Record Attendance at 2011 Legislative Conference

More than 500 anesthesiologists descended on Washington, D.C. last week to attend ASA’s 2011 “All Politics Is Local” Legislative Conference -- the largest Legislative Conference in its 33 year history. Out of those 500 anesthesiologists who attended, 92 were residents which also broke the previous record. 

Those who attended the conference heard from influential elected officials like Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Majority Leader Eric Cantor(R-VA), and Democratic Vice-Chair Xavier Becerra (D-CA).  In addition, Jonathan Blum, the deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicare under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), addressed the conference.

The program featured over three hours of presentations on state issues including a State Issues Forum, and presentations by Richard Rosenquist, M.D., on Interventional Pain Management and Thomas Hill, M.D., on his experience serving as a member of the North Carolina Medical Board. 

In addition to these speakers, ASA members learned about ASA’s top legislative priorities and how to successfully advocate on behalf of the specialty to elected officials.

After the program ended, attendees visited their elected officials on Capitol Hill to discuss the issues important to the specialty.