Donald E. Arnold, M.D., FASA, elected First Vice President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists

NEW ORLEANS — Donald E. Arnold, M.D., FASA, was today elected as first vice president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the nation’s largest organization of physician anesthesiologists. Dr. Arnold was elected by the House of Delegates at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2022 annual meeting and will serve for one year.

Dr. Arnold is president of Western Anesthesiology Associates, Inc., and chair of anesthesiology at Mercy Hospital St. Louis.

“I’m honored to serve ASA in this capacity and remain committed to the Society’s priority of supporting physician-led medical care through effective advocacy, education and scientific discovery,” said Dr. Arnold. “A hallmark of ASA’s success has been the incredible attributes of our diverse membership, our dedication to patient safety and quality care, and commitment to advancing the specialty.”

As first vice president, Dr. Arnold will serve as a member of ASA’s Executive Committee, which consists of the president, president-elect, first vice president and immediate past president. The Executive Committee expedites, executes and administers the policies adopted by the ASA House of Delegates and ASA Board of Directors. 

Dr. Arnold has served ASA in numerous roles, most recently as treasurer. He is a member of ASA’s Administrative Council and chairs the Section on Fiscal Affairs. He also serves on ASA’s Budget Committee and Committee on Professional Education Oversight. Additionally, Dr. Arnold has served on ASA’s Board of Directors, as assistant treasurer, chair of the Committee on Quality Management and Departmental Administration, and chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Payment and Care Delivery Models. He was also director and officer of the Anesthesia Quality Institute and ASA liaison to The Joint Commission.

In addition to his commitments to ASA, Dr. Arnold is treasurer and a director of the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research. He is also a full examiner and senior editor for the Standardized Oral Exam for the American Board of Anesthesiology and a guest reviewer for Anesthesia & Analgesia. He served as president of the Missouri Society of Anesthesiologists and St. Louis Society of Anesthesiologists.

Dr. Arnold received his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. He completed his transitional internship at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, and his residency in anesthesiology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He is board-certified in anesthesiology.

Dr. Arnold lives in St. Louis with his wife Tamara K. Ehlert, M.D.; they have three children. 

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 55,000 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/madeforthismoment. Join the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2022 social conversation today. Like ASA on Facebook, follow ASALifeline on Twitter and use the hashtag #ANES22.