NYSSA & PGA History
The first PostGraduate Assembly in Anesthesiology (PGA) was launched in December 1945, in New York City. Originally envisioned as a biennial meeting, aimed at assisting physicians returning from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, the second PGA was held in 1947. By 1948, a venue was needed for the annual meeting of the New York State section of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Thus, the next PGA took place that year. The third PGA also included a panel chaired by two Harvard surgeons, illustrating a commitment to utilize the best experts, regardless of their specialty. The panel’s prominence within the PGA program also demonstrated the importance of pain management to anesthesiology, even in the late 1940s. Beginning in 1950, the PGA became an annual event. In 1963, the meeting moved to a larger venue which allowed for the expansion of the program. In the 1980s, the PGA continued to grow and new innovations such as miniworkshops were introduced. Focus sessions, case-based learning discussions, and hands-on workshops were added in the 1990s to keep the PGA on the cutting-edge of anesthesiology. What began in 1945 as an effort to provide continuing education to local physicians, has since evolved into an international meeting of historic proportions.
| Year | NYSSA Presidents | PGA General Chairs |
| 1945 | (No Officeholder) | E. A. Rovenstine, M.D. * |
| 1946 | (No Officeholder) | (No PGA Held) |
| 1947 | (No Officeholder) | E. A. Rovenstine, M.D. * |
| 1948 | Paul W. Searles, M.D.* | Lewis H. Wright, M.D. * |
| 1949 | Irving M. Pallin, M.D.* | (ASA Meeting in New York) |
| 1950 | H. Arthur Snell, M.D.* | Lewis H. Wright, M.D. * |
| 1951 | H. Arthur Snell, M.D.* | E. M. Papper, M.D. * |
| 1952 | E. M. Papper, M.D. * | E. M. Papper, M.D. * |
| 1953 | Harold F. Bishop, M.D. * | E. M. Papper, M.D. * |
| 1954 | Richard N. Terry, M.D. * | S. G. Hershey, M.D. * |
| 1955 | Albert M. Betcher, M.D. * | S. G. Hershey, M.D. * |
| 1956 | E. Dean Babbage, M.D. * | S. G. Hershey, M.D. * |
| 1957 | S. G. Hershey, M.D. * | Louis R. Orkin, M.D. * |
| 1958 | Vincent J. Collins, M.D. * | Louis R. Orkin, M.D. * |
| 1959 | John A. Kalb, M.D. * | Louis R. Orkin, M.D. * |
| 1960 | Edwin Emma, M.D. * | Merel H. Harmel, M.D. * |
| 1061 | Charles M. Landmesser, M.D. * | Albert M. Betcher, M.D. * |
| 1962 | Albert E. Chiron, M.D. * | Albert M. Betcher, M.D. * |
| 1963 | Carl J. Geiger, M.D. * | James O. Elam, M.D. * |
| 1964 | Louis R. Orkin, M.D. * | Merel H. Harmel, M.D. * |
| 1965 | Victor J. Tofany, M.D. * | Benton D. King, M.D. * |
| 1966 | William S. Howland, M.D. * | Benton D. King, M.D. * |
| 1967 | Richard Ament, M.D. * | Benton D. King, M.D. * |
| 1968 | Edgar H. Bachrach, M.D. * | Joseph F. Artusio, Jr., M.D. * |
| 1969 | Kenneth A. Kelly, Jr., M.D. | Joseph F. Artusio, Jr., M.D. * |
| 1970 | George A. Keating, M.D. * | Joseph F. Artusio, Jr., M.D. * |
| 1971 | Robert M. Lawrence, M.D. * | William S. Howland, M.D. * |
| 1972 | Sarah Joffe, M.D. * | William S. Howland, M.D. * |
| 1973 | H. Ketcham Morrell, M.D. * | William S. Howland, M.D. * |
| 1974 | Louis S. Blancato, M.D. * | Sarah Joffe, M.D. * |
| 1975 | William B. McCafferty, M.D. * | Sarah Joffe, M.D. * |
| 1976 | Erwin Lear, M.D. * | Sarah Joffe, M.D. * |
| 1977 | William D. Nugent, M.D. | Paul J. Poppers, M.D. * |
| 1978 | Thomas K. Lammert, M.D. | Paul J. Poppers, M.D. * |
| 1979 | Joyce M. McChesney, M.D. * | Paul J. Poppers, M.D. * |
| 1980 | Edward C. Sinnott, M.D. * | Herman Turndorf, M.D. |
| 1981 | Joseph W. Kramarczyk, M.D. * | Herman Turndorf, M.D. |
| 1982 | Bernard Hollander, M.D. * | Herman Turndorf, M.D. |
| 1983 | James E. Graber, M.D. * | Henrik H. Bendixen, M.D. * |
| 1984 | Lee S. Binder, M.D. * | Henrik H. Bendixen, M.D. * |
| 1985 | Alexander L. Hastie, M.D. | Henrik H. Bendixen, M.D. * |
| 1986 | Gerald S. Weinberger, M.D. | Henrik H. Bendixen, M.D. * |
| 1987 | Charles J. Vacanti, M.D. | Henrik H. Bendixen, M.D. * |
| 1988 | I. Cary Andrews, M.D. * | Mieczyslaw Finster, M.D. * |
| 1989 | Jared C. Barlow, M.D. | Mieczyslaw Finster, M.D. * |
| 1990 | Marilyn M. S. Kritchman, M.D. | Mieczyslaw Finster, M.D. * |
| 1991 | Patrick A. Fantauzzi, M.D. | James E. Cottrell, M.D., FRCA |
| 1992 | Herbert J. Fisch, M.D. * | James E. Cottrell, M.D., FRCA |
| 1993 | Peter B. Kane, M.D. | James E. Cottrell, M.D., FRCA |
| 1994 | Paul L. Goldiner, M.D. * | Alexander W. Gotta, M.D. * |
| 1995 | Anthony A. Ascioti, M.D. | Alexander W. Gotta, M.D. * |
| 1996 | Alexander W. Gotta, M.D. * | Alexander W. Gotta, M.D. * |
| 1997 | James P. Burdick, M.D. | Elizabeth A.M. Frost, M.D. |
| 1998 | Margaret G. Pratila, M.D. | Elizabeth A.M. Frost, M.D. |
| 1999 | Michael S. Jakubowski, M.D. | Elizabeth A.M. Frost, M.D. |
| 2000 | Kenneth J. Freese, M.D. | Elizabeth A.M. Frost, M.D. |
| 2001 | Mark J. Lema, M.D., Ph.D. | Mark J. Lema, M.D., Ph.D. |
| 2002 | Phillip N. Fyman, M.D. | Mark J. Lema, M.D., Ph.D. |
| 2003 | Thel G. Boyette, M.D. | Mark J. Lema, M.D., Ph.D. |
| 2004 | Steven S. Schwalbe, M.D. | Vinod Malhotra, M.D |
| 2005 | Scott B. Groudine, M.D. | Vinod Malhotra, M.D |
| 2006 | Michael H. Mendeszoon, M.D., M.B.A. | Vinod Malhotra, M.D |
| 2007 | Richard A. Beers, M.D. | Rebecca S. Twersky, M.D., MPH, FASA * |
| 2008 | Robert S. Lagasse, M.D. | Rebecca S. Twersky, M.D., MPH, FASA * |
| 2009 | Alan E. Curle, M.D. | Rebecca S. Twersky, M.D., MPH, FASA * |
| 2010 | Paul H. Willoughby, M.D. | Andrew D. Rosenberg, M.D., FASA |
| 2011 | Kathleen A. O’Leary, M.D. | Andrew D. Rosenberg, M.D., FASA |
| 2012 | Salvatore G. Vitale, M.D. | Andrew D. Rosenberg, M.D., FASA |
| 2013 | Michael B. Simon, M.D., M.B.A., FASA | David J. Wlody, M.D., FASA |
| 2014 | Lawrence J. Epstein, M.D., FASA | David J. Wlody, M.D., FASA |
| 2015 | Michael P. Duffy, M.D., FASA | David J. Wlody, M.D., FASA |
| 2016 | Andrew D. Rosenberg, M.D., FASA | Richard A. Beers, M.D. |
| 2017 | Rose Berkun, M.D., FASA | Richard A. Beers, M.D. |
| 2018 | David S. Bronheim, M.D. | Audrée A. Bendo, M.D., M.S., FASA |
| 2019 | Vilma A. Joseph, M.D., M.P.H., FASA | Audrée A. Bendo, M.D., M.S., FASA |
| 2020 | Richard N. Wissler, M.D., Ph.D., FASA | Meg A. Rosenblatt, M.D., FASA |
| 2021 | Christopher L. Campese, M.D., M.A., M.S., FASA, CHCQM | Meg A. Rosenblatt, M.D., FASA |
| 2022 | Jung T. Kim, M.D., FASA | Linda Shore-Lesserson, M.D., FAHA, FASE |
| 2023 | Jason Lok, M.D., FASA | Linda Shore-Lesserson, M.D., FAHA, FASE |
| 2024 | Steven B. Schulman, M.D. FASA | Rose Berkun, M.D., FASA |
| 2025 | Tracey Straker, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., CBA, FASA | Rose Berkun, M.D., FASA |
We proudly acknowledge those individuals who during their professional career, while in New York State, rose through the ranks of the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists, Inc., and its predecessor, the New York Society of Anesthetists, to become President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists:
NYSSA’s ASA Presidents
| Year | ASA Presidents |
| 1935/36 | Harold C. Kelley, M.D. * |
| 1943/44 | E. A. Rovenstine, M.D. * |
| 1957 | Irving M. Pallin, M.D. * |
| 1963 | Albert M. Betcher, M.D. * |
| 1968 | E. M. Papper, M.D. * |
| 1971 | Robert G. Hicks, M.D. * |
| 1977 | Richard Ament, M.D. * |
| 1982 | Louis S. Blancato, M.D. * |
| 1985 | H. Ketcham Morrell, M.D. * |
| 1987 | Howard L. Zauder, M.D., Ph.D. * |
| 2003 | James E. Cottrell, M.D., FRCA |
| 2007 | Mark J. Lema, M.D., Ph.D. |
*Deceased
