LAS VEGAS — Quality of life and prevention of unnecessary tragedy shape the stories told by the 2004 ASA Media Award winners. This year’s winners include Donna Gehrke-White of the Miami Herald, the team of Robin Guess, John Fulton and Aaron Wische of WFTS-TV (ABC Action News) and Mary Ann VanDevelde of WPXI.com.

The presentation ceremony will take place during the ASA annual meeting held October 23-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ms. Gehrke-White receives her award for the May 1 Herald article, “A Survivor’s Story.” The feature describes the tale of an anesthesiology resident who was given a second chance after being severely injured in an auto accident as a youth. After almost losing his life, Adam L. Blomberg was inspired to speak to young people about the importance of wearing a safety belt. A recent medical school graduate, Dr. Blomberg also wants to help others by becoming an anesthesiologist.

An investigative news report by Ms. Guess and staff at ABC’s affiliate in Tampa, Fla., unraveled the tragic and preventable death of Julie Rubenzer, a plastic surgery patient. According to the story, Ms. Rubenzer was operated on without benefit of an anesthesia professional, and her death is blamed on complications of the improperly administered and managed anesthesia. This two-part program, which aired in the Tampa and St. Petersburg television market in February and March of 2004, pointed out the importance of having a trained and qualified anesthesia professional on hand for outpatient surgeries. Anesthesiologist Hector Vila, Jr., M.D., was a featured expert in the news broadcast.

The Web-based winner produced by Mary Ann VanDevelde featured Doris K. Cope, M.D., director of the Pain Medicine Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Dr. Cope’s childhood memories of her grandmother’s struggle with cancer pain fueled her desire to evaluate and treat pain. The article details her work at UPMC and the field of pain medicine. WPXI.com is affiliated with WPXI-TV, Channel 11 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

ASA recognizes that if people are informed about the many aspects of anesthesiology and pain medicine, they will be better able to ask specific questions and make informed decisions about their care should they require surgery. Up to four ASA Media Awards may be presented each year for media presentations—on television or radio, in print (newspaper, magazine) or Web-based—which inform and educate the public about the medical practice of anesthesiology.

The recipients of the 2003 ASA Media Award were reporter Lila Guterman of the Chronicle of Higher Education and television producer Theresa Wells of the University of California-Davis. Other past recipients of the ASA Media Award have included NBC network correspondent Jim Avila, Chris Newbold of Alabama Public Radio and Andis Robeznicks from the American Medical Association’s publication AM News.