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Dr. Ludwig Lin (@LudwigLin) of CSA’s Vital Times Podcast catches up with one of the Match 2026 viral stars - Shay Taylor Allen (@Shayy.Taylor), a MS4 at Howard University School of Medicine, whose clip of herself jumping up and down in celebration when she matched to her first choice of Yale Anesthesiology Residency. As the first episode in a CSA Vital Times podcast arc about job crafting within Anesthesiology, Drs. Lin and Taylor Allen talk about her journey through life and medicine, and the important mentors, allies and champions who helped her innate resilience in clarifying and achieving her goals. #Jobcrafting #ShayTaylorAllen

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Welcome to another episode of Vital Times.

In January 2026 the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) issued an updated joint communication regarding severe neurologic complications, including stroke and death, in healthy young adult (oldest reported so far is 36) and pediatric patients of Venezuelan ancestry following routine general anesthesia. There have been about 36 known or suspected cases worldwide although that number seems to be regularly increasing. The majority of cases have occurred in South American countries, with six reported in in the United States and eight in Europe. Genetic testing on a subset of the patients found a genetic mutation in mitochondrial DNA, known as the ND4 mutation. (for an interview with the physician and mother listen here https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUb4tYGjfdM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link .

In July 2025, anecdotal communications from South American anesthesiology societies described cases of patients having severe complications from general anesthesia. Despite incomplete and emerging clinical and scientific information, ASA and SPA felt the severity of the cases warrant an expert opinion communication to inform anesthesiologists and their patients.

Detailed family histories of patients who were recently affected revealed that all were of Venezuelan heritage and several had family members who also had adverse outcomes after an otherwise uneventful anesthetic. Four anesthesiologists at the leading edge of this newly discovered condition joined the show today to explain how it was discovered, what is known and what we can do about it. 

Dr. Jim Fehr is the past President of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, and the Division chief of Pediatric Anesthesia at Stanford Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. He is one of the coauthors of the joint statement, a member of the Society for PEdiatri Anesthesia’s Wake Up Safe initiative and very involved with Patient Safety. 

Dr. Veronica Zoghbi is a Venezuelan pediatric anesthesiologist and Director of Pediatric Regional Anesthesia at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida.  South Florida and Miami have one of the highest concentrations of people from Venezuela in the USA. She and our other 2 guests are members of VAPOR (Venezuelan Anesthesiologist Perioperative Risk Reduction) 

Dr. Claudia Bruguera Torres is a pediatric anesthesiologist from Venezuela and Assistant Professor at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. 

Dr. Luis Rodriguez is a Venezuelan Pediatric Anesthesiologist from Miami FL, and currently serves as the Vice President for the Florida Society of Anesthesiologists

Finally, if complications occur in patients with the ND4 mutation, anesthesiologists should report the case to their institutions’ patient safety organization and the Anesthesia Incident Reporting System of the Anesthesia Quality Institute.

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This episode of Vital Times features a conversation with clinician-scientists Dr. Jamie Sleigh and Dr. Elizabeth Whitlock, whose work focuses on delirium and perioperative brain health. They explore the emerging role of intraoperative processed EEG monitoring and its potential to improve postoperative neurological outcomes. This discussion highlights the evolving tools and evidence-based strategies anesthesiologists use to deliver safe, high-quality care and optimize patient outcomes across the perioperative continuum. 

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Today’s episode features a truly special conversation with Dr. Diana Ramos, California Surgeon General, and Dr. Calvin Johnson, Professor of Anesthesiology—both dedicated advocates for improving maternal health.

Dr. Ramos is a distinguished public health leader who earned her medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine at USC and completed her OB-GYN training at the LA County–USC Medical Center. She also holds a Master of Public Health from UCLA and an MBA from the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business. Dr. Ramos has received numerous honors, including the Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Public Service (2024) and the Public Health Leadership Award (2025) from All Children Thrive. She is deeply passionate about reducing maternal morbidity and mortality in California and across the nation, as well as improving health outcomes for children.

Dr. Johnson is a Professor of Anesthesiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical School in Los Angeles. He is triple board-certified in Anesthesiology, Pediatric Anesthesiology, and Pain Medicine. He is an active member of the California Society of Anesthesiologists and serves on the California Pregnancy-Associated Review Committee.

Maternal mortality remains a critical issue, with an incidence of 33 per 100,000 births in the United States and 15 per 100,000 in California. What are the most common causes of maternal mortality? How many of these deaths are preventable? What factors increase the risk of morbidity and mortality, and how have anesthesiologists played a role in reducing these risks?

In this episode, Drs. Ramos and Johnson discuss why maternal mortality persists, current incidence rates, and what can be done to address this urgent issue. They also explore Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their impact on children’s immediate and long-term health. Together, they emphasize the critical importance of collaboration across multiple specialties—including public health, nursing, community medicine, and preconception and prenatal care—to improve outcomes for mothers and children.

Selected Resources:

https://osg.ca.gov/

https://osg.ca.gov/aces-in-youth/

https://osg.ca.gov/prema/

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Welcome to another episode of the CSA’s Podcast Vital Times 

In September 2025, a landmark ruling by a California judge stated that nonphysicians could not use the term “Doctor” in a clinical setting. This was a ruling in response to a lawsuit filed by Three California-based nurse practitioners. They challenged California Business and Professions Code Section 2052, which makes it a misdemeanor for nonphysicians to use “Dr” in clinical settings or advertisements.

Judge Jesus G. Bernal wrote in the opinion that using the title “Dr.” by nonphysicians in clinical contexts is “inherently misleading” and amounts to regulated commercial speech. Because of that, it does not fall under free speech protections.

The court sided with the state, which argued that allowing nonphysicians to use “Dr.” could confuse patients about who is providing their care. Bernal cited an American Medical Association (AMA) survey showing: 39% of patients mistakenly believed that DNPs are physicians. He concluded that even when nurses disclose their credentials, the risk of confusion remains high in healthcare settings.

To help us understand the importance of both the law and the ruling - 3 amazing patient advocates ae joining the show today.

Dr. Rebekah Bernard is a family physician in Fort Myers, Florida. She's a founding member and past president of Physicians for Patient Protection, a grassroots advocacy group focused on ensuring physician-led care for all patients and truth and transparency among healthcare practitioners, and has authored two books on scope of practice.

Dr. Antonio Hernandez Conte -- Former Chair of CSA Legislative and Practice Affairs Division from 2019 to 2022. Hhen served as President from 2023-2024 and is now a Past-President. Dr. Hernandez Conte is also a Partner with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group and a Clinical Professor at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine.

Dr. Christina Menor is a board-certified anesthesiologist in private practice in Los Angeles. She specializes in ambulatory, pediatric and obstetric anesthesiology. Dr. Menor currently serves as the President for the California Society of Anesthesiologists. She coauthored an article describing California survey data about medical titles. She is a member of Physicians Protecting Patients and is an active advocate for physician led care and title transparency. 

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Dr. J.W. Beard, a UCSF-trained anesthesiologist and Chief Medical Officer of GE Healthcare’s Patient Care Solutions division, joins the Vital Times podcast to discuss his remarkable career journey. As a member of the Board of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, Dr. Beard shares how his background in anesthesiology uniquely prepared him for leadership in the medical technology industry, and offers insights into bridging clinical practice and innovation. 

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The CSA and the Vital Times podcast are proud to recognize Dr. Ana Maria Crawford of Stanford University, recipient of the 2025 ASA Nicholas Greene, MD Award for Outstanding Humanitarian Contribution.

In this episode, host Dr. Ludwig Lin speaks with Dr. Crawford about her decades-long commitment to advancing global health. To learn more about opportunities to get involved in global health initiatives and participate in Dr. Crawford’s upcoming webinars, visit www.stanesglobal.com. 
.

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Dr. Ludwig Lin of the CSA Vital Times Podcast sits down with Dr. Adjoa Boateng Evans, a former Stanford ICU and anesthesia attending and now faculty at Duke University School of Medicine to discuss her pioneering work in bringing Humanities and personal expression into academic anesthesiology. She shares how this approach can help healthcare professionals navigate the stresses of our profession and build resilience. What inspired her to take this path? Tune in to find out. 

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Dr. Jason Leong began his career as a night-shift nurse in the emergency department, quickly advancing to the role of charge nurse. Determined to further his impact in patient care, he went on to attend medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He then completed a combined Internal Medicine and Anesthesiology residency at Stanford University, followed by advanced training in Critical Care Medicine and Cardiac Anesthesiology.

Unique? Absolutely. But beyond his impressive credentials, Dr. Leong is an engaging and insightful conversationalist. In this episode of Vital Times, Dr. Ludwig Lin sits down with him for an in-depth discussion.

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Welcome to another episode of Vital Times, the CSA podcast!
I'm your host, Dr. Rita Agarwal, and today we’re revisiting an important topic: mentorship. We've discussed mentoring before, but its significance in the lives and careers of anesthesiologists makes it worth exploring again.

Strong mentorship can have a transformative impact, especially for early career anesthesiologists. Yet, despite its many benefits, building effective mentorship programs continues to be a challenge. In this episode, we’ll focus on how mentorship can help young professionals truly thrive.

We’re joined by two outstanding guests:

Dr. Titi Aina-Jones, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Texas Children’s Hospital. She trained at the University of Connecticut, University of Florida, and Boston Children’s Hospital, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Medical Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ioana Pasca, Associate Professor at Riverside and Loma Linda University Medical Center in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Neurocritical Care. She also serves as Associate Program Director and Director of Neuroanesthesia at Riverside University Health System, and like Dr. Aina-Jones, is currently enrolled in the Medical Education Master’s Program at the University of Pennsylvania.