VOLUME 30, ISSUE 1

The field of Anesthesiology has had no shortage of great leaders in the past. The TSA membership throughout the years has been a starting point for so many of these leaders whose names are known so well. The TSA Newsletter will begin honoring some of those great leaders from the past who have been the foundation of our society and gone on to leadership positions at the national and international levels. We plan to do a historical vignette of some of our leaders from the past who have paved the way for today’s anesthesiologists through leadership, clinical skills, academic commitment, and advocacy. This edition will begin with a closer look at Marion Thomas “Pepper” Jenkins, M.D. Thanks to the vision of those who have come before us, great new leaders have been brought up in our TSA membership to pave the way for future generations of TSA members.

On the national scene, anesthesiologists have positioned themselves in very prominent and powerful positions. Dr. Andy Harris, an anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins, is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland’s First District. He was the first anesthesiologist ever elected to the U.S. House. Additionally, Dr. Jerome Adams, an anesthesiologist from Indiana, recently became the first ever anesthesiologist appointed to the position of Surgeon General of the United States.

Texas and the TSA membership have seen its share of leaders who have emerged and taken on leadership roles. It has been a pleasure to watch the rise of many of our members to prominent positions in medicine and politics. In the recent past, we have seen TSA leader Dr. Sherif Zaafran appointed as the President of the Texas Medical Board. He is well-equipped to deal with one of the TMB’s biggest ongoing issues; the opioid crisis. TSA member Dr. Jeff Plagenhoef is the Immediate Past-President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. His term was during one of the most challenging political times that our specialty has seen. We saw TSA member Dr. Tom Oliverson get elected to the Texas House of Representatives and proceed to be recognized by his peers for one of the most impressive freshman years in the Texas House. TSA and ASA Past-President Dr. John Zerwas continues his leadership in Texas as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. In addition, he has announced that he will seek the, soon to be vacated, position as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. In addition, we have two TSA members who are officers in the ASA and are soon likely to serve as ASA Presidents. Dr. Mary Dale Peterson is currently the First Vice President and Dr. Patrick Giam is the Vice Speaker of the House. TSA President–Elect, Dr. Ray Callas, is an emerging leader in the Texas Medical Association as well, having been appointed to the TMA Board of Trustees. These examples are merely a sampling of the outstanding leaders who pave the way for our specialty in the future. As I interact with our residents and fellows through the newly formed TSA Resident Component, it is clear to me that we continue to attract the best and the brightest into our specialty. I have been lucky to meet many of these bright young physicians who will be the next generation of leaders for our specialty in Texas and beyond.

I hope that you enjoy the look into the past with the “On the Shoulders of Giants” features. I truly believe that many of our current leaders will one day be talked about with the same reverence as some of these leaders from our past. These are truly exciting times to be an anesthesiologist.