NJSSA 2026 Annual Meeting - New Jersey State Society of Anesthesiologists

Activity Description

The overall purpose of this activity is to educate our attendees about equity and diversity in healthcare delivery, and the leadership role anesthesiologists can play to ensure the delivery of equitable care in their communities and healthcare setting.

Statement of Need
Current practice of our learners may lack diversity and equity in healthcare delivery, in addition to lacking the tools to identify quality and safety aspects of anesthesia care.

Meeting Schedule

7:00am - Registration, breakfast and exhibits

8:00am - Welcome

Richard Colavita, MD, FSA

NJSSA President

Walter S. Lapicki, DO

NJSSA Vice-President, Program Chair

8:15am - ASA Update: Working For You

Kraig S. de Lanzac, M.D., MBA, FASA

First Vice President, American Society of Anesthesiologists

Learning Objectives

To learn about topics of ASA members interest including, “Who We Are”, ASAPAC Update, advocacy focus areas for 2026, and updates on key member-focused initiatives and programs.

9:00am - Political Advocacy Update

Assemblyman John V. Azzariti, Jr., MD

President, Bergen Anesthesia Group, PC., Ridgewood, NJ

NJSSA Past President

Learning Objectives:

Learn the basics of political advocacy for physicians. Learn practical strategies for engaging legislators from the perspective of a state legislator. Learn about current legislation affecting physicians and the implications for patients and practices.

9:45am - Resident Poster Discussions

10:30am - New Ways to Better Treat Perioperative and Postoperative Pain

William Bentley, DO

Director of The Center for Advanced Pain Management, Flemington NJ

Learning Objectives:

Become familiar with suzetrigine - how it works, and when to use it. Expand knowledge base surrounding different medications that can be used for peripheral nerve blocks.

11:15am Resident Poster Discussions

12:00pm Lunch / Medical Student Airway Workshop

1:00pm - 15^th Annual Ervin Moss, MD Patient Safety Lecture- Outpatient Pediatric Anesthesia: A Review of Challenges and Strategies for Success

Amanda Lukof, MD

Vice-Chair of Anesthesiology and Director of Pediatric Anesthesia, Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ

Learning Objectives

Obtain a focused anesthetic H&P addressing pediatric specific concerns, including common parental questions. Recognize and address intraoperative challenges often encountered in pediatric anesthesia. Easily identify, prevent, and treat emergence delirium.

2:00pm - Surviving the (Law)Suits; Recognizing and Supporting the Second Victims

Christopher Conley, MD

Associate Residency Director Anesthesiology, Boston Medical Center

Learning Objectives:

Describe the prevalence of physician involvement in medical malpractice claims. Identify some of the “dos and don’ts” for providers named in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Explore the psychological impact of a catastrophic outcome and subsequent malpractice claim using the “second victim” framework.

2:45pm - Regulatory and Legal Update

AJ Sabath
Lobbyist, NJSSA

CEO and President, Advocacy & Management Group

John D. Fanburg, Esq.
Legal Counsel, NJSSA

Chair, Health Law Practice Group
Managing Partner Brach Eichler, LLC

3:05pm - Announcement of Poster Competition Winners

3:10pm - Annual Business Meeting

President’s Report

Treasurer’s Report

Director’s Report

Nominating Committee Report

Election of Officers

3:30pm - Adjournment

Resident Poster Competition

All New Jersey Anesthesia Residents are invited to present their research or medically challenging case at NJSSA's 66^th Annual Meeting at the Hyatt in New Brunswick, NJ. Residents will present their e-poster on a large display monitor. All Residents presenters are expected to be available at their presentation time.

$250 will be awarded for the best research case and for the most medically-challenging case. Winners of the e-poster competition will be announced at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.

Call for abstracts for our Resident Poster Competition at NJSSA's 66th Annual Meeting is now open! All posters will be presented electronically on large display monitors. All abstracts are due by Friday, March 6, 2026.

Click here to view abstract guidelines and how to submit your work.
Click here to view full poster and presentation guidelines.

Questions and submissions should be sent to NJSSA's Event Director, Meagan Rosina at mrosina@njpsi.com.

Medical Student Airway Workshop

NJSSA is proud to offer an Airway Workshop for medical students! Medical students currently enrolled in a medical school (M.D. or D.O.) in the state of New Jersey are eligible for this workshop.

Leading academic faculty will introduce medical students to airway anatomy, basic and advanced airway techniques, and an armamentarium of airway devices using a hands-on, intensely interactive approach. Stations will be setup with a small group of medical students, along with an attending and a resident for instruction.

NOTE: Annual Meeting attendance is required of all workshop attendees.

Accreditation and Designation Statements

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of American Society of Anesthesiologists and the New Jersey State Society of Anesthesiologists. The American Society of Anesthesiologists is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists designates this live activity for a maximum of 5.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity offers up to 5.0 CME credits, of which .75 credit contributes to the patient safety CME component of the American Board of Anesthesiology’s MOCA 2.0 program.

Disclosure Policy

The American Society of Anesthesiologists remains strongly committed to providing the best available evidence-based clinical information to participants of this educational activity and requires an open disclosure of any potential conflict of interest identified by our faculty members. It is not the intent of the American Society of Anesthesiologists to eliminate all situations of potential conflict of interest, but rather to enable those who are working with the American Society of Anesthesiologists to recognize situations that may be subject to question by others. All disclosed conflicts of interest are reviewed by the educational activity course director/chair to ensure that such situations are properly evaluated and, if necessary, mitigated. The American Society of Anesthesiologists educational standards pertaining to conflict of interest are intended to maintain the professional autonomy of the clinical experts inherent in promoting a balanced presentation of science. Through our review process, all American Society of Anesthesiologists CME activities are ensured of independent, objective, scientifically balanced presentations of information. Disclosure of any or no relationships will be made available for all educational activities.

Ineligible companies are those not eligible to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education because the primary business of these companies is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing health care products used by or on patients. Disclosures will be provided at the Annual Meeting.

Disclaimer

The information provided at this activity is for continuing medical education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical judgment of a healthcare provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options of a specific patient's medical condition.

Accommodations

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hyatt New Brunswick. To reserve a room at the special rate of $184 call and ask for the New Jersey State Society of Anesthesiologists rate. The cutoff date is March 2, 2026.

Please follow this link to reserve your room on the night of 3/20/26: hyatt.com/events/en-US/group-booking/EWRRN/G-NJS6