Reporting to CMS through the sometimes challenging Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization (MACRA) payment systems just got easier for ASA members.

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.

Incoming ASA President Jeffrey Plagenhoef, M.D., is urging ANESTHESIOLOGY 2016 attendees to participate in a town hall-style session on Tuesday morning called “The Future of Anesthesia Care Team in the Era of Increased Competition.”

Health care is moving from a fee-based to a value-based approach in which reimbursement has been a focus despite the key role of patient management in the change. A Self-Study course available for CME during the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2016 annual meeting focuses on changes in patient management in the value environment.

In its 50 years of clinical use, ketamine has become established as an effective drug with unique effects on the brain that distinguish it from other anesthetics. Ketamine has also been found to be an effective antidepressant for psychiatric use, which will be examined in an education session Sunday.

According to Jonathan V. Roth, M.D., anesthesiologists may be capable of reducing the incidence of hypothermia in patients aged 18-55 to 16 percent, and to 28 percent in patients over 55 by utilizing a different induction technique.

In his Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., Memorial Lecture Saturday, Alexander A. Hannenberg, M.D., provided a comprehensive look at the patient safety challenges facing developing nations in surgery and the administration of anesthesia, saying that about 5 billion people in developing countries lack access to surgical care and 7 million die or become disabled from surgical complications.