The U.S. has the highest cost of health care in the world, and government and industry have long struggled to find ways to improve efficiency. One option gaining attention is the adoption of lean principles started by auto manufacturers in Japan. A Sunday session, “Kaizen! Employing Lean Principles in the Ambulatory Setting,” looked at the potential of lean.

The amount of care to provide to a patient when the chances for survival are limited creates an ethical quandary for physicians. What physicians are required to do for their patients and the impact of that care on cost were discussed Sunday in “I Don’t Care How Much It Costs — I Want It for My Patient!”

A Sunday Problem-Based Learning Discussion featured a freewheeling roundtable discussion of how to deal with a decompensating neonate in the O.R. when a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order is in place for the newborn.

In a Problem-Based Learning Discussion Sunday, members of a roundtable discussion group were asked to think about whether they would participate in a procedure harvesting organs from a living organ donor who was close to death.

If you find the new rules and regulations associated with the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) daunting or confusing, you’re not alone.

The ASA Monitor has gone through some big changes over the last year. It got a new name (it had long grown out of its ASA Newsletter designation). It has its own website. And its content is now being accompanied by informative and entertaining podcasts.

Tens of millions of Chicago Cubs fans the world over woke up on Sunday morning and scanned their respective horizons, looking to see if the sun would rise. When it did, they realized they truly had witnessed a historic event – the Cubs first World Series appearance in 70 years.

It was a chilly morning, but the skies were crystal clear and an unmistakable Cubbie blue for what turned out to be another highly successful charity event supported by ASA and Hope for the Warriors®, an organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for post-9/11 service members and the families of those who sustained physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty.

Stress and burnout are threats to all health care professionals, who increasingly are exploring different avenues to cope with those issues. A Monday workshop will look at the benefits of mindfulness that an increasing number of medical professionals use to deal with challenges in work and life.