On May 14, 2024, Drs. Dan Campos, Adam O'Brien, and Gasper Gasperlin met with the legislative aids for Senator Susan Collins, Senator King, and Congressman Golden to urge Congress to take action to preserve safe anesthesia care for our nation’s Veterans, hold the commercial insurance industry accountable for continuing to put their profits ahead of patients and physicians and to increase access to naloxone in more public settings.  These same topics were also discussed with the offices of Congresswoman Pingree on May 15.  For further information about these meetings, please email mesahq@gmail.com.

On March 28, 2024, residents from Maine Medical Center, along with MeSA's Medical Student Liaison met with legislators, had a tour of the Maine State Capitol, and were recognized by the House of Representatives.  Following the State House tour, the group met for lunch and a Problem-Based Learning Discussion concerning Rural Pass-Through Legislation.

Match Day 2024 is here and we are excited to announce the following matches:  Delaine Barker - University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, Tristain Chambers - University of Massachusetts School of Medicine Chan- Baystate, Kaye Dandrea - Lahey Clinic,   Daria Ivenitsky - University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Rachel Shoemaker - Mount Sinai West Morningside, and Tal Tsafnat - University of Vermont School of Medicine.   

On February 10 and 11, 2024, the Maine Society of Anesthesiologists met for its annual winter meeting at the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel.  A reception and nerve block ultrasound clinic led by Ryan Mountjoy, MD, FASA followed the business meeting.   The Sunday, morning CME topics were:  High Yield POCUS for Anesthesia, Enhanced Recovery after Cesarean Section, Peri-op Management of Torrential Tricuspid Regurgitation, The Rising “Tide” - Anesthetic Management of GLP-1 Agonists and Optimizing Ventilator Strategies in Morbidly Obese Patients.

Dear Friends, On behalf of the citizens of Maine, I write this letter in recognition of Physician Anesthesiologists Week, which is recognized from January 28 to February 3, 2024. Physician anesthesiologists must complete extensive education and training prior to licensure. The 12 to 14 years of education and 12,000 to 16,000 hours of training they receive prepares them to navigate life-and-death moments and help ensure patients receive the highest quality care. In practice, physician anesthesiologists work in a wide array of health care settings. From operating and delivery rooms, to intensive care units, pain management clinics and in the Department of Veterans Affairs, these professionals keep patients safe no matter the situation. Physician anesthesiologists are responsible for leading the Anesthesia Team model, which is widely recognized as the gold standard of care used in all of the nation's top hospitals and in the VA. They protect patients and the millions of Veterans who have served our country and deserve the highest standard of care possible. As Governor, I thank all the physician anesthesiologists throughout Maine who work to provide this critical form of care every day. Thank you, Janet T. Mills Governor See Governor Mills' Letter

As a resident physician training in anesthesiology, I am writing to bring attention to the bipartisan Protect Lifesaving Anesthesia Care for Veterans Act (S. 2070/H.R. 3347). The bill in Congress aims to ensure that veterans have access to high-quality anesthesia care when using Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. I believe veterans in Maine have earned and deserve no less than the standard of care as our state’s civilians. The VA is proposing to supersede our state law and impose a lower standard of care for veterans. Under the VA’s proposal, the existing physician member of the anesthesia team would be eliminated, and VA would move to a certified registered nurse anesthetist-only model. This proposal removes important physician oversight of anesthesia care – a change that is inconsistent with the accepted model employed at the nation’s top hospitals. Veterans treated at VA hospitals tend to be older and have more health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes. Many have been exposed to dangerous toxins, such as Agent Orange and toxins released from burn pits. These conditions increase the risk of serious complications during surgery. When the patient is more medically complex, the higher level of training and experience of an anesthesiologist is imperative to manage problems associated with anesthesia. I strongly urge your readers and our elected leaders to support this legislation. Andrew Egan, Portland See this letter in the Portland Press Herald

The Maine Society of Anesthesiologists fall business meeting was held at the Holiday Inn By the Bay, Portland on Saturday, September 9, 2023, in conjunction with the Maine Medical Association's Annual Session.  MeSA PAC Trustee elections were held.  Federal and state updates were provided along with updates on rural physicians and resident engagement.  Dr. Muhammad Salman Janjua spoke about his reasons for moving out of state and he has resigned from his position as MeSA President.  Dr. Karl Saba has assumed the role of President. A medical student journal club was held immediately after the business meeting with a lively discussion and helpful information provided.

On April 27, 2023, residents from Maine Medical Center, along with MeSA's Medical Student Liaison met with legislators, had a tour of the Maine State Capitol, and were recognized by the House of Representatives.  Dr. Meredith Peck was recognized as Doctor of the Day.  Following the State House tour, the group met for lunch and a Problem-Based Learning Discussion.

Match Day, March 17, 2023, is the transition in an aspiring physician’s journey from undergraduate to graduate medical education.  UNE students to match in Anesthesia: Natalie Koons @ Stanford,  Charlotte Bloom @ Dartmouth, Andrew Egan, Bryan Olson, and  Savannah Nelson @ Maine Medical Center,  Dylan Rossi @  Baystate Medical Center, Brandon Gibson @ UCONN, Mariel Connolly @ UMass, Amy Lin, Phung Vuong, and Brendan Abbott @ St. Elizabeth’s Boston, Erin Hittesdorf @ University of Washington,  and Tuyen Nguyen @ Tower Health. We are so proud of the 2023 class and look forward to more students from UNE matching into anesthesiology in the years to come.

On February 11, 2023, the Maine Society of Anesthesiologists met for its annual winter meeting.  The traditional reception and dinner followed the business meeting with an outstanding nerve block presentation by keynote speaker Ryan Mountjoy, MD, FASA.  The Sunday, morning CME topics were:  Upper Extremity Nerve Block in a Pulmonary Cripple and ASA Practice Guidelines for the Management of a Difficult Airway- 2022 Update.

On September 10, 2022, the Maine Society of Anesthesiologists held its fall meeting at the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel in Bar Harbor, Maine.  This meeting was held in conjunction with the Maine Medical Association's Annual Session.  In addition to leadership, in-person and remote guests were in attendance, including ASA Vice President for Professional Affairs, Jeff Mueller, MD, FASA.

On February 26, 2022, the Maine Society of Anesthesiologists met for its annual winter meeting.  This was the first in-person meeting since February 2020.  A reception and dinner followed the meeting with an excellent presentation by keynote speaker Beverly Philip, MD, FACA, FASA, ASA Immediate Past President. Sunday, February 27, 2022, featured four CME topics:  Perioperative Management of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices, Perioperative Anaphylaxis in Children, Anesthesia for Hip Fractures and General Anesthesia in COVID-19 Lung.

On October 28, 2021, the residents of Maine Medical Center's Anesthesiology Residency Program and medical students from the University of New England met for breakfast.  Clinical and advocacy discussions were led by Drs. Aaron Tebbs and Derek Bunch.

October 2021.  Daria Ivenitksy conducted a poster presentation on the Systematic Review of the Epileptogenic Effects of Sevoflurane During Pediatric Anesthesia at the ASA 2021 Annual Meeting.  Daria presented her research at the FAER poster session and received great feedback from many anesthesiologists and researchers that attended the conference.

On July 6, 2021, medical student, Tal Tsafnat, hosted a table for Anesthesiology at the UNECOM club fair.  Information, swag, and snacks were provided by the Maine Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Society of Anesthesiologists.  Interest was high and resulted in over 40 medical students asking to be on the Maine Society of Anesthesiologists' mailing list.

April 13, 2021.  Karl-Heinz Spittler writes of the challenges that the COVID pandemic brought to his community in Maine, but also of the hope that vaccinations and unity can bring: “We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we have not emerged from the dark just yet. Only you can help us get there.” Read the full Bangor Daily News article.

2021.  Natalie Koons, a student in the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, has received an honorable mention for the 2021 Student Researcher of the Year award from the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents. Read more from the University of New England.

Maine Medical Center's Anesthesiology Residency Program has been distinguished as one of the winners of the campaign. This is a great accomplishment for our anesthesiology residency program to be recognized at the national level.

Dr. Daniel Campos serves on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The Board met recently and during that meeting Dr. Campos served in several important capacities including the Committee on Professional Affairs, Committee on Communication and Committee on Anesthesia Care Team. As Chair of the ACT Committee, he presented several important issues to the Board that have broad reaching ramifications for the future of our profession.