October 22, 2026 - Vol. 3, Issue 2

President's Message

Todd Primack, DO

Dear Colleagues,

More than 13,000 anesthesiologists gathered in San Diego this past week for ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. It was a pleasure to welcome our peers from all over the globe to California, and I was proud of how well our members were represented.

In addition to our colleagues in practice, I want to recognize the medical students, residents, and fellows who joined us to network, present, and engage with ASA. It was impressive to meet so many talented individuals, and it makes me excited for the future of our specialty.

On Saturday evening, CSA hosted our member reception. It was wonderful to see so many of you in one room. We were also honored to welcome Assemblymember Darshana Patel of the 76th District and Assemblymember Kate Sanchez of the 71st District, and we appreciate them taking the time to join us.

Californians were present throughout the meeting and the House of Delegates. Our members served on ASA committees and reference committees, authored resolutions, stood as candidates for office, and spoke across the educational sessions. This level of involvement keeps California’s voice strong in the decisions that shape our specialty.

At the House of Delegates, Dr. Christine Menor authored two resolutions that will shape ASA’s work in the year ahead, each moving forward in its own way. Both advance patient safety in office-based dental and oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) anesthesia.

I am especially pleased to share two honors received by CSA leaders. First, Dr. Ed Mariano, a CSA Past President, was elected ASA Assistant Treasurer. Second, Dr. Neal Cohen was voted to receive the ASA Distinguished Service Award. Please join me in congratulating them both, and you can find more about each of them below.

Thank you to everyone who attended and represented CSA so well in San Diego.

Sincerely,

Todd Primack, DO

President, California Society of Anesthesiologists

Read the full message online

Key Updates

CSA History of Anesthesia Essay & Video Contest Now Open!

The Committee on the History of Anesthesia welcomes submissions from California residents, fellows, and medical students for the 2027 History of Anesthesia in California Essay & Video Contest. Learn more here.

🎙️So You Wanna Be a Podcast Host?

CSA is launching its first Podcast Host Contest. We're looking for new voices for this show — and we're looking for it among you.

Listen here

2027 Call for Abstracts Now Open!

Showcase your work at CSA’s Annual Conference April 11, 2027, at the Disneyland Hotel. Submit your abstract today! Deadline is February 8, 2027

Global Health Committee:

ReSurge Trip Schedule Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Click here for some amazing opportunities with ReSurg.

Latest Content and News

The external news content below does not reflect ASA’s views or policies.

California's Own: Dr. Neal H. Cohen Named ASA Distinguished Service Award Recipient

The ASA House of Delegates voted at the 2026 meeting to give Dr. Neal H. Cohen, MD, MPH, MS, the Distinguished Service Award the Society's highest honor. He will receive it at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2027 in Boston.

Dr. Cohen has spent five decades shaping how anesthesiologists practice, lead, and advocate.

Career Highlights:

Trained at UCSF for medical school, anesthesia residency, and critical care fellowship. He served on the UCSF faculty from 1976 to 2020.
President of the UCSF Medical Staff, Chair of the School of Medicine Faculty Council, and Vice Dean.
Chaired the ASA Section on Professional Practice and served as the first chair of the Committee on Health and Public Policy.
Serves as a leading voice on ethics in the specialty. He recently co-edited an Anesthesiology Clinics issue on ethical approaches to anesthesia practice.

Dr. Cohen embodies physician-led care at every level: the bedside, the medical school, and the national stage. Please join CSA in congratulating him.

CSA’s Dr. Ed Mariano elected ASA Assistant Treasurer

Dr. Ed Mariano, a past CSA President, was elected Assistant Treasurer of the American Society of Anesthesiologists at this week’s House of Delegates.

ASA gets a national leader with deep experience in the financial and payment issues facing the specialty.

Career Highlights:

Led CSA through its financial recovery and transition out of the pandemic as President (2022 to 2023)
Chairs the ASA Section on Education and Research
Serves on the ASA Committee on Economics and the CAPE Steering Committee
As ASA’s CPT Advisor, helped secure new CPT codes in the Medicare fee schedule

At CSA, he served as Speaker of the House of Delegates and spent more than a decade on the Finance and Administration Committee. He also chaired ASA’s first Ad Hoc Committee on Social Media.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Mariano on this well deserved election.

ASA Daily News Highlights Dr. Ludwig Lin’s Medical Student Self-Advocacy Panel

CSA Board Director and Vital Times co-host Dr. Ludwig Lin moderated the ASA 2026 medical student track panel “Leveraging Your Voice to Impact Change and Promote Self Advocacy,” which focused on amplifying the voices of underrepresented medical students applying to anesthesiology residency. The session was recognized with a feature in the ASA Annual Meeting’s daily news, “You Are Your Own Best Career Advocate.”

🎙️Podcast:

Professionalism, and Anesthesiology as a Calling: How Do They Impact Career Longevity and Outlook

Join an all-star panel of experts featuring Dr. Klaus Kjaer, Cornell’s Associate Dean for Policy and Professionalism and former President of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology; Dr. Daryl Oakes, Stanford cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education; and Dr. Beth Duggan, Professor of Anesthesiology and Vice Chair of Faculty Development at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Listen here

📝 Blog Post:

From Los Angeles to Copenhagen: An Anesthesiologist’s Battle Against Polio Launches Critical Care Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic propelled critical care medicine to the forefront of societal awareness. Faced with dire circumstances, anesthesiologists across the globe innovated, from establishing virtual ICUs to developing protocols for intubation and proning.¹

📰 Media Articles:

10.19.2026 - El Cerrito students get hands on experience with the medical field

Upcoming Events

📅 Fall Anesthesia Conference: Nov 9-13, 2026 | Big Island, HI

📅 Winter Anesthesia Conference: Jan 18-22, 2027 | Lahaina, HI

📅 CSA’s Annual Conference: Apr 9-11, 2027 | Anaheim, CA

📅 Summer Anesthesia Conference: Jul 12-16, 2027 | Oahu, HI

Job Board

💼 Recent Openings:

Anesthesiologist – Monterey – Full Time
Anesthesiologist – Napa/Sonoma – Full Time
Anesthesiologist – Lancaster – Full Time
Chief Physician II, Anesthesiology – Sylmar – Full Time
Anesthesiologist Position with The Permanente Medical Group – Santa Rosa – Full Time

View all job openings

Social Media Spotlight

Stay connected with the latest from the California Society of Anesthesiologists across our social channels (@CSAHQ on X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook). Here are some notable recent highlights:

🩺 In celebration of National Latino Physician Day and Hispanic Heritage Month, we're highlighting the voices and experiences of Latino physicians! Mary Morales, MD

NEW Vital Times Episode!

Is anesthesiology a job, a career, or a calling? And how does that perspective impact career longevity and fulfillment?

So you want to be a podcast host?

Follow us on social media for real-time updates, advocacy wins, Vital Times podcast highlights, and more. Tag @CSAHQ in your posts!

Feedback

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Correction to the October 6 Biweekly Newsletter: The House of Delegates approved the formation of a task force of the President’s choosing to study the issue of paid sick leave for anesthesiology residents.

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