The APSF Committee on Technology has undertaken the task of determining the current status of how the 50 states regulate office-based anesthesia (oba). Our initial search was restricted to the states in which members of the committee reside (Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Utah). Largely through the efforts of Dr. Ervin Moss, New Jersey is the only state in which regulations exist. In January of this year, the Florida Board of Medicine approved similar regulations which must first pass the test of public hearings before they are implemented.
The Committee on Technology needs your help. The members ask that any of you who are aware of the regulations in your state send this information to us. You may address the information to our committee at the APSF office address in Pittsburgh which appears on this newsletter. If you prefer, send the information by email to: [email protected]
At its meeting in February of this year, the Executive Committee of APSF declared its intent to assure that patient safety in anesthesia applies to all patients, including those who undergo procedures in office settings.
E.S. Siker, M.D., is Chair, APSF Committee on Technology.