after surgery. ASA members also lead the care of critically ill patients in intensive care units, as well as treat pain in both acute and chronic settings.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about how anesthesiologists help ensure patient safety, visit asahq.org/madeforthismoment. Join the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2023 social conversation today. Like ASA on Facebook, follow ASALifeline on Twitter and use the hashtag #ANES23.

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