VOLUME 36, ISSUE 2
Russell K. McAllister, M.D., FASA
TSA Newsletter Editor in Chief
Professor of Anesthesiology-Baylor College of Medicine-Temple
Chair of Anesthesiology-Baylor Scott & White Health-Central Texas
Temple, TX
Lessons in Leadership
The Texas Society of Anesthesiologists (TSA) has many strong examples of leadership within our own society as well as throughout organized medicine, including within the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). It is a privilege to get to learn so many lessons from those who have come before us and taken the lead in support of our specialty. Our current TSA President, Dr. Bhaskar Padakandla, has done a great job leading our society and will soon pass the torch to another experienced leader, Dr. Amr Abouleish, who is well equipped to lead our society during an important Texas legislative year. Many of you saw that our dynamic and well-spoken TSA Past President, Dr. Ray Callas, was recently installed as the President of the Texas Medical Association (TMA). He becomes only the third anesthesiologist to serve in that capacity since the inception of the TMA (Dr. Valington Fontain Borum was the first 1988-1989, followed by Betty Pearce Stephenson 1994-1995, both of whom are TSA Past Presidents!).
Dr. Ray Callas accepting
the role of TMA President
At the ASA level, another TSA Past President, Dr. Pat Giam, is positioned to serve as the ASA President-elect next year and rise to the position of ASA President in the same year that the ASA Annual Meeting will be held in San Antonio (2025). Another TSA Past President, Dr. Crystal Wright, also serves as a quickly rising officer within the ASA and serves as a strong voice for Texas anesthesiologists at the national level. Other colleagues serve in important roles such as Dr. Sherif Zaafran, in his role as President of the Texas Medical Board, Dr. Tom Oliverson, in his role as a Texas State Representative, and Dr. Elizabeth Rebello, in her role on the Board of Directors of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. There are certainly many other rising leaders among our members, and I cannot name them all, but I feel it is important for our membership to be aware of the significant leadership roles that are filled by our members.
Another great example of leadership was recently recognized at the national level. On behalf of all of the TSA membership, I believe it is important to recognize TSA Past President, Dr. Tillmann Hein, who was awarded the 2024 ASA Bertram Coffer Award for excellence in advocacy. Those who know the work of Dr. Hein done on our behalf know that this award is very well-deserved. Kudos to Dr. Hein for the national recognition of his lifetime of hard work in advocacy.
As a member of the TSA, it is a privilege to get to interact with our former, current, and future leaders of this society. When you look at the history of the great leaders within the TSA, you see people who have made outstanding contributions at state and national levels. The leaders that I have mentioned will be the ones that we will look back upon and feel proud to have worked alongside in pursuing the goals of the TSA.
We are excited to bring you another issue of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists Newsletter. I have previously noted that the history of anesthesiologists in Texas is rich with many important individuals who have been great examples of leadership. The “On the Shoulders of Giants: Legends of Texas Anesthesiology” series has recognized many of the examples of lessons in leadership exhibited among our colleagues from the past. For this edition of the TSA Newsletter, we introduce our 14th recipient of this prestigious honor, the late Dr. Prithvi Raj, who was a pioneer in pain medicine. Dr. Raj served as a mentor to many current leaders in the field of pain medicine, including Dr. Miles Day, who delivers a very moving tribute to his mentor. This series of tributes to past leaders in Texas anesthesiology is a wonderful way to commemorate our leaders from our rich history.
This edition of the TSA Newsletter also has many other features that should be of interest to our members. In this issue, we have the pleasure of having our current TSA President, Dr. Bhaskar Padakandla, detail his year of travels across our state emphasizing the importance of advocacy for our patients and our specialty. A series of three articles were inspired by the cardiopulmonary resuscitation and “Stop the Bleed” courses held at the Texas State Capitol and sponsored, taught, and overseen by our TSA members, staff, and close colleagues. Dr. Christopher Stephens presents a very nice article on the history of Emergency Medical Services and how it was developed by anesthesiologists. Longtime TSA friend and former EMS colleague of the late Dr. Charles Cowles, Detective Jason Mitchell, presents the history of the TSA’s Stop the Bleed program at the Texas State Capitol. Finally, Drs. John Zerwas and Tom Oliverson share their compelling stories of performing life-saving CPR at the Texas State Capitol while fulfilling their roles as Texas State Legislators.
Rounding out this edition, Drs. Stewart Caskey, Ben Vacula, and Tricia Meyer, PharmD offer a clinical update on promethazine hydrochloride and recommended precautions related to potentially devastating complication from its administration. A graduating resident, Dr. Collin Buerger, shares his experience of discovering passions that have reinvigorated him through his educational journey in medicine. Additionally, Drs. Harley Bordelon and Cory Russell offer a basic introduction to an important aspect of financial planning as it relates to young physicians. As always, our ASA Director, Dr. Scott Kercheville provides us an update on events that have occurred within the ASA. It is always important to have a good level of understanding of issues that affect our specialty and how the ASA is responding on our behalf.
I sincerely hope that you all enjoy reading this edition of the TSA Newsletter and I wish to thank the TSA staff members who worked hard to make it available for us. Special thanks to Chris Bacak, Judy Garcia-Bigger, and Tina Haggard for their contributions to producing the Newsletter. As always, we welcome our membership to contribute to the content of the TSA Newsletter. It is a great opportunity to share your expertise with our membership.
I wish you all a wonderful summer and hope to see many of you at this year’s TSA meeting September 5-8, 2024 at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio.
Dr. Tillmann Hein accepting the 2024 ASA Bertram
Coffer Award for excellence in advocacy from
ASA President Dr. Ron Harter
