Anesthesia

Tampa, Fla.-based Physicians Partners of America is affiliating with Dallas-based Capstone Pain and Spine.

The American Academy of Ophthalmologists opposes Anthem's new policy directing ophthalmologists to assume responsibility for anesthesia administration and patient monitoring during routine cataract surgeries, Newsday reports.

The Iowa Board of Medicine banned Des Moines, Iowa-based anesthesiologist Daniel Baldi, MD, from prescribing any controlled substance for the treatment of chronic pain, KCCI reports.

Dover, Mass.-based pain management physician Fathallah Mashali, MD, was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay more than $8.7 million for defrauding Medicare, insurancenewsnet.com reports.

Anesthesia decision aids can help guide patients through the process of making informed decisions on their care plans.

Virginia legislators introduced a bill that would direct health plans to develop protocols to pay physicians for services performed once a credentialing application is received, instead of waiting until all the paperwork has been received and processed.

Multimodal analgesia is increasingly becoming the standard of care for total joint arthroplasty. A study in Anesthesiology found nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors were the most effective modalities.

A Mahoning County Common Pleas Court jury awarded the family of a deceased man $1 million, after finding a certified registered nurse anesthetist under the direction of Cincinnati-based North Star Anesthesia at least partially responsible for his death, The Vindicator…

California anesthesiologist Stephen Kyosung Kim, MD, will go before a judge March 20 to determine if he is fit to stand trial, Patch reports.

Tampa, Fla.-based Physician Partners of America is adding Harsh Dangaria, MD, to its staff.