CHCS Perspectives Winter 2014

PERSPECTIVES • WINTER 2014 – Page 16 Rafael Miguel, M.D., professor and medical director of NSU’s Anesthesiol- ogist Assistant Program in Tampa and a former Florida Society of Anesthesi- ologists (FSA) president, has been appointed to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee. The 13-member committee is charged with reviewing and evalu- ating data regarding the safety and effectiveness of drugs used in anesthesiology and surgery and formulating recommendations to the commissioner of the FDA. The committee’s evaluation process is among the final reviews conducted prior to full FDA approval of any anesthetic and analgesic drug products. “I am honored to serve on the FDA’s Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee,” said Dr. Miguel. “Developing safer abuse-resistant, pain- relieving medications are among the many ways in which the committee will be working to make anesthesia safer for patients and to finding a way out of the present prescription drug crisis. Physician anesthesiologists and pain-med- icine physicians have been instrumental in this effort and will continue to be a vital part of these goals, and I hope to contribute to the committee in making the best decisions for our patients and our specialty.” “We congratulate Dr. Miguel on his appointment to the FDA’s Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee,” said FSA President Jay Epstein, M.D. “As one of the foremost experts in pain medicine, Dr. Miguel will bring an incredible wealth of knowledge to his new role helping to further the committee’s mission, as well as FSA’s commitment, to enhancing drug safety and effectiveness.” Dr. Miguel specializes in pain medicine and currently has a practice affiliated with the University of South Florida, with clinics in Tampa and Sarasota. He also serves as medical director of the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System Pain Medicine Centers, which has four ambulatory pain medicine centers. In addition to being a past FSA president, Dr. Miguel presently serves on its board of directors and is chair of the FSA Committee on Pain Medicine. His numerous contributions to the organization were recognized when he was named as the 2013 recipient of the FSA’s Distinguished Service Award, which is the highest tribute the society can pay to an FSA member for outstand- ing clinical, educational, or scientific achievement, contribution to the specialty, and exemplary service to the society. FDA Appoints Dr. Rafael Miguel to Drug Products Advisory Committee Anesthesiologist Assistant TAMPA ABOUT THE FLORIDA SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS The Florida Society of Anesthesiologists upholds the highest standards of anesthesia care and patient advocacy by promoting research, education, and innovation. The FSA’s principles are rooted in the preservation of patient safety for all Floridians undergoing surgical, obstetric, or invasive procedures. For more information about the society, please visit www.fsahq.org . Contact Information: Mary Cohen (786) 300-3183 http://fsahq.org