Members of the OSA may download the handouts from the Home Pump panel held at the 2010 Salishan Spring Meeting. Dr. Horn, Swide and Cohen covered the science behind continuous nerve blocks, the organizational challenges of establishing a home pump program, and the coding necessary to get paid for doing this work. Click here to access the download link (sign-in required).

The OSA Spring Meeting at Salishan has been accredited to grant up to 6.5 hours of Category 1 continuing medical education credit. We have a great program planned. Join us for a great meeting on the Oregon coast on May 15 and 16.

The brochure and registration information for the Salishan Spring Meeting should be arriving in your mail box in the next few days. If you can't wait, never fear, as you can download it here as a PDF file.

Come join us for an outstanding meeting covering a variety of important topics. Make your reservations soon to take advantage of our special block room rates, and register for the meeting with the form on the brochure. Finally, plan on joining us for our annual golf outing and wine tasting event on Saturday.

See you soon!

Frank Palmrose, M.D., President-elect of the Oregon Society of Anesthesiologists, is pleased to present the tentative schedule for the 2010 OSA Spring Meeting. As previously announced, this meeting will be held the weekend of May 15-16, 2010 at the Salishan Resort in Gleneden Beach, Oregon.

The days are getting longer here in Oregon, and that means that the Oregon Society’s Spring Meeting is rapidly approaching. It will be held at the Salishan Lodge in Gleneden Beach, Oregon the weekend of May 15-16.

Many anesthesiologists participate in medical outreach efforts to underserved regions around the world. The tragic earthquake in Haiti is a disaster of unimaginable scope. There will be opportunities for us to offer humanitarian assistance as the citizens of Haiti begin the difficult challenges of rebuilding their country. The medical infrastructure in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas has been severely damaged, and experts anticipate that Haiti will need outside help in delivering medical and surgical services for the foreseeable future.

A number of humanitarian organizations have taken the lead in coordinating these efforts. The American Society of Anesthesiologists has published a web page to help those of us who want to help to do so in the most effective way possible. If you do participate, please share your story with us. Our thoughts and prayers are with the survivors of this tragedy.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently updated the interpretive guidelines for hospital participation in the Medicare program. Several changes impact the delivery of anesthesia services within the hospital and will probably impact the practice of most anesthesiologists. The important revisions involve timing of a preoperative assessment, post-operative note, and a redefinition of labor neuraxial blocks as analgesia services, eliminating physician supervision requirements for nurse anesthetists and anesthesia assistants. ASA is currently reviewing these revisions and will provide additional information when available.

For additional information, please see this ASA posting.

The Oregon Medical Board has instituted a new administrative rule related to continuing medical education requirements and demonstration of ongoing competency as a prerequisite for renewing an Oregon medical license. The rule requires:

1. Ongoing participation in re-certification by an American Board of Medical Specialties board, the American Osteopathic Association's Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists or the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants;
   
   OR
   
   
2. 60 hours of continuing medical education per two years relevant to the licensee's current medical practice as follows:
• American Medical Association Category 1;
• American Osteopathic Association Category 1-A; or
• American Academy of Physician Assistants Category 1 (pre-approved)

If you are not participating in re-certification by the ABMS board, the AOA-BOS board, or the NCCPA board, you must complete the applicable credit hours by October 2011 (for the next renewal period 2012/13).

Thanks to the OMA for bringing this to our attention. For further information, see the specific Oregon Medical Board administrative rule OAR 847-008-0070 .

For those with ties to Oregon anesthesiology, we look forward to seeing you this weekend in New Orleans.

2009 Oregon Anesthesiology Reception

Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 5:30 ? 7:30 p.m. CDT at:

ACME OYSTER HOUSE
French Quarter
724 Iberville
New Orleans, LA 70130

Sponsored by the OHSU Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and the Oregon Society of Anesthesiologists.