1. Drs Alex Skaff and Robert Johnstone represented West Virginia anesthesiologists last week at the interim meeting of the ASA Board of Directors.
   • ASA reserves have increased to $64million.
   • The current year ASA budget contains $38.5million revenues and $37million expenses. The two largest budget expenses in aggregate are education $9.0million and advocacy $7.2million.
   • The issue that generated the most debate was an increase in charges for ASA management of subspecialty societies. At present these dozen societies cost the ASA approximately $1.8million because the amounts charged for their management is less than their costs. Approximately a third of ASA members belong to subspecialty societies and some subspecialty society anesthesiologists are not currently ASA members. The ASA will increase subspecialty society charges over three years to $100 per ASA member per year and $120 per non-ASA member per year. For subspecialty organizations with fewer than 1000 members these figures are $90 and $108. There was good agreement that subspecialties are important to the future of anesthesiology and that they should align with the ASA mission and strategic plan. The House of Delegates will likely revisit this topic at the Annual Meeting.
   • Also generating much debate was a leadership reorganization, to one Executive Vice President and identifying this EVP as the Chief Executive Officer. The anesthesiologist elected President would still chair the ASA Board of Directors, which would hire and fire the CEO, and annually grade his/her performance. Outside consultants recommended this to streamline operations and attract the best CEO applicants. The Park Ridge EVP will serve as the interim CEO until a national search is performed.
      

     Drs Mark Warner (ASA President) and Robert Johnstone at the BOD meeting

      

2. The 2011 ASA Legislative conference will be held May 2-4 in Washington DC, at the JW Marriott, two blocks from the White House. Find meeting information at, http://asahq.org/For-Members/Advocacy/Legislative-Conference/Tentative-Agenda.aspx. WVSSA members currently scheduled to attend are Drs Seth Crislip, Amanda Deskins, David Graf, Ralph Harding, Robert Johnstone, and Alex Skaff. We have room for another member. If you would like to attend please let Dr Johnstone, WVSSA Sect-Treas, know. The WVSSA will pay the registration fee, a stipend of $250, and one group dinner for active members who participate in the Tuesday educational sessions and Wednesday congressional visits. The Tuesday group dinner will be held this year with the Arizona and Illinois delegations.
3. The WVSSA will again hold its annual meeting in conjunction with the WV State Medical Association at the Greenbrier on Saturday and Sunday, August 27 and 28. We are currently planning the educational session. Anyone who would like to   present a lecture or has recommendations about the program should contact Drs Cornett or Johnstone.
4. The ASA Annual Meeting will be in Chicago, October 15-19. The WVSSA
   will again hold a reception Saturday evening, with all WV anesthesiologists    invited. New at the meeting this year will be a Gertie Marx lecturship in obstetrical anesthesia, two hot-topics panels for late-breaking information, and a workshop organized by the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation on current patient safety issues.
5. Thanks to numerous ASAPAC donors, we’re headed for a record year – a good result considering the advocacy now needed to protect the specialty. The widely read Capitol Hill newspaper, POLITICO, reported in November that ASAPAC was the health industry’s top PAC in identifying winning candidates in competitive congressional districts. The recent elections also saw the first anesthesiologist elected to the US Congress, Andy Harris, MD, from Maryland. Dr Harris received significant support from ASA members and ASAPAC. The mission statement of ASAPAC is: “To advance the goals of the medical specialty of anesthesiology through the bipartisan support of candidates who demonstrate their commitment to patient safety and quality of care.” Find ASAPAC information at, https://www.asahq.org/asapac.aspx. We would like all WVSSA members to contribute to ASAPAC.
6. 2011 WVSSA dues of $220 are now due. If you have not yet sent your payment, please do so now.

Members from whom 2011 dues have been received are listed below. If you notice partners who has not yet sent their dues please remind them:

2011 WVSSA officers

President                              Stuart Cornett, MD – Edgar.Cornett@shcr.com

President-Elect/Delegate   Brian Grose, MD – groseb@rcbhsc.wvu.edu

Secretary-Treasurer           Robert Johnstone, MD – johnstoner@rcbhsc.wvu.edu

Director                                Alex Skaff, MD – ASkaff1Ace@aol.com

Alt Director /Delegate        David Graf, MD – grafd@rcbhsc.wvu.edu

Alt Delegate                         Russell Stewart, MD – stewartr@rcbhsc.wvu.edu