CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - ANNUAL MEETING - TOP

The Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia invites electronic submission of abstracts for presentation at the upcoming SAMBA 22nd Annual Meeting, May 3-6, 2007, at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina in San Diego, California.

Online Abstract Submission - Deadline: February 1, 2007

Abstracts for the SAMBA Annual Meeting may be submitted in one of two categories: (1) original research and (2) case reports (including clinical descriptions or demonstrations, preliminary observations, and “clinical pearls”). Abstracts will be graded competitively on the basis of scientific merit for poster presentation. Only original research abstract submissions are eligible to receive an Excellence and Innovation Award and Resident Travel Award.

Resident’s Travel Awards
SAMBA encourages anesthesiology residents to become more involved in the Society by making available a limited number of $1,000 Travel Award to residents whose original research abstracts are accepted for presentation.  Residents, who receive travel awards for their abstracts, remain eligible for other awards presented at the annual meeting including the White Mountain Institute Award for Research in Ambulatory Anesthesia and the Excellence and Innovation Awards. Residents must attend the SAMBA Annual Meeting in order to receive the Resident Travel Award or the White Mountain Institute Award.

White Mountain Awards
The White Mountain Awards are funded by Dr. Paul F. White and are presented to those 5 residents whose abstract submissions were scored the highest.  The awards consist of a certificate and a monetary sum as well.

Excellence and Innovation Awards - New
Recipients of the new Excellence and Innovation Award will be given the opportunity to present their research on Sunday, May 6, 2007, during the General Session of the Annual Meeting.  Details for both poster and oral presentation for this award will be sent to award winners after final grading.  Recipients must attend the Annual Meeting in order to receive this recognition award.

Submission Details
All papers presented at the SAMBA Annual Meeting are eligible for presentation a subsequent meetings of the American Society of Anesthesiologists as well as to the International Anesthesia Research Society 2007 Annual Congress.

The Society has improved its online abstract submission making it easier for everyone to submit abstracts for presentation at the SAMBA Annual Meeting.  To submit an abstract, visit the SAMBA Web site at www.sambahq.org, click on abstract submission and follow the step-by-step instructions.Only abstracts submitted electronically through the SAMBA Web site will be considered for grading.  The deadline to electronically submit abstracts is February 1, 2007. There will be no exceptions.

Please contact the SAMBA office at (847) 825-5586 or via email at sambameetings@asahq.org for more information.

DUES REMINDER - TOP

Membership dues invoices have been mailed to each member. Dues for the coming year have been established at the rates listed below. The deadline to remit your dues is December 15, 2006, for the 2007 dues year. A second reminder notice will be sent to members who have not renewed their memberships for 2007. You may renew your dues now online.

• SAMBA Active    $150.00
• SAMBA Active with A&A  $235.00
• SAMBA Active with IARS  $290.00
• SAMBA Affiliate    $150.00
• SAMBA Affiliate with A&A  $235.00
• SAMBA Affiliate with IARS  $290.00
• SAMBA Fellow    $0.00
• SAMBA Fellow with A&A  $85.00
  
• SAMBA Fellow with IARS  $140.00
• SAMBA Honorary    $0.00
• SAMBA International   $25.00
• SAMBA International with A&A $110.00
• SAMBA International with IARS $165.00
• SAMBA Resident    $0.00

SAMBA MEMBER TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL QUALITY FORUM DEVELOPMENT IN AMBULATORY SURGERY PERFORMANCE MEASURES - TOP

SAMBA Board Member Dr. Douglas Merrill was recently invited to serve on the Ambulatory Surgery Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) for the NQF as it begins the process of considering quality measures for evaluation of both facility and physician performance. The overall aim of the TAP is to review measures over a 1 to 2 year period and then to make recommendations regarding specific measures for endorsement by the NQF. This is part of NQF’s more global effort to develop measures for ambulatory care in general (http://www.qualityforum.org/projects/ongoing/ambulatory/index.asp).
This process, which has focused on non-surgical care to this point, is supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson foundation.

The NQF is a non profit organization established in 1999 and has this stated mission:
“NQF’s mission is to improve the quality of American healthcare by setting national priorities and goals for performance improvement, endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance, and promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs.

2007 ASA ANNUAL MEETING - AMBULATORY TRACK - TOP

The inaugural year of the Ambulatory Track at the ASA Annual Meeting in Chicago was a great success thanks to the efforts of many individuals. We look forward to continuing in that tradition as we plan the 2007 Ambulatory Track. Suggestions from SAMBA members are welcome and encouraged. A new online submission process is available to ASA members whereby members can suggest content for both the Ambulatory Track and PBLDs. The link is: http://www2.asahq.org/web/index.asp. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2007. We look forward to hearing from you!

Barbara Gold, MD, Chair
Ambulatory Scientific Content Subcommittee
ASA Annual Meeting