The ABA Announces New Executive Director, Professional Affairs
Raleigh, N.C. (June 30, 2023) – The American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) announced today that ABA President Robert R. Gaiser, M.D., has been appointed the ABA’s Executive Director, Professional Affairs (EDPA), effective July 1. Dr. Gaiser succeeds Daniel J. Cole, M.D., as EDPA, concluding Dr. Cole’s nine-year tenure. The EDPA position was established in 2009 to provide a physician voice for the ABA within the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which sets professional standards for initial and continuing medical specialty certification.
Dr. Gaiser has served on the ABA Board of Directors since 2012 and currently chairs the ABA’s Executive and Finance Committee. He will conclude his tenure on the Board of Directors in fall 2024 and remain active with the ABA through his role as EDPA.
Beyond the ABA, Dr. Gaiser is the anesthesiology residency program director and professor of anesthesiology at Yale University School of Medicine. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the Committee on Continuing Certification (3C) of the ABMS.
Dr. Cole has been involved with ABMS at both the committee and assembly levels for over 13 years and has held a myriad of roles, including service as an Assembly Representative, At-Large Director, Member Board Empowered Representative, and Executive Committee member. He has also made valuable contributions through his service on the ABMS Health and Public Policy Committee, International Task Force, Accountability and Resolution Committee, National Priorities Workgroup and Research and Education Foundation Board of Directors.
“Throughout his involvement with both the ABMS and the ABA, Dr. Cole has contributed immensely, including to the development of the new 2024 ABMS Standards for Continuing Certification,” said ABA Secretary Alex Macario, M.D., MBA. “Dr. Cole has represented the voice of our Board of Directors with great professionalism, often advancing difficult conversations with wisdom and insight. It has been a pleasure to work alongside him. Dr. Cole has left a lasting impact on the specialty, for which we are incredibly grateful.”
Dr. Cole served on the ABA Board of Directors from 2008 through 2020 and was ABA President in 2018. Dr. Cole is a professor of clinical anesthesiology and the vice chair for professional and business development at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
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Press contact:
Kara Sabatino
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(919) 745-2209
kara.sabatino@theaba.org
About the American Board of Anesthesiology
Our mission is to advance the highest standards of the practice of anesthesiology. As the certifying body for anesthesiologists since 1938, we work with physicians to elevate practice standards and foster exceptional patient care. We administer initial and subspecialty certification exams as well as the Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) program, which is designed to promote lifelong learning, a commitment to quality clinical outcomes and patient safety. Based in Raleigh, NC, we are a nonprofit organization and a Member Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).