Former President’s Message
It is a privilege to serve as President of the Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia (SATA). The field of transplantation has grown exponentially over the last 20 years, in a large part due to remarkable strides forward in patient survival and quality of life. Regulatory policies have also grown as the demand for transplantation has far outstripped the number of organs we have to save lives. This makes our field complicated and exciting as we work with our colleagues towards an even brighter future.
A Society representing perioperative transplant providers was long overdue. Since it’s inauguration in 2011 and incorporation in 2016, SATA has grown rapidly. The Society welcomes perioperative care providers in all areas, including abdominal, cardiothoracic, multivisceral and composite transplantation. SATA is a domestic society that prioritizes US and Canadian interests. However, we work closely with our international colleagues and welcome them to our web site. In the last year, SATA signed formal working agreements with perioperative transplant societies in South Korea, India, and the Middle East. These new partnerships open opportunities for global exchange in the areas of education, research and career development. Our national and international members make the transplant world smaller every day.
The Society is dedicated to serving the best interests of all perioperative transplant professionals and most of all our patients. The founding members set a clear vision and mission for the Society. SATA is a voice for perioperative transplant professionals. We fulfill our mission by providing the membership with educational materials, access to professional networks that enhance our practice and by developing standards of care that improve patient outcomes. We aim to empower our members by advocating on behalf of our specialty.
SATA achieved a record number of landmark advances in 2018-2019. Members from our hard working Committees introduced educational core competencies and milestones for Thoracic and Liver transplantation. We have connected professionally with collegial societies in other specialties by working together on items of shared interests. The SATA web was reworked into an educational home with libraries of TEE videos and notable publications. The Society established an annual meeting and was a resource to develop regional SATA meetings that would bring as many professionals as possible together to learn something new, discuss issues, expand communication, and plan for the future.
There is still much work to be done and we invite all interested members to pitch in. Have a good idea? We are listening. If you are not a member, then join a strong and growing community of dedicated providers. Be part of the engine that moves us forward.
We warmly invite you to explore our web site and learn more about SATA and how we serve our membership.
M. Susan Mandell MD PhD
SATA President
Founding President’s Message
As President, I would like to welcome you to the Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia (SATA.) The Society was founded in 2011 as small group of Anesthesiologists (our founding members), devoted to improving the quality of perioperative care of abdominal and thoracic transplant recipients, and of the organ donor. In 2016, the Society was formally established as an independent clinician-based, professional organization to advance recognition of the field of Transplant Anesthesiology and to support the specialized expertise and educational needs of Anesthesiologists involved in perioperative transplant care.
The Society is committed to identifying innovative approaches to clinical practice, improving education and fellowship training, and to foster original research by creating a network of leading academic transplant anesthesia programs to promote scientific discovery through the conduct of multi-center, clinical trials. In order to achieve these overarching goals, we have established an organizational structure designed to facilitate individual and institutional collaboration – a Leadership Council working collaboratively with committees. Committees have been formed to address specific areas of expertise, and divided into work groups and task forces, as needed, to manage SATA activities and oversee the creation of new initiatives. Members are encouraged to lend their expertise to committee work and to play an active role in the growth and professional standing of the organization and advancement of the field.
In the coming year, I plan to lead the Society as we continue to increase our membership base, expand the capacity for collaboration, mentoring, and shared scholarship. Create greater opportunities for our members to network via our webpage and social media; support the career development of members and transplant anesthesia programs; and increase the number of publications of position papers, guidelines, and original research in our home journal, Seminars in Cardiovascular and Vascular Anesthesia (SCVA); and establish partnerships with like- minded organizations in other countries and regions. Among these priorities will be the development and dissemination of practice management guidelines, model curricula for fellowship training, and new opportunities for acquiring continuing medical education (CME) credit by organizing national and regional conferences.
Finally, I warmly invite Anesthesiologists actively engaged in every type of organ transplantation or donation, and those interested in additional education, to take a moment to review the content of the Society’s webpage. Join today the ranks of SATA’s membership, a thriving organization that is already playing a critical role in the evolution of the challenging and rewarding field of Transplant Anesthesia. Together we can provide a voice and direction to our organization.
Ernesto A. Pretto, Jr., M.D., M.P.H.
Past SATA President