Thanks to all of our readers for exploring another edition of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists (TSA) Newsletter. I believe that our team has come together to bring you another great edition.

This edition has a lot of good content and news about our specialty and our TSA members. Last year was a very memorable year for our society. The representation at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting was remarkable. Our own TSA Past President, Dr. Mary Dale Peterson, was recognized with the ASA’s Distinguished Service Award. This award is the pinnacle for our specialty and her recognition for leading our specialty during the COVID pandemic was well-deserved. Dr. Peterson was then bestowed the honor of giving the Emery A. Rovenstine Memorial Lecture, which is always one of the highlights of the annual meeting. In her lecture entitled, “Our Finest Hour: How Anesthesiologists Saved Countless Lives During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Dr. Peterson shared key stories from her year as ASA President. Texas also proudly maintained the Alabama Cup as the number one state component in total donations to the ASAPAC. Additionally, Texas had leadership representation as our own leaders were installed into key positions within the ASA. I hope that everyone will read TSA President Dr. Amr Abouleish’s update in this edition of the TSA Newsletter for further details. Even more details of the ASA Annual Meeting are available in Dr. Scott Kercheville’s director’s report, available in this edition of the Newsletter.

As memorable as 2024 was, I think that 2025 will be an even better one for our society, perhaps one like most of us have never seen. The State of Texas will be highlighted in many ways in 2025. We will hold our TSA Annual Meeting again in San Antonio. Then, the following month, the ASA Annual Meeting will be held for the first time in San Antonio. This has been a culmination of over a decade of efforts by many TSA leaders to solidify San Antonio as the host city. The stars seem to have aligned perfectly in 2025 because, at that meeting, our own TSA Past President Dr. Pat Giam, will be installed as the ASA President. The additional icing on the cake for Texas will be that TSA and ASA Past President Dr. John Zerwas will receive the ASA’s Distinguished Service Award for 2025. You may notice that a TSA Member has been selected for that honor two years in a row.

This edition of the Newsletter will continue the history series, On the Shoulders of Giants: Legends of Texas Anesthesiology with a new historical vignette. This edition focuses on Chauncey D. Leake, PhD. Dr. Leake is the first non-physician feature that we have had in this series. However, his ties to our field and his forward thinking leadership in medicine will be apparent as you learn more about his contributions to medicine and education.

I am happy to introduce a new series for the Newsletter that will be called “Vein to Vein.” Dr. Riley Hedin and various co-authors have graciously agreed to lead a series on transfusion medicine with short articles that detail specific aspects of this part of our practice. I think everyone will enjoy these brief refreshers on the important details of a topic that we deal with very frequently.

The edition also features two updates related to obstetric anesthesiology. Dr. Barbara Orlando discusses the efforts to get representation for anesthesiologists in statewide obstetric quality and patient safety work that is being done. Dr. Michael Hofkamp has authored an update that addresses the ASA’s opinions surrounding the issue of pain during cesarean delivery and the role of adjuvant medications.

In the area of education in anesthesiology, Dr. Hofkamp reports on the Society for Education in Anesthesia and that he will co-chair the annual meeting that will be held this year in Austin. Furthermore, Dr. Craig Lilie, the TSA Editor for Education, gives an update on the American Board of Anesthesiology as it pertains to residency training and examinations. Finally, I have included a review of the book entitled “Against All Odds: The inside account of the Thai cave rescue and the courageous Australians at the heart of it.” This book recounts the details of the harrowing rescue efforts of a young soccer team trapped deep within a flooded cave. One of the authors of the book, Dr. Richard Harris, is an Australian anesthesiologist. I hope that the review causes many people to consider reading this book that ties together the world of anesthesiology and one of the most dangerous sports, cave diving, into one compelling story.

Finally, I wish to give a proper thank you to a couple of individuals who many of us have come to know over the years who are stepping away from roles within the TSA where they have quietly had huge impacts for a very long time. TSA Past President Dr. Scott Kercheville has officially stepped away from his role as the ASA Director after years of service. His behind-the-scenes efforts have made our TSA delegation one of the most active and influential of all of the state component societies. His service to the TSA has been tremendous. I have a feeling he will still find important ways to serve, but please offer him thanks for all that he has done in leading and mentoring our society members for many years. Additionally, Dr. Vijaya Gottumukkala has stepped down as chair of the education committee after many years of service. One of the highlights of the TSA Annual Meeting has always been the high-quality CME that is available for the attendees. The planning that has to occur to make that happen is tremendous and Dr. Gottumukkala has led this effort tirelessly for over a decade. I know I speak for all of us when I offer a huge thank you to these two individuals who have served in important roles that may not always receive a lot of fanfare.

In summary, I hope that everyone will find items of interest in this edition of the TSA Newsletter. I wish to personally thank all who have contributed to its production. I hope to see everyone at the TSA Annual Meeting in San Antonio and then again at the ASA Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Please visit the new TSA website ( TSA. org ) for additional information. I am expecting a great year for Texas anesthesiology.