ASAPAC

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inmyslumber

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I have given in the past but this year, after recent emails from the ASA and several threads on this forum, I felt compelled to give a more significant contribution. I did not know this contribution would result in me receiving a pin but I will wear it on my (admittedly seldom-used) white coat.

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The moment the ASA launches a nationwide campaign, targeted at the general public, explaining to the layman what an anesthesiologist does and why we're crucial to their care, they will get more money from me than they ever asked for. I am sick of them attempting to "take the high road" in the turf war we're in. Fight fire with fire. Use emotionally charged terms, ones that make us look good and them look bad, regardless of how "low" it may be stooping (eg: "Who would you rather have deliver your care -- a doctor or a nurse?" That took me all of 3 seconds to come up with and is infinitely times more effective than any of the BS the ASAPAC has produced, and the general public can CONNECT and RELATE to it). All I see from the ASAPAC is them engaging in a countless number of political battles that they never fail to lose. Yet somehow they haven't lost their shame, and still have the nerve to come begging for more money. Until they do something I can actually believe in and can get behind, they won't get a cent from me.
 
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The moment the ASA launches a nationwide campaign, targeted at the general public, explaining to the layman what an anesthesiologist does and why we're crucial to their care, they will get more money from me than they ever asked for. I am sick of them attempting to "take the high road" in the turf war we're in. Fight fire with fire. Use emotionally charged terms, ones that make us look good and them look bad, regardless of how "low" it may be stooping (eg: "Who would you rather have deliver your care -- a doctor or a nurse?" That took me all of 3 seconds to come up with and is infinitely times more effective than any of the BS the ASAPAC has produced, and the general public can CONNECT and RELATE to it). All I see from the ASAPAC is them engaging in a countless number of political battles that they never fail to lose. Yet somehow they haven't lost their shame, and still have the nerve to come begging for more money. Until they do something I can actually believe in and can get behind, they won't get a cent from me.

Agree. I mean, WTF.....the best the ASA can do is the Perioperative Surgical Home?! Epic fail. They will not be getting a penny from me.
 
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Have you guys written to the ASA leadership regarding this? If so, what was their response?
 
I completely agree with the above. I talked to some former higher ups in the ASA and the PAC arm has huge cash reserves. It's one of the best funded societies out there according to their statements. I personally believe the problem lies with the older generation who still makes a huge portion of their salary off CRNAs, either employing them or training them. They don't want to rock the boat and disrupt their income stream. Meanwhile, we are getting crushed in the area of public opinion and in legislatures across the country.
 
The moment the ASA launches a nationwide campaign, targeted at the general public, explaining to the layman what an anesthesiologist does and why we're crucial to their care, they will get more money from me than they ever asked for. I am sick of them attempting to "take the high road" in the turf war we're in. Fight fire with fire. Use emotionally charged terms, ones that make us look good and them look bad, regardless of how "low" it may be stooping (eg: "Who would you rather have deliver your care -- a doctor or a nurse?" That took me all of 3 seconds to come up with and is infinitely times more effective than any of the BS the ASAPAC has produced, and the general public can CONNECT and RELATE to it). All I see from the ASAPAC is them engaging in a countless number of political battles that they never fail to lose. Yet somehow they haven't lost their shame, and still have the nerve to come begging for more money. Until they do something I can actually believe in and can get behind, they won't get a cent from me.
I know the ASA is severely lacking on various points. However, the AANA is so well-funded I wanted to do something.

Also, even though the ASA and ABA are supposedly separate organizations, now that the MOCA exam is gone, I feel more willing to help.

If "you" (in general, not singling out Urzuz in particular) do not contribute, please let the ASA representatives know why since they may not read this forum!
 
I was a chairman's council level donor for several years. I haven't given them anything this year.

I'd be more tolerant of their lack of results if it wasn't so clearly due to a lack of effort.
 
I was a chairman's council level donor for several years. I haven't given them anything this year.

I'd be more tolerant of their lack of results if it wasn't so clearly due to a lack of effort.
But they have such nice private parties at their booth at the ASA meetings. Maybe if they weren't so uninviting I'd be more likely to open my wallet.
I've seen it several times, and thought they were ******ed not using that time to engage non donors that were walking by at the meeting.
Maybe it's for the chairman's council members... ;)
 
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The lay person does not understand the thin line between life and death that the anesthesiologist is responsible for every day. I feel like if they stressed that more, it may make a difference.
 
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Have you guys written to the ASA leadership regarding this? If so, what was their response?
Their response is to sending more links with AANA propaganda that the Asa must fight. And they ask for more money.
 
The lay person does not understand the thin line between life and death that the anesthesiologist is responsible for every day. I feel like if they stressed that more, it may make a difference.
Forget life and death.

That's a failed strategy.

Attack AANA.

Ask AANA what their agenda is? Ask rhetorical questions.

AANA says they are cheaper

ASA needs to respond if they are cheaper than congress needs to get rid of Medicare rural pass through cause that only adds to costs

AANA says they provide access to more care

Asa needs to call AANA out if promoting access to care is what they really care about. Than why is AANA politically trying to prevent access to care by blocking AAs from providing services.

Just simple for stuff like this. AANA leadership don't got any real answers for simple stuff that calls them out big time (access and cost efficient care). Hypocrites. Bingo.

Said my peace.
 
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If you don't want to donate to the ASA please consider donating to your state society PAC. This seems to be where more beneficial work is done. At least in my state. I did a direct withdraw from my bimonthly pay stub. It's only $20/check. The max is $550/yr.
 
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If you don't want to donate to the ASA please consider donating to your state society PAC. This seems to be where more beneficial work is done. At least in my state. I did a direct withdraw from my bimonthly pay stub. It's only $20/check. The max is $550/yr.
My state society seems to do more for anesthesiologists as well. Maybe we are in the same state. Actually, I gave less money to the ASA-PAC than I had originally intended and gave more to my state society PAC.
 
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I donate regularly to the ASA PAC. I enter my credit card info. and they charge me monthly for the money. You won't even notice it and the specialty needs every dollar it can get to stay alive.

For those who won't donate because the ASA isn't doing enough my answer is if you don't donate they won't be doing ANYTHING to help keep your job.
We are stuck with the ASA we have and if you want a different ASA to advocate on your behalf then donate REGULARLY and let them read your suggestions.

Those who don't donate are the part of the problem and not part of the solution
 
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I think the problem is lack of leadership. Instead of having a no nonsense elephant in the room like Donald Trump, we have people who are unfit to get the job done. These are people with no business sense, no ability to negotiate, no leadership skills, and people who have been unable to put together an effective strategy to solve the problem.
 
If the ASAPAC won't get the job done, we should start a separate super PAC that will. Either way, this is a serious problem that needs to be addressed NOW!
 
I recently had the opportunity to sit with a higher up of the ASA, and his viewpoints were frightening. He had the utmost confidence that there was no way that the AANA had any chance of making progress (which I can understand if it didn't seem to emanate from a position of denial). And his vision for the future was even more expanded coverage of CRNAs. It was alarming.
 
I recently had the opportunity to sit with a higher up of the ASA, and his viewpoints were frightening. He had the utmost confidence that there was no way that the AANA had any chance of making progress (which I can understand if it didn't seem to emanate from a position of denial). And his vision for the future was even more expanded coverage of CRNAs. It was alarming.
Can you elaborate further? From reading this forum, it seems like a contradiction to suggest that CRNAs will have expanded roles yet the AANA will not make any progress.
 
Can you elaborate further? From reading this forum, it seems like a contradiction to suggest that CRNAs will have expanded roles yet the AANA will not make any progress.

It's a strategy of strategic withdrawal in hopes you can defend the major city or vital area by ceding the unimportant ground. Unfortunately, at some point you must engage the enemy even if your losses will be great.
 
Can you elaborate further? From reading this forum, it seems like a contradiction to suggest that CRNAs will have expanded roles yet the AANA will not make any progress.
The specific example I was cited was a GI lab where anesthesiologists were supervising CRNAs as well as being available to help out with concurrently running conscious sedation cases in case anything goes wrong. There was a very high ratio for supervision as well.

What was alarming to me was the fact that he didn't seem to care about what that would do to newer graduates who can't find a job because of over saturation. It was just an expanded model that would be more lucrative for the folks in charge of these centers while having the anesthesiologist work much harder.
 
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