ASRA Pain Medicine Centennial:
A Century of Innovation and a Future of Inclusivity
Stephen Haskins, MD
#ASRASPRING23 Program Chair
On behalf of the ASRA Pain Medicine 2023 Spring Meeting Program Committee, I am excited to welcome you to the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, FL. The Diplomat is located just south of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and is the perfect sunny destination for the ASRA Pain Medicine 48th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting, taking place April 20-22, 2023.
In 2023, ASRA Pain Medicine will be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the original American Society of Regional Anesthesia in 1923 by Dr. Gaston Labat and his colleagues. Dr. Labat founded the original ASRA shortly after publishing his landmark textbook of regional anesthesia techniques.
Throughout its existence, ASRA Pain Medicine has been a consistent innovator in pain medicine and an early example of diversity in thought and inclusivity of practice. Our society aims to expand upon these fundamental principles and looks to a bright, diverse, equitable, and inclusive future. Hence, the meeting theme is “ASRA Pain Medicine Centennial: A Century of Innovation and a Future of Inclusivity.”
This theme will demonstrate the many benefits of embracing diversity and inclusion. We will look closely at gender, racial, ethnic, and LGBTQIA+ health equity. We also will embrace diversity in thought and practice by, for the first time, weaving point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and pediatric elements into our traditionally adult regional anesthesia workshops. We will discuss diversity in age and how to promote career longevity, and what it means to practice medicine with a disability. And, we’ll highlight the unique challenges and strengths encountered in diverse practice environments such as private vs academic, urban vs rural, and even the implications of regional anesthesia for space travel. Other highlights include the role of advocacy in anesthesia and innovations in the perioperative setting through complementary medicine techniques such as acupuncture, hypnosis, and music therapy.
The meeting is not only for regional anesthesiologist and pain medicine practitioners but also includes programming and tracks for pediatric and obstetric practitioners. Our goal is to make this 100-year celebration an opportunity to grow the Society and continue its innovative and inclusive roots!
