“It showed far fewer anesthesiologists were needed, and leadership thought staffing could be cut. That’s why anesthesia leadership needs to be at the table presenting comprehensive data. People who aren’t involved day to day may look at one small snapshot that doesn’t reflect reality.”There are some signs that ASC and health system leadership is aligning with these views. “Anesthesia data comes from multiple systems — OR, cath lab, GI, bronchoscopy — and anesthesia leadership is the only group that can pull it together holistically,” Dr. Friedman said. “Without that, decisions lead to inappropriate coverage, unhappy surgeons, unhappy anesthesia providers, and attrition.