"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing."
~Dale Carnegie

April was a significant month at National Anesthesia Services. Several anniversary and birthday celebrations provided an abundance of cake and sugar. The most significant date we recognized was National Anesthesia's 21st anniversary with a celebratory dinner and evening out. If you have ever talked to our staff, you'll understand and agree that we have a friendly and fun group of people. This team works hard and plays harder! They bring positive energy and attitudes into all aspects of their jobs, inside and outside of the office. As you know, the staffing industry has seen a lot of change this past year and the need for patience and flexibility has never been greater. The team at National has been unwavering with their positive attitudes and commitment to serve our customers with the best service possible. They are the reason that over 80 percent of our business is with repeat customers and providers.

Positive energy is evident in National's continued involvement with CRNAs and MDs through our program, Haiti Anesthesia Relief. You can read more about this in the article, "National Anesthesia Sends CRNAs to Aid Haiti Earthquake Victims." I am proud of our association with the people who are involved with the latest mission work and blessed that we can help support the ongoing efforts in Haiti's recovery. We are preparing for the spring CRNA meeting for the Michigan Association of Nurse Anesthetists where we always enjoy seeing you face to face. I hope you will enjoy or find interesting the article, "Surgeons Send 'tweets' from Operation Room" which gives a real life encounter of a surgeon giving updates on a procedure in the OR. Last but not least we have a National Provider Identifier update with instructions on how to obtain a copy of your NPI Letter.

I look forward to feedback on this newsletter, so please respond with your thoughts. We look forward to another month of working together and hopefully you will give us the privilege of solving your anesthesia staffing needs or helping to find you a new locum tenens or permanent position!

Stephen Read, President
National Anesthesia Services, Inc.

"The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity."

----- Ulysses S. Grant

The world watched in horror as newscasts reported the devastating story of an earthquake in Haiti. Stephen Read, President of National Anesthesia Services, a premier locum tenens staffing company located in Michigan, decided to do something about it. He quickly mobilized his entire team to work the phones and send out an all points email blitz to over 6,000 anesthesiologists and CRNAs across the United States. They asked for volunteer anesthesia services and much needed supplies to aid earthquake-ravished Haiti and the response was incredible.

Read set up the Haiti Anesthesia Relief program to connect volunteers and supplies to a number of charitable organizations including Doctors Without Borders, the Gaskov Clerge Foundation, Mercy Ships and Hope International Medical Missions.

Ethan Hix, a CRNA working in Tennessee was one of the first to volunteer with Hope International Medical Missions. "I feel very thankful that National Anesthesia Services helped make it possible for me to take part in this relief effort," said Hix. "I know our medical team made a big difference in the lives of many people."

Hix's team consisted of two other anesthesia providers who also left their jobs to volunteer, along with a general surgeon, an orthopedic surgeon, an ER physician and several nurses. Together the team ran a hospital in Fort Liberte, Haiti, located about two hours north of Port-a-Prince. Their clinic/emergency room was set up in a tent donated by the United Nations.

"Our clinic saw 900 patients and did 55 surgeries in just over seven days," said Hix. "I thought I had an idea of what poverty was before going to Haiti, but I quickly found out that it was beyond anything I could have imagined."

Jamie Kaplin, a CRNA from New Mexico volunteered to work with the Gaskov Clerge Foundation, a very small, completely volunteer-based organization. They worked mainly out of the Stadium in Port au Prince and the two "mobile clinics" that were set up in churches. The team consisted of a hospitalist, two pediatricians, a wound care PA, two OB GYNs, an internal medicine dermatologist, two anesthesia providers, multiple RNs and surgical technicians. Together they would see between 400 and 600 patients a day.

"The scale of devastation is so immense that it is very difficult to process the suffering of these beautiful people," said Kaplin. "Just as I thought things couldn't get worse, they did and will continue to worsen into the rainy season. I am honored to have been there thanks to National Anesthesia Services."

"More help is needed," said Read. "The relief efforts are ongoing and thousands are still waiting for medical attention. We are asking for more volunteers and more supplies."

Those interested in helping can visit www.haitianesthesiarelief.com or call 1-800-642- 1999. This website was designed by National Anesthesia for the relief effort.

It's 7 a.m. at Henry Ford Hospital, and surgeons are preparing to remove a cancerous tumor from a man's kidney.

It's potentially a risky surgery, but everything's ready: The doctors and nurses are in the operating room, the surgical instruments are sterilized and ready to go, and the chief resident is furiously Twittering on his laptop.

That's right- last week, for the second known time, surgeons Twittered a surgery by using social- networking site Twitter to give short real-time updates about the procedure.

Following the February 9 operation online were other doctors, medical students and the merely curious.

"Here's something different: HenryFordNews is live tweeting surgery today, getting some buzz, too," wrote one Twitter participant from Massachusetts.

"I find this fascinating!" tweeted another Twitter user from Swansea, United Kingdom.

"It's an interesting use of technology, but I can't help but feel a bit 'eeewww!' about this, " wrote a third tweeter from New York.

Why Twitter a surgery?

Whether it's new and cool or merely yicky, observers say there's no question that more and more doctors- and patients- will be sharing the blow-by- blow of medical procedures on sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Dr. Craig Rogers, the lead surgeon in the Henry Ford surgery, said the impetus for his Twittering was to let people know that a tumor can be removed without taking the entire kidney. "We're trying to use this as a way to get the word out," Rogers said.

Elizabeth Cohen
www.cnn.com

The last time we wrote about the National Provider Identifier we informed you how to apply. Here we are a couple years later with some new information about the National Provider Identifier. As you are all aware, credentialing is becoming more detailed and many more items are required. One of the items needed is your NPI Letter, this is the email that was sent to you with your NPI number in it. I know that for some, the group/facility you worked with applied for your number on your behalf and you never received your NPI Letter. I'm here to tell you how you can get this for your records, all you have to do is follow these easy steps:

1. Do you know your NPI Login and Password? If yes, go to https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/StaticForward.do? forward=static.npistart and select Login. If you do not know this you will need to call 1-800-465- 3203 and speak with a NPI customer service specialist. They will be able to provide you with your Login and Password.

2. After logging into your account you will want to select View/Modify NPI Data. Click through until you reach the section asking for a Contact Person. In this section you will be given the option to enter your email address. If someone else applied for your number most likely his or her information will be here. You will need to remove it and replace it with yours. Hit Save.

3. Click through all the way to the end where you will check the box stating you accept the changes to your account then click Submit.

4. At this time you will need to log out and log back in. Once you are logged back in select Send Email Notification and your NPI Letter will be emailed to you. Make sure to save this in a safe place because you will need it again!

If you have any questions regarding this process please do not hesitate to contact me, Courtney Lozen, Staffing Coordinator at 1-800-642-1999 ext. 315.

General Disclaimer: The materials have been compiled by National Anesthesia Services. Inc. from internal and external sources. However, while we have attempted to provide accurate information in this publication, no representation is made or warranty given as to the completeness or accuracy of the Materials. In particular, you should be aware that the Materials may be incomplete, may contain errors, or may have become out of date. You should therefore verify information obtained from this publication before you take any action upon it.