I am pleased to have assumed the role of President of the Wisconsin Society of Anesthesiologists during our 2009 annual fall meeting which was held at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan in September. I want to thank Dr. Jay Mesrobian for his yeoman efforts throughout his tenure as my predecessor over the past two years. Under his direction, the WSA has made tremendous strides. This website is but one of the initiatives he presided over during his term. We are a much more organized, vibrant and politically active organization than we have ever been before. Like most organizations, a great deal of the work is performed by an energetic and enthusiastic few. The physicians that serve on your WSA Board of Directors deserve all of our gratitude. 

In order for the WSA to become even more effective, we do need the help of the membership. First and most simply, we need each and every practicing anesthesiologist in the State of Wisconsin to maintain his/her active membership in our national and state organizations. Our increased activity requires the commitment of our members and dues allow us to have a presence in Madison, maintain this website and provide communication to our members. We have an ambitious agenda in front of us. There are several legislative initiatives that we intend to introduce to our State Legislature. We will need the help of the membership to be successful in these endeavors. A “key contact” program is being developed such that members will develop relationships with legislators and be influential when issues important to us are debated in the Wisconsin legislature. 

We have been more successful than ever before in raising funds in our Wisconsin Society of Anesthesiologists- Political Action Committee (WSA-PAC) but we need to keep these efforts going. Like it or not, being heard in Madison requires financial backing. You can aid these efforts by contributing to WSA-PAC from this very website. Just click on the “WSA PAC/ WSA Direct” icon on the left hand side of the Home Page and go to “Online PAC Donations”. This is a fast and convenient way to keep our efforts moving forward. Once you have done your part, encourage a partner to do the same.

The education committee of the WSA is already well along with the planning of the 2010 Annual Fall Meeting which will be held in picturesque Sturgeon Bay, WI at the beautiful Stone Harbor Resort. The dates are September 10-12, 2010. Please make plans to attend. 

For many WSA members, the fall meeting is their primary interaction with the WSA. Over the past few years, however, we have seen increased communication with the WSA leadership throughout the year in an effort to keep the membership appraised of the important work being done. I will make every effort to continue that trend. To that end, we will now be partnering with Svinicki Association Management, Inc. This association is anticipated to allow us to become an even more effective and visible society to both our membership and our elected officials in Madison.

We intend to initiate an annual Wisconsin Legislative Day. This would entail mobilizing a significant number of anesthesiologists to assemble in Madison to meet with our elected officials and increase the visibility of our society.  Look for more on that event in the coming months.

I would be pleased to hear from you should you have any ideas, questions, comments or concerns about the activities of the WSA. I can be reached via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . I look forward to advancing your interests over the next two years.

Respectfully,

Robert F. Koebert, M.D.
President, Wisconsin Society of Anesthesiologists