During ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2024 in October, I had the privilege of addressing our ASA House of Delegates and pledged to work with them, and you, as I assumed the role of President. I committed to listen and learn from leaders and members throughout our ASA, as we collectively advance our patient-serving and member-serving work.
We will build on the achievements you’ll see outlined in this report. I thank Ronald L. Harter, MD, FASA, for his impactful and sustaining leadership of our profession through his remarkable tenure of service to ASA, culminating in serving as President. I commend his focus on promoting physician well-being and thought leadership in developing the SafeHaven Program to increase support for members, so that we are at our best to provide the best care to our patients.
When I reflect on the history of anesthesiology, it is the history of people who embraced the responsibilities of their time, collaborated, compromised, and crusaded to improve medical care and the lot of humankind. In each chapter of our ASA story, we have made progress and advanced our patient-serving and member-serving work—where challenges become catalysts for professional growth and where innovation has driven improvement. This is the perspective we bring to the challenges of this time, of our time.
The success of our profession and the success of our ASA is based on the active engagement of our strong and informed membership. Our membership reflects a critically valuable diversity of backgrounds, interests, professional circumstances, and roles. This mosaic of members makes us stronger, more effective, and more relevant in our work that supports your personal professional success.
Together, we will continue to work for fair payment, fight the egregious behavior of big insurance companies, preserve physician-led care that protects patient safety, and advocate for our Veterans to receive the high-quality care they deserve.
My priorities as your President and our ASA priorities are informed by our values of patient safety, physician-led care, and scientific discovery. Our Strategic Plan is shaped by these values, and the great necessities of our time. We will advance work outlined in the plan to provide daily mission critical support to our ASA and our specialty. In addition, we will be focused on the four Core Strategic Priorities which are the activities for prioritized work that hold greatest potential to favorably impact the arc of the profession over the next three to five years.
It is an honor to serve as your President. I’m excited about the year ahead and look forward to collaborating with you to advance the practice of anesthesiology and secure our shared future.
Date of last update: February 19, 2025