American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine February 2015 - (Page 5)
President's Message
ASRA-Our New Age of Self-Management
On January 1st of this year, ASRA became a self-managed
organization. What forces led to this monumental change? Why
after 40 years have we chosen this path? What does it mean for
the Society and for the individual member? Really now, hasn't there
been enough change in ASRA over the last two or three years?
Many of you know that 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of
ASRA's "re-founding." When the Society was incorporated in the
Commonwealth of Virginia (1975) as the American Society of
Regional Anesthesia, a key figure in that process was John Hinckley
and his family-owned association management business (Ruggles).
John and his Richmond-based company were well known to nowdeceased founding father and University of Virginia Professor Harold
Carron, MD. In those early days, every management decision from
organization to meeting planning to finances was orchestrated by
John Hinckley, who himself was honored with ASRA's Distinguished
Service Award in 1992. As John grew older, his family continued
to shepherd ASRA's business management until December 2004.
Since then, ASRA's experience with association management firms
has been a mix of satisfaction
and frustration. The Society spent
seven years with the American
Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)
as its management partner. As
it became clear that ASA was
strategically retreating from
subspecialty society management
services, in January 2012, ASRA
became the first North American client of Kenes International.
Although there were many positives to that relationship, the two
parties mutually agreed to separate at the end of 2014. When this
decision was finalized in late 2013, ASRA was afforded a great
opportunity and challenge: Rather than seek proposals from other
association management firms, the Board of Directors asked if we
were now large enough, ready enough, and bold enough to manage
ourselves? To paraphrase an old saying: "Who is more likely to best
look out for ASRA's interests than ASRA itself?"
the business skills to make these
assessments? The ASRA Board of
Directors astutely acknowledged their
lack of expertise in these matters.
Our initial, wishful discussions were
thus followed by commissioning a
disciplined analysis of the Society
and its capabilities. Through the
expert guidance of a consulting firm
that had previously negotiated our
publishing contracts, ASRA was able
to assess the complete financial
Joseph M. Neal, MD
costs of self-management-from
ASRA President
personnel needs, to membership and
Angie Stengel, MS, CAE
meeting management software, to
ASRA Executive Director
what it costs to pay the electricity
bill and local taxes in Pittsburgh.
In the end, our consultants and
attorneys convinced us that the costs to self-manage will likely
be very similar to what we were currently paying Kenes and other
contractors. Moreover, it is the Board's strong belief that ASRA
can provide member services
at a higher level and do so in
an accountable, transparent,
and controllable fashion. From
the member's perspective, we
anticipate that most changes will
be viewed as overwhelmingly
positive-a United States-based
management team, an integrated
membership database, more engagement in social media, and all
without increasing dues or raising meeting registration fees beyond
baseline inflation.
"Who is more likely to best look
out for ASRA's interests than
ASRA itself?"
So, in the winter of 2014, in the midst of fledgling initiatives
that included the "Year of the Member," blowing up the Society's
website, divesting from Kenes, and jumping headlong into social
media, the ASRA Board of Directors made the decision to become
a self-managed organization. The Board could readily identify
the Society's strengths-we were financially stable, Kenes had
just hired an outstanding Executive Director in Angie Stengel, and
the membership was more engaged than it had been in years.
Yet there were unknowns: Would self-management be more or
less expensive, could we build a small core team to capably run
the "business" if key Society of managerial leadership was hit
by the proverbial bus, and, most importantly, did the Board have
What will the new ASRA management look like? In many ways,
our outward appearance will not change much; our administrative
offices will remain in Pittsburgh with a mostly local team of
professionals. Angie Stengel will continue as ASRA's Executive
Director and lead a team of four in-house employees and
several outside consultants (Figure). Already familiar to many
ASRA members, Julie Simper will remain as Continuing Medical
Education/Continuing Professional Development Director and will
expand her role to include meeting planning. Tracey Escamilla
will stay on as Operations Manager, and Diane McGuire will
continue as Membership Manager. New to the in-house team are
Anne Snively, Communications Manager, and Elizabeth Smith,
Administrative Assistant. In her role, Anne will support marketing,
website, and social media. Beyond this core management
group, the Society will continue its previous relationships with
our accountants, auditor, investment advisor, and association
attorney. Finally, ASRA will outsource the procurement of meeting
exhibitions and in-kind support. This specialized service fulfills
American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
2015
5
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine February 2015
In Memoriam : Alon Palm Winnie, M.D., ASRA Founding Father
President’s Message
Editorial
40th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting
Resident and Fellow Events at the 2015 Spring Meeting
How We Do It: Managing an Acute and Perioperative Pain Medicine (APPM) Service at the University of Florida
Ketamine—an Old Drug with New Tricks
Optimal Postcesarean Delivery Pain Management
Palliative Care and Pain Medicine—Beyond Intrathecal Pumps and Opioids
Scientist Spotlight—Dr. Guy Weinberg, Trailblazer in Patient Safety
American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine February 2015
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/18-04
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/18-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/18-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/18-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/17-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/17-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/17-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/17-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/16-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/16-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/16-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/16-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/15-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/asra/15-3
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/asra/15-2
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/asra/15-1
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com