The 2023 annual SAGA meeting, held at the Japanese Restaurant Ramen Hiroshi on October 15 from 5:00 to 9:30 pm, drew a diverse and engaged audience, including members from the US, international participants, and trainees.
Kicking off with a delightful social hour that provided a platform for reconnecting with old friends and forging new connections, the formal proceedings of the meeting commenced with an enlightening session titled, “Current State of Geriatric Anesthesia Care and Research Outside the US: Challenges, Solutions, and Potential Opportunities.” The session featured three insightful presentations:
- Geriatric Anesthesia in Vietnam by Nguyen Viet Nghia, MD, National Lung Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
- Geriatric Anesthesia in India by J. Balavenkatsubramanian, MD, Ganga Medical Centre & Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
- Geriatric Anesthesia in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by Mohammed Al Harbi MD, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The presentations resonated well with the audience, sparking a robust discussion on the imperative need to foster international cooperation. The consensus reached strongly supported the expansion of collaborations, encompassing mentorship, speakers, and educational materials, alongside the growth of an international SAGA. The overarching goal is to disseminate essential knowledge and skills for academic success, establishing broad collaborations that support international researchers, educators, and clinicians in these countries.
Following this successful session, an interactive presentation by John Mitchell MD, the current president of the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA), unfolded. This engaging session aimed to identify the most efficient educational approaches to promote the geriatric mission and foster SEA-SAGA collaborations. Dr. Mitchell emphasized the central goals of SAGA, focusing on advancing geriatric research and improving clinical care for the elderly, both requiring the development of educational tools. Notably, SEA expressed openness to collaborations, including the possibility of shared SEA-SAGA sessions during SEA or ASA annual meetings.
The session segued seamlessly into the SAGA Business Meeting, featuring the election of Sheila M Ryan-Barnett (Secretary), Itay Bentov (Treasurer), and Jinlei Li, Ruth E. Burstrom, Ruben Azocar, and Daniel McIsaac as new at-large Board members. Appreciation was extended to Katie Schenning, the immediate past secretary, and Jing Tao, the outgoing at-large Board member, for their dedication and hard work.
Marek Brzezinski provided an insightful update on SAGA, reflecting on the challenges faced in the last 3-4 years due to the Covid epidemic and presenting exciting achievements over the past 12 months, including the launch of a new website. He concluded with a summary of novel opportunities for members, highlighting the diverse academic avenues created by SAGA, from the visiting professor lectures program to opportunities in developing educational tools, mentoring, and contributing to regular publications.
The business meeting set the stage for a talk by Jaideep J Pandit, the incoming Editor-in-Chief for Anesthesia & Analgesia. Pandit shared his vision for A&A, sparking a dynamic and participatory discussion among the attendees