Vital Times 2019 - 25

Media Relations
We continue to work with CSA members to engage
with the media on issues related to opioids, pain
medicine, practice management, and other topics
related to the practice of anesthesia. We work to
position anesthesiologists as subject matter experts to
ensure accuracy about anesthesia issues in the media
as well as promote CSA members as thought leaders by
developing media pitches, press releases, and opinion
editorials. A sampling of media hits are noted below:
*	 Shalini Shah, MD, authored an opinion piece
"The patient-doctor relationship: Eroded by the
opioid epidemic but essential to overcoming it"
that ran on KevinMD
*	 Rita Agarwal, MD, FASA, authored an article
"How do we manage pain in the era of the opioid
crisis?" that ran in KevinMD
*	 Felipe Perez, MD, was interviewed on a podcast
"Work University with Analisa Felix" where he
provided insight about what it is like to be an
anesthesiologist
*	 Vanessa Cajjna, CSA's lobbyist, was quoted in a
Capitol Public Radio story "New Payment Model
Tackles 'Surprise Medical Bill' Issue"
*	 Shalini Shah, MD, authored an opinion piece
"Fight the opioid epidemic with proactive
education and care coordination" that ran in
Physicians Practice
*	 Mark Zakowski, MD, FASA, was quoted in a
Washington Post story "The buzz about Meghan
Markle's birth plan has highlighted the stigma
around home births"
*	 Linda Hertzberg, MD's interview with Practice
Link Magazine regarding physician employment
models ran in their winter issue
*	 Karen Sibert, MD, FASA, and Rita Agarwal,
MD, FASA, were interviewed by a reporter with
Bay Area News Group about pediatric dental
anesthesia issues, where reporter interest was
triggered by the recent tragedy of a 4-year-old in

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Oakland who died from anesthesia complications
during oral surgery.
Tony Conte, MD, was interviewed by Kaiser
Health News/CA Healthline for a story about the
impacts of AB 72
Drafted and distributed a press release
announcing that CSA endorsed the new AAP and
AAPD guidelines on dental sedation personnel
related to pediatric dental anesthesia patients
Media outreach on clinical issues such as
homeless health, use of CBD, and sleep apnea
Drafted several CSAOFs, including one for
Christine Doyle, MD, FASA, and Tony Conte,
MD, addressing America's Health Insurance Plan
(AHIP) study, which had flawed findings about
the impact of AB 72 on in-network rates and
surprise medical billings

Communications Support for
CSA - Project Lead the Way Launch

Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) at the
CSA-Project Lead the Way event in San Jose

KP provided communications support for the
launch event celebrating CSA's partnership with

Annual Publication 2019 | 25
Vital Times 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vital Times 2019
