Region 7

Delbert Macanas, Sr., Cer.A.T.T.
AK-HI-ID-MT-OR-WA-WY
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Howzit Region 7!!!

It’s April and it should start warming up as spring is on us.  It’s sad that the baseball season has been delayed because of the events happening around the world.  PLEASE be careful with Covid-19, it’s nothing to take lightly.  Take precautions and follow all of the CDC bulletins and guidelines, but don’t let it overwhelm your life.

Covid-19 has disrupted so many events worldwide.  Therefore, like everyone else all of the ASATT meetings are temporarily postponed.  We are waiting and watching to see how events unfold before making any other meeting plans.  I hope everything clears up and we will have a few meeting before the end of 2020.  When the time comes, hopefully the meeting that was planned for Sunday, March 29th at Overlake Medical Center and Clinic can proceed.  John Gonzalez and team had assembled a great agenda and with a few sponsors ready to support the meeting. 

We had an outstanding meeting coordinated by Gary West, Program Chair of the Anesthesia Technology Program at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, OR on Saturday, February 29th.  There were 49 AT’s/ATT’s in attendance along with a majority of Gary’s students.  Gary started the day with a lecture entitled; Pathogens VS Antibiotics, followed by Dr. Gregory Craft with MH Update & Scenario, next was an outstanding lecture by Dr. Nathan Bay with Ultrasound Guided Peripheral Nerve Blocks, the Paramedic Chris Arbuckle with ACLS Preparation, then Pat Hegge did Diagnostic EKG, our old friend John River ended the day with a lectures on Intraoperative Autotransfusion and Blood Management.  I really enjoyed the meeting and learned a bunch.  The one thing I really enjoyed… My interaction with the students, here I am a veteran of the profession, while interacting with students who are starting their careers in our profession.  I had a chance to address the students on Friday and I enjoyed my time with them.  I commended them on their choice becoming an Anesthesia Technologist and told them to stand tall and be proud of their chosen profession. 

“Be so good that they can’t ignore you.”

~ Steve Martin ~

We had the students help with the all of the duties that go along with coordinating a meeting, putting up signage up in the morning, checking in attendees, etc.  I feel that it was a great learning experience for them and I hope that Chemeketa Community College will welcome ASATT back.  Another bonus!!! A member who works at a Kaiser facility, got their “Talent Acquisition Consultants” to sponsor the meeting and they are looking at interviewing the students graduating in 2020.

For teaching purposes, the meeting was held in the community college studio and streamed live on Zoom.  The disclaimer, when the link is available, you will be able to watch the lectures but you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EARN ANY CE’S.   I hope at some point in ASATT Academy’s future, live streaming will be a way to earn CE’s.  But, it’s the first meeting that was done the virtual way…

“The FUTURE depends on what we do in the PRESENT.”

~ Mahatma Gahndi ~

Hopefully you got through the crunch to get recertified over and I hope you did not experience too many difficulties.  If you earned most of your CE’s through an ASATT “sponsored” meeting, it should have made it a lot easier since these CE’s go straight to the ASATT database.  (ASATT member benefit)  Versus the ASATT “approved” meeting, those CE’s do not get downloaded onto the database and you MUST get your get you certificate of attendance from the sponsor of the meeting.  ASATT is not responsible to issue the attendees the certificate as proof.  All of you Region 7 members, it should be easy to fulfill your ASATT sponsored CE’s in 2020 with all of the meetings that are planned.

There are many of you who are only members during the year you need to re-certify, those CE’s don’t get recorded onto the database.  This option doesn’t make sense to me because if you attend an ASATT “sponsored” meeting during this off year, you’re generally paying double what a member pays for registration.  The double registration fee will pay for your annual membership.  Further, if you use the two year membership registration it will save you additional cost.

“If not now… when?”

Region 7 is moving forward to work on accomplishing the goals that was set to have productive year in 2020.  As in years past, we were the regional leader in providing educational opportunities for our members.  I’m excited to find new people who are willing to coordinate the educational meetings.  Along with new coordinators come new speakers or presenter.  The new people promotes more networking.  I love networking with others for one BIG reason, if there’s something I need to find out if our peers are trialing or using a “new” product, I can email them to get their opinion on the product.  Or if there is a “service” we’re doing and I need to find out if other facilities are doing “it” email our peers.

“Learning networking basics is only a gateway to career growth and exploration.”

~ Tae Yoo ~

Meetings in the planning stages… I hope to get some of these meetings accomplished in 2020

Saint Charles Hospital System in Bend, OR – July  

Kaiser Sunnyside in Clackamas, OR - Tentative

Honolulu, Hawaii – August 2nd

Providence Saint Vincent in Seattle, WA – Tentative November

Oregon Health Sciences University Medical Center in Portland, OR – Tentative December

As you can see, we have a very ambitious agenda for Region 7.  I hope that we can fulfil the plan.

But, please also support Northwest Society of Anesthesia Technologists & Technicians; they have meetings in the Pacific Northwest with continuing education opportunities.  But, you must also remember, if you attend one of these meetings, ASATT is NOT responsible for your certificate of attendance and the CE’s that MAY come with the NWSATT meetings. 

ASATT is the society that will help our profession move forward into the future.  As I mentioned before, there are a number of projects ongoing to help our profession.  Please support and help our efforts.  If you want to earn free CE’s and coordinate a meeting, please contact me at your earliest convenience.  Remember… It’s not easy, but it’s not hard.  

“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.”
~ Booker T. Washington ~

Start planning to attend our Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, TX.  It will be held at the Hilton Fort Worth, September 10-12, 2020.  We’re also exploring extra CE opportunism on Thursday & Sunday, September 13th.  There’s further discussions about “thinking outside the box” to expand the CE chances to maximize your attendance to the Annual Meeting.  We have some “pilot” ideas being discussed and are in the planning stages.  If you start planning now you may be able to save additional cost to attend the meeting.  Find a partner to share a room that will cut your hotel room cost in half.  This Annual meeting is unique to our profession… Networking with your peers is priceless. 

Let’s continue to keep Region 7 the leader in ASATT and help us move our profession forward.  As I have said before… We are laying the foundation for future generations of Anesthesia Technicians & Technologist and we MUST build this together. 

“Leaders don’t look backwards to condemn what has already been done:

they look forward to create a better future.”

~ Mark Cuban ~

PLEASE BE SAFE AND PROTECT YOURSELVES…

Aloha, Delbert

4/20

Delbert Macanas, Sr., Cer.A.T.T.
Region 7 Director
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