The Association of Anesthesia Clinical Directors (AACD) is an organization rooted in the belief that anesthesiologists are the physicians uniquely qualified to oversee clinical and administrative aspects of a hospital or health care system (asamonitor.pub/3FNwy9Z). Over our nearly 35-year history, the Perioperative Leadership Summit has been a focal point for the organization. This annual event brings together AACD members, anesthesiologists, surgeons, nursing leaders, and others interested in effective perioperative management. We have been fortunate over the years to have so many distinguished speakers deliver the annual Jason S. Lane, MD Leadership Keynote Lecture. This year was no exception. Warren S. Sandberg, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University, spoke on “Ethical Considerations for Anesthesia Professionals.” Our moral obligations not only to our patients, but to our colleagues and society as whole, were explored.
The recognition that physicians hold a sacred role in society goes back...