Two years ago, I was asked to chair the 2017 ASRA Spring Meeting. The ensuing months of planning, coordination, and execution have been an education to say the least. It is truly a humbling experience to be surrounded by so much expertise and talent at ASRA. As meeting chairs, we try to design programs that reflect the path our subspecialty is taking while not losing sight of the destination we anticipate it may reach. For a program to be successful, we must be responsive to current specialty-specific needs while anticipating the future obstacles it will face. It’s a recipe that calls for a healthy dose of realism with a hint of clairvoyance and a heap of flexibility, and it is possible thanks to the tireless assistance of others: the Scientific/Education Planning Committee.

The support of these colleagues was fundamental to my role, and my most sincere gratitude goes out to each of them:

Anahi Perlas Immediate Past Chair // Oscar de Leon-Casasola, MD Ex-Officio President // Ki Jinn Chin, MD Workshop Director// Ralf Gebhard, MD Member-at-Large// Alexandru Visan, MD Member-at-Large// Brian Ilfeld, MD Member-at-Large (local) // Vanila Singh, MD Member-at-Large (local) // Marc Huntoon, MD Ex-Officio Editor-in-Chief// Daniel Warren, MD Ex-Officio CME Co-Chair// Terese Horlocker, MD Ex-Officio CME Chair// Vincent Chan, MD Chair World Congress (2018) // Jaime Baratta, MD Chair +2 (2020) // Rajnish Gupta, MD Chair +1 (2019) // Eellan Sivanesan, MD Resident Section Chair// Carrie Guheen, MD Resident Section Advisor

The 42nd Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting in San Francisco, California, was designed with your input and in response to the changing demands of our evolving specialty. There is something for everyone: experts, novices, clinicians, and administrators. From PEC blocks to point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS), from practice management to cannabinoid pharmacotherapy, we have broadened our scope and sharpened our focus on what matters most to provide you with the necessary tools to succeed in the current healthcare environment.

The Business of Acute Pain: ASRA Practice Management Portfolio

We have moved beyond the technical aspects of our specialty to train you as acute pain leaders. Our practice management portfolio will teach you how to develop, manage, and grow your acute pain practice by mastering compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and maximizing reimbursement. What’s the point of learning new blocks if you can’t bill for them later? How can you negotiate contract terms if you don’t understand the economics of the service you want to provide? The Practice Management Portfolio, led by business leaders with real-world experience, will provide the didactic foundation for future acute pain executives and policy makers. INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES WORKSHOPS To complement the business management sessions, we have broadened our technical scope to include bedside PoCUS and increased our course offerings on advanced block techniques. The visionaries who first described the PEC, serratus plane, iPACK, quadratum lumborum, erector spinae, and transverse oblique lumbar plexus blocks were invited as faculty for our workshops. To maximize your exposure and learning, all sessions are more interactive than ever. IMPROVED WORKSHOP LAYOUT In response to attendee and faculty evaluations, we have taken concrete steps to improve the quality of our workshops. The physical setup of workshops was modified to replace large, uncomfortable platform workstations with narrow, bedlike stations, improved ergonomics, and console ultrasound systems with industry-leading technology and larger screens. In each workshop, live scanning sessions will now be projected from one station so that all attendees can clearly see the techniques being taught before they practice on models. From novel techniques to improved classroom setup, our workshops focus on your needs.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and the Surgeon's Perspective

We have incorporated more chronic pain medical management sessions in response to our growing role as inpatient pain physicians and key players in models of enhanced recovery after surgery. From methadone and cannabinoid pharmacotherapy to major joint clinical pathways, you will learn what it takes to succeed as a holistic perioperative pain expert.

This year, we have invited a select group of surgeons to serve as speakers and share their perspectives on the perioperative surgical home and enhanced recovery after surgery pathways. To succeed in these new patient care models, our specialties need to cooperate, share goals, and communicate perceived obstacles. Lengthened question-and-answer sessions will allow attendees to voice their concerns and share feedback directly with our surgical colleagues.

Earn Maintenance of Certification and Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia Credits

Make the most of your time at the meeting. In addition to fulfilling the knowledge base and technical skills requirements for the ASRA–American Society of Anesthesiologists Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia Education and Clinical Training Portfolio, you can also enroll in several sessions that will provide you with American Board of Anesthesiology) Maintenance of Certification (MOCA) Part II Patient Safety and Part IV High-Fidelity Simulation CME credits. Some of the sessions include the following:

Simulation (Part IV MOCA Credit)

• Hands-on Workshop, High-Fidelity Simulator for Thoracic Blocks (2.0 credits)
• Simulation Workshop, Crisis Management for the Regional Anesthesiologist (3.75 credits)

Patient Safety (Part II MOCA Credit)

• Refresher Course, Safety: Complication Avoidance (2 credits)
• Refresher Course, Advanced Post-operative Pain Management (1.5 credits)
• PBLD-04, Continue With Surgery After Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity (1 credit)
• PBLD-11, The Seizing Parturient After Combined Spinal Epidural (1 credit)
• PBLD-15, Don’t Block That Patient: He May Develop a Compartment Syndrome! (1 credit)
  • PS-2a Parallel Session, Clinical Pathways—Joint Venture: Pain Management for Major Joint Surgery (1.5 credits)

Social Events: “A Taste of NAPA and a View to Remember”

Start off the first evening at the Wine and Bubbly Networking Reception and Exhibit Hall Grand Opening with a glass of wine or champagne while enjoying light hors d’oeuvres with friends, colleagues, and exhibitors. On Friday, the Resident/Fellow and Fellowship Directors Meet and Greet will be held with another tasting of local wines. Finally, the meeting will be capped off with a private event at the iconic View Lounge atop the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. You’ll enjoy a collection of California wines and signature cocktails accompanied by locally inspired small plates and breathtaking panoramic views of the city.

If you attend only one meeting this year, make it ASRA 2017. Get all the training, MOCA 2.0 continuing medical education credits, and networking you need in one event at a beautiful venue, exciting city, and a taste of Napa Valley’s best. Cheers!