June 2024

Dear SOAP Members, 

Thanks for an amazing year of growth and progress through collaboration!

It has been my immense privilege to serve as your president this past year. The accomplishments we’ve achieved are a testament to the collaborative effort of dedicated and tireless kindred spirits within our board, committees, and our society. Together, we have made significant strides towards improved maternal health and outcomes. Moving forward, I am hopeful that even more members will become engaged in this crucial work. It is truly our collective synergy that makes such progress possible, despite the many challenges in healthcare now.

Our society’s strength lies in our unwavering commitment to advocacy, promoting education, advancing research, and disseminating best clinical practices. These pillars not only elevate our professional role as the voice of obstetric anesthesia, but also directly impact the quality of care we provide to mothers and their babies. We have fostered a culture of continuous learning and innovation, and I want you to know that every member’s contribution is valued and vital.

At this time of leadership transition for SOAP, we must acknowledge the challenges that remain, particularly the disparities in care that affect maternal health outcomes. It is our responsibility to address these inequities and strive for a future where every mother has access to the highest standard of care, regardless of her background or circumstances. By harnessing our collective expertise and passion, we aim to overcome these obstacles and ensure that our advancements benefit all.

Thank you for your dedication and support. Together we will continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.

May Pian-Smith, MD 
President, Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology 

As always, there is a lot happening at SOAP with our incredibly engaged committees, subcommittees, task forces, and SIGs. Some of our latest activities are described in this message, and you can find more on soap.org. 

BOARD STATS 

• To date, there are 51 SOAP State Representatives, and we continue to work towards securing a representative from each state.  SOAP State Representatives will provide a key contact in each state to help us reach a broader audience, as SOAP strives to meet its mission to provide safe and equitable care for women and newborns everywhere. If you know someone who is interested in becoming a SOAP State Representative, please contact SOAP HQ.  

COMMITTEE STATS 

Annual Meeting and Live Events Committee 

• The 2024 Annual Meeting was held May 1-5, 2024, in Denver, Colorado.  
  • Thank you to everyone who attend the SOAP 2024 Annual Meeting! We had over 900+ attendees, hundreds of high quality sessions, a diverse expert faculty, an outstanding slate of honorees and honorary lecturers, and excellent sponsor support.
    • View Honorees
    • CME Information

• The 2024 Annual Virtual Highlights was held June 10 & 11. Registrants for the Annual Meeting in Denver and Virtual Highlights can access the recordings in the SOAP Learning Center  through Dec. 31, 2024 and earn CME credits. 
• Future Meetings: 
• The 2025 Annual Meeting will be held April 30 – May 4, 2025, in Portland, Oregon. 

Education Committee 

• The SOAP Patient Education Subcommittee posted a new entry in Infographics:
  • Non-Obstetric Surgery
• The Simulations & Technology Subcommittee posted new entry in Simulation Materials:
  • Case of External Cephalic Version
• Journal Club Classic was held June 12, 3pm EST – hosted by Dr. Vesela Kovacheva. Dr. Brian Bateman spoke on: Development of a Comorbidity Index for use in Obstetric Patients

Diversity Committee 

• Diversity & Inclusivity Award winner: Cesar Padilla, MD – Standford University
• Diversity & Inclusivity Mentored Grants winners: Anusha Reddy, MD & Chantal Pyram-Vincent, MD, MPH – Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, & Claudia Sotillo, MD & Pervez Sultan, MBChC, FRCA, MD, Stanford University

Governance Committee 

• Governance Committee reviewed subcommittee placements and sent them to committee chairs for review and finalization. Members are being notified of their assignments.

• 2024-25 Committee/Subcommittee Orientation will be scheduled in early July.

• View the honorees page for a full list of the Centers of Excellence designees.
• The SOAP Speaks! database has launched! View the database to access vetted SOAP members who are enthusiastic to share their expertise and passion on a variety of topics.

• Call for Content - SOAP/ASRA Newsletter Swap: Deadline July 10 
• Join one of the fifteen Special Interest Groups. To see a full list of the Special Interest Groups visit the SOAP website. 
• SOAP Fundamentals will be held September 14 & 21. 
• Save the date for the Fall Forum: November 13 & 14. 

Research Committee  

• Research Network Symposium to be held at the W hotel Philadelphia during ASA on Sunday, October 20 from 10am – 1pm.
• View previous projects presented.
• Members were sent Save the Date notices for the Symposium at the ASA. 

• Combined net assets for SOAP and the SOAP Endowment were $5.7M as of February 29, 2024. 
• Shop the newly launched SOAP Swag online store featuring SOAP branded merchandise. 

SOAP Headquarters 

• Log into the SOAP Community! We’re happy to invite you to join the NEW official SOAP online community platform at TradeWing! The new platform has many of the features members requested.  
• Add [email protected] to your safe sender's list so you can receive announcements from SOAP Community. 
• View the full list of features and frequently asked questions.