Read the 2024 Edition of Vital Times!
Equitable Roadmap: Navigating Challenges for Black Anesthesiologists in the United States
Betelehem Asnake, MD, MS The field of anesthesiology in the United States plays a critical role in ensuring the well-being of patients during surgical procedures, yet the landscape remains marked by health disparities. Several published studies indicate that racial and ethnic disparities exist in anesthesia care. Memtsoudis et al found that Black, Native American, Asian, […]
Celebrating Lunar New Year: Learning Traditions New and Old
By James Xie, MD Wishing everyone a Happy Lunar New Year! On February 10, 2024, many different cultures celebrated the new year based on the lunar calendar*. It is a time for celebration, family gatherings, and wishes for prosperity and good fortune for all. In Mandarin, people say “gong xi fa cai” which means “congratulations […]
National Women Physicians’ Day: Lots to Celebrate, but More Can Be Done in Pain!
Naileshni Singh, MD It is often said that the physician workforce should reflect the demographics of the patient population; this is especially important for women, who represent most patients seeking medical care in the United States. Medicine in general, including anesthesiology, has made significant strides in increasing the number of women enrolled in medical school […]
What “National Anesthesiologists’ Week” Means to Me
By Christian Bohringer, MBBS National Anesthesiologists’ Week is a very special time of the year for me. It is the one week of the year when our efforts to keep patients safe during the most dangerous moments of their lives are recognized by lawmakers, hospital administrators, other physicians, and the public. As anesthesiologists, we rarely […]
The Legacy of the Anesthetists’ Travel Club
By: Ahmad Alach, BS, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine In January of 1924, Dr. William Mayo, one of the seven original founders of Mayo Clinic, traveled to Seattle to attend a medical conference. At this conference, he was seated across a young physician named Dr. John Lundy. Dr. Mayo later wrote: “[Dr. […]
Interview with Drs. Jay Brodsky and John Brock-Utne on their new book Anesthesia at Stanford: The Larson Years: 1972-82.
By Rita Agarwal, MD, FASA, FAAP Drs. Jay Brodsky and John Brock-Utne are both Emeritus Professors in Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford School of Medicine. Both have had long, accomplished, and celebrated careers with countless published articles and books among them. Dr. Brodsky was the subject of the 2022 CSA History […]
CSA Celebrates National Latino Physician Day
By Ludwig Lin, MD “Everyone has a different journey, but the time has come now to make sure that we rise.” – Dr. Antonio Hernandez Conte The California Society of Anesthesiologists has the core mission to support its members, as well as to advocate for patient safety. National Latino Physician Day is a perfect amalgam […]
Pain Awareness Month 2023: The Critical Role of Innovative Approaches to Pain Management
An Update from the CSA Committee on Pain Medicine By Rakhi Dayal, MD The California Society of Anesthesiologists (CSA) is celebrating Pain Awareness Month to educate and empower the chronic pain patients of California. Here, we share a patient story, highlighting the importance of involving a pain physician in the treatment of chronic pain. Patient story: […]
2023 ASA-Lifebox Resident Challenge
By Mark Singleton, MD, FASA For over a decade, the annual ASA Lifebox Resident Challenge fundraising effort has improved surgical safety and critical care for patients in some of the most under-resourced hospitals in world, and it continues this year with renewed importance. In 2011, Dr Sephalie Patel, a resident anesthesiologist at the University of Florida, […]
