By Jeff Poage, MD, CSA Past President and ASAPAC Board Member
In the vast realm of US healthcare, anesthesiologists stand as pillars of expertise, utilizing our skills to alleviate pain and safely navigate our patients through often stressful perioperative experiences. From routine ambulatory procedures to more complex in- patient surgeries, our commitment to patient safety is unwavering. As we advocate for our patients on the clinical side, we must also advocate for our great specialty outside of the operating room, obstetrical ward, cath lab, ICU or pain clinic. Beyond our clinical practice lies a realm of immense opportunity – one where our voices can resonate as powerful agents of change. And ALL OF US can be part the movement by supporting the ASAPAC!
If you are an ongoing contributor to the ASAPAC, we say THANK YOU!! If you have not contributed before, we humbly ask for you to donate this Thursday, June 27th, during the DoC Challenge. During this 24-hour period, we expect to raise more than a million dollars! Your contribution will go a long way to support both Federal and even State initiatives which will strengthen our position in the healthcare hierarchy. We have good people working 24/7 on your behalf. And we cannot do the things we do without your support.
Donations to ASAPAC help protect the interests and rights of anesthesiologists, ensuring a positive future for the profession. WE NEED YOU!!
We will be updating you periodically during the DoC Challenge this Thursday on how California is doing relative to other States. A friendly competition among the States is all in good fun! In recent years, California has had an excellent showing. But we cannot let up now. There are too many important issues on the table:
- Economic and reimbursement issues
- Inflationary adjustment for Medicare
- Standing up to United Healthcare, Blue Cross and other big insurers
- Improving the No Surprises Act (NSA) implementation
- Promoting Medical Title Protection Laws and Truth in Advertising
- Federal and State Scope of Practice issues
- And much more….
We recognize that not everyone may be able to make a large donation, but every contribution counts. Consider setting up an automatic monthly contribution on the ASAPAC website. For instance, if you begin a monthly donation of $83.33 this Thursday, it will be counted as a $1000 for the DoC Challenge!! For residents, fellows or early career doctors, please consider a $25, $50 or $100 donation. Any amount will help us achieve our goals. Participation percentage is important. We hope at least 20% of California anesthesiologists will donate on Thursday. The ASAPAC is the voice of our profession!!
YOUR CONTRIBUTION MATTERS!! It is through advocacy we as anesthesiologists can amplify the voices of our patients and colleagues. And remember, we are not red or blue, we just work for you!