A Message from the ASATT President: 

ASATT Members,

A lot has been happening with ASATT lately. We are currently in one of the final steps needed to get the Committees up and running. With the ASATT Membership vote now complete, we will begin notifying Members and meeting with Committee Chairs to review each Committee’s objectives and goals for the year. If you were selected to serve on a Committee, you should hear from your Committee Chair before the end of July. Committee involvement is a cornerstone of this Society, so please take these roles seriously. Your participation and responsibilities will help ASATT grow and move in the direction we envision for our Members.

We are close to releasing our first ASATT Webcast. I’m excited to bring another way to communicate with Members about everything the Society has going on, as well as offer a way for you to communicate with us. So, look forward to it coming soon! Lastly and most importantly I want to talk about Membership and Certification. I know this has been a sensitive subject in the past but please hear me out before making an opinion. I have been a Member of ASATT and a certified tech for 20+ years. Over that time, I have heard from fellow Members and have asked myself the same questions: What is ASATT doing for me? Why doesn’t my certification seem to carry more meaning? Why do I continue to invest my hard-earned money in Membership and Recertification? Why do techs across the country perform such vastly different roles?

And honestly these are all valid questions. Over the past two plus decades that I have been involved in ASATT we have experienced a lot of growing pains. Getting our Certification and anesthesia technologist programs accredited was a huge undertaking, and when that happened, we had no clue what it really meant. We had 4 programs across the country at that time, and now, we are at 10+ with more working through the process this year! The first 9 years of my career I worked at a hospital that did not recognize my Certification. I was the only tech out of 7 that was Certified. I had those thoughts of…” why I am Certified and why am I a Member”?

Then the opportunity happened. A hospital that was looking for a Certified Tech. I jumped at the chance and made the best move of my career! At this time, at this hospital, the techs pretty much turn over rooms and run blood gases for the cardiac cases. The ASATT Scope of Practice was a huge tool that we were able to use to work on expanding our roles in the OR.

I tell you all this because I want you to know that even your current President has had those thoughts. But now is an important time! We have big plans for the future of ASATT, and its Members, such as getting our Certification recognized, as well as our standards of practice. But we need your help! Strength is in numbers, and we need more numbers. Be the voice of ASATT. Talk to your fellow techs about Membership and Certification. Be a positive influence for the career of anesthesia technology. The stronger we get as a Society, the more we will accomplish. The Board of Directors and Committee Members can’t do this alone. Be proud of your Membership and your Certification. And remember, in the future when great things happen, your support and commitment will have helped make those things happen.

Mike Kosanke, Cer.A.T.T
President, ASATT
American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians