Newswise — CHICAGO – Jeffrey S. Plagenhoef, M.D., chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center in Waco, Texas, was today named president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the nation’s largest organization of physician anesthesiologists. Dr. Plagenhoef was elected at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2016 annual meeting in Chicago and will serve for one year.
"Physician anesthesiologists throughout the United States and the ASA are committed to the highest quality, safest and most affordable surgical anesthesia care, intensive care, perioperative care and treatment of pain for all patients,” said Dr. Plagenhoef. “It is an extreme honor to be allowed to serve as president of the ASA and I look forward to working with patients, colleagues, policymakers and regulators to fulfill this mission.”
Dr. Plagenhoef has held numerous positions in the Society, including serving on the ASA Executive Committee as president-elect. He has also chaired and served on many ASA committees, task forces and workgroups. Notably, he was appointed the inaugural chair of the Anesthesia Quality Institute’s Board of Directors and chair of ASA’s Committee on Anesthesia Care Team. For his leadership on the ASA Political Action Committee’s Executive Board and exemplary advocacy efforts, he was the recipient of the ASA Excellence in Government Award.
A transformational leader of the Alabama State Society of Anesthesiologists (ASSA), Dr. Plagenhoef served as ASSA president, payer liaison, legislative liaison and on its Executive Committee and Board of Directors for more than a decade. Additionally, he was president of the Houston County Medical Society and served in leadership positions within the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.
Dr. Plagenhoef received his doctorate of medicine from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and completed his anesthesiology residency, focusing on cardiac anesthesia, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“Dr. Plagenhoef’s contributions to ASA have been invaluable,” said ASA Immediate Past President Daniel J. Cole, M.D. “His strong leadership background will influence the Society, the specialty of anesthesiology and the larger health care system immensely.”
Dr. Plagenhoef resides in Waco, Texas. His wife, Deborah L. Plagenhoef, M.D., also a physician anesthesiologist and leader in the specialty, was just elected president of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists. They have six children: Nick, Madelin, Alex, Drew, Kenzie and Sydney.
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTSFounded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 52,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology. ASA is committed to ensuring physician anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of patients before, during and after surgery to provide the highest quality and safest care every patient deserves.
For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about the role physician anesthesiologists play in ensuring patient safety, visit asahq.org/WhenSecondsCount. Join the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2016 social conversation today. Like ASA on Facebook, follow ASALifeline on Twitter and use the hashtag #ANES16.
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