The Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement (SPAQI) is a collaborative forum of multidisciplinary professionals who continue to learn, educate, innovate, and collaborate to deliver high-value, safe perioperative practices.

SPAQI was created in 2006 to transform perioperative care through multidisciplinary collaboration.  Founding board members Drs. Angela Bader, David Hepner, Darin Correll, and BobbieJean Sweitzer came together with the shared goals of fostering perioperative learning, research, and high-level patient care. Dr. Angela Bader served as the first president of SPAQI.

SPAQI leadership consists of the Executive Committee composed of SPAQI Officers charged with the oversight and leadership of the Society--president, vice president (president elect), secretary, treasurer, and immediate past-president.  The secretary and treasurer role were initially combined in one position but split into two roles to expand the size of the Society leadership team. Our past presidents have remained very active in the Society and the Perioperative Summit:

The Board of Governors additionally serves to guide and support SPAQI’s educational mission. The members of the BOG represent a diverse group of international clinicians with unique clinical backgrounds and expertise in perioperative medicine.  The Board of Advisors was also established in 2019.
In it’s decade and a half, SPAQI has broadened the services and support offered to members:

1. Growth and expansion of committees
2. Quarterly newsletter
3. Preop clinic database (2019)
4. Online message forum boards
5. Social media presence (2016)

As SPAQI has grown, it has also expanded its collaborations and connections across the medical profession:

1. Affiliation with Perioperative Care and Operating Room Management (PCORM) as our official journal
2. Partnerships with the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), including invited lectures at their annual conference (2015-current)
3. Overlap and Collaborations through educational sessions and scientific reviews with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) (2014-current)
4. Overlap and collaborations with the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) and Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) perioperative medicine interest groups (current)
5. Implementation via the literature review/writing committee to develop and publish perioperative medicine position papers (2019-current)

Summit History:

The annual Perioperative Medicine Summit is a premier multidisciplinary, international conference bringing perioperative medicine world experts, clinicians, and researchers together.  The Summit was founded in 2005 by Drs. Amir Jaffer and Frank Michota. The first Summit was held in Cleveland. The Summit features lectures, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and a peer-reviewed poster/abstract competition.

In 2007, the Summit became affiliated with SPAQI.  In 2018, SPAQI formally began operating the Summit through a Memorandum of understanding.  The annual meeting director/co-directors and meeting planning committee work closely with SPAQI leadership to produce this high yield, engaging event.

Sadly, Dr. Frank Michota passed away in 2015, and the Dr. Frank Michota Memorial Lecture is held as the Summit keynote lecture each year in his honor.

The Summit rotates locations around the country and has been held in Cleveland, Miami, Scottsdale, Ft. Lauderdale, and Orlando.  In March 2020, in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Summit quickly and successfully pivoted to a hybrid in-person/virtual conference as travel restrictions began.  In March 2021, the Summit was completely virtual.  We look forward to seeing you in-person in San Diego in March 2022 for the 17th Annual Perioperative Medicine Summit!