March 24, 2020

The Honorable Donald J. Trump

President of the United States and

The Honorable Michael R. Pence

Vice President of the United States

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20501

Dear Mr. President and Mr. Vice President:

On behalf of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and our nearly 54,000

members, I am writing to express thanks for your work to address the coronavirus

(COVID-19) pandemic.

We are grateful to have been invited to participate in your conference call with physician

organizations and we look forward to continuing our discussions with your team about

how ASA can work to assure the safety and well-being of our front-line

anesthesiologists and ensure Americans maintain access to the highest-quality

anesthesia and critical care services.

All anesthesiologists have training in critical care medicine during our residency

programs. Some anesthesiologists practice critical care medicine full time as

intensivists. Those who practice in the operating room use ventilators on most of our

patients, including those who are from critical care units. Anesthesiologists also

specialize in pain medicine and they, too, have the background to assist in a crisis.

As we discussed on the conference call and in subsequent calls with Administration

officials, our top priorities remain:

1. Prioritize Action to Expand Access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

We applaud the steps the Administration has taken to ensure greater access to crucial

medical supplies and equipment, including N95 masks. We will not be able replace

highly trained physicians or other health care workers should they become infected and

ill.

Accordingly, the safety and protection of our front-line anesthesiologists is ASA’s top

priority. The Administration’s partnership with the private sector to obtain additional

supply of PPE and the President’s declaration to invoke the Defense Production Act