Read the 2024 Edition of Vital Times!
Be Ready for ASAPAC Day of Contributing Challenge THIS THURSDAY, June 15th
By Paul Yost, MD, FASA We are FOUR DAYS away from the 2023 ASAPAC Day of Contributing Challenge. Over the past four years, California has led the way during this event, and we need your help to keep the streak alive! What has ASAPAC been doing on your behalf? At our legislative conference two weeks […]
ASA Legislative Conference 2023 Resident Recap
By Eric Reilly, DO, Abigail Smith, MD, Olivia Sonderman, MD, MPH, Matthew Tan, MD, and Justin Yuan, MD What is it?The delegations for each state anesthesia society as well as additional engaged ASA members attend a 3-day conference in Washington DC from May 15-17, 2023. The conference has three main goals: California sent 13 attending […]
Member Spotlight: John Hsieh, MD, CSA Treasurer
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month celebrates the contributions and influence of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Americans in the United States and is observed annually every May. In this CSAOF, we spotlight Dr. John Hsieh, Treasurer of the CSA. Where did you grow up? Please describe your childhood. I was […]
The Danger of Using a Medical Eponym: Missing the Point of the “Tuohy” Needle
By Jordan Francke, MD The CSA Committee on the History of Anesthesia congratulates Dr. Jordan Francke, the 1st place winner of the 2023 CSA History of Anesthesia Essay Contest! Dr. Francke, who was born in Kentucky and raised in Maine, is a CA-2 resident physician at UCLA. He is an avid marathoner, hiker, and lover […]
CSA Global Health Committee Member Spotlight: Dr. Betelehem Asnake
The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. The CSA Committee on Global Health works to celebrate the volunteerism, philanthropy, and global health impact of CSA members, both locally and internationally. The committee would like to take this […]
CSA Global Health Committee Member Spotlight: Mark Singleton, MD, FASA
The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. The CSA Committee on Global Health works to celebrate the volunteerism, philanthropy, and global health impact of CSA members, both locally and internationally. The committee would like to take this […]
Sometimes, waking up is the hardest thing to do – a patient (and anesthesiologist’s) perspective
I’ve always wondered what patients who wake up disoriented or delirious are thinking. What was their experience like? What do they remember? Sometimes, patients will say “I woke up bad last time” and almost seem ashamed. “Why are they so hard on themselves?” I wondered, “It’s not their fault.” And then, it happened to me. […]
AB 765 (Wood) California Patient Protection, Safety, Disclosure, and Transparency Act Passes Out of the Business & Professions Committee on a 16-0 Vote
The California Society of Anesthesiologists (CSA) main legislative priority for 2023 is ensuring the passage of AB 765, aptly titled the “California Patient Protection, Safety, Disclosure, and Transparency Act.” Authored by Assembly Health Committee Chair Jim Wood, D.D.S. (D-Santa Rosa). This legislation builds on existing law, reserving the title of “physician” for use only by […]
The Trouble with “Mansplaining” the Anesthesia Dreams of Women
“Every anesthesia patient is an opportunity to see something completely new” – Dr. Emery Brown “Bernice, wake up, wake-up!”, urged Miranda Shull, a CRNA working at the Stanford Lane Surgery Center. As her attending, I waited for what was coming next, along with the rest of the OR staff, with eager anticipation. The patient was […]
