American Society of Anesthesiologists names Beverly K. Philip, M.D., FACA, FASA, new president

CHICAGO – Beverly K. Philip, M.D., FACA, FASA, founding director of the Day Surgery Unit at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor of anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School in Boston, was today named president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the nation’s largest organization of physician anesthesiologists. Dr. Philip assumed office at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting and will serve for one year.

“As the specialty that has regularly stepped forward to take care of the most critically ill COVID-19 patients, risking their own lives face-to-face with the virus, I could not be more proud to serve as president of ASA,” said Dr. Philip. “ASA will continue to tackle COVID-related issues of importance to our members this year, including adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), drugs and other equipment, as well as unfair Medicare payment cuts. Beyond COVID, ASA’s long-term commitment to improving patient safety remains rock strong. ASA will always work to ensure that all patients receive the highest quality anesthesia care, through scientific discovery, innovation and physician-led care.”

Dr. Philip has served ASA in numerous roles, including president-elect and first vice president as well as vice president for scientific affairs. She has also chaired ASA’s Committee on Annual Meeting Oversight, Committee on Quality Management and Departmental Administration and Committee on Ambulatory Surgical Care. Additionally, Dr. Philip has been a member of several ASA committees, including the Committee on Communications, Committee on Governmental Affairs, Committee on Standards and Practice Parameters and the Perioperative Surgical Home Steering Committee.

Dr. Philip is immediate past president of the International Association for Ambulatory Surgery. She also served as president of the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia from 1991-1992 and the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists from 2008-2009. As ASA vice president for scientific affairs, Dr. Philip served as a member of the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research’s (FAER) Board of Directors and Executive Committee and as an ex officio member of the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology (WLM) Board of Trustees. 

Dr. Philip received her Bachelor of Arts from Queens College, CUNY, in New York and her Doctor of Medicine from Upstate Medical University, SUNY, in Syracuse, New York. She completed her anesthesiology residency and research fellowship at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Philip is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology and National Board of Medical Examiners.

“Dr. Philip has proven her commitment to ASA and each of our 54,000 members, as well as our patients, colleagues and collaborators,” said ASA Immediate Past President Mary Dale Peterson, M.D., MSCHA, FACHE, FASA. “Her leadership and passion will continue to advance the specialty and serve ASA members well who in turn, serve our patients.” 

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS

Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 54,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology. ASA is committed to ensuring physician anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of patients before, during and after surgery to provide the highest quality and safest care every patient deserves.For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about the role physician anesthesiologists play in ensuring patient safety, visit asahq.org/WhenSecondsCount. Join the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 social conversation today. Like ASA on Facebook, follow ASALifeline on Twitter and use the hashtag #ANES20.

# # #