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Welcome to another episode of the CSA’s Podcast Vital Times

In September 2025, a landmark ruling by a California judge stated that nonphysicians could not use the term “Doctor” in a clinical setting. This was a ruling in response to a lawsuit filed by Three California-based nurse practitioners. They challenged California Business and Professions Code Section 2052, which makes it a misdemeanor for nonphysicians to use “Dr” in clinical settings or advertisements.

Judge Jesus G. Bernal wrote in the opinion that using the title “Dr.” by nonphysicians in clinical contexts is “inherently misleading” and amounts to regulated commercial speech. Because of that, it does not fall under free speech protections.

The court sided with the state, which argued that allowing nonphysicians to use “Dr.” could confuse patients about who is providing their care. Bernal cited an American Medical Association (AMA) survey showing: 39% of patients mistakenly believed that DNPs are physicians. He concluded that even when nurses disclose their credentials, the risk of confusion remains high in healthcare settings.

To help us understand the importance of both the law and the ruling - 3 amazing patient advocates ae joining the show today.

Dr. Rebekah Bernard is a family physician in Fort Myers, Florida. She's a founding member and past president of Physicians for Patient Protection, a grassroots advocacy group focused on ensuring physician-led care for all patients and truth and transparency among healthcare practitioners, and has authored two books on scope of practice.

Dr. Antonio Hernandez Conte -- Former Chair of CSA Legislative and Practice Affairs Division from 2019 to 2022. Hhen served as President from 2023-2024 and is now a Past-President. Dr. Hernandez Conte is also a Partner with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group and a Clinical Professor at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine.

Dr. Christina Menor is a board-certified anesthesiologist in private practice in Los Angeles. She specializes in ambulatory, pediatric and obstetric anesthesiology. Dr. Menor currently serves as the President for the California Society of Anesthesiologists. She coauthored an article describing California survey data about medical titles. She is a member of Physicians Protecting Patients and is an active advocate for physician led care and title transparency.

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Dr. J.W. Beard, a UCSF-trained anesthesiologist and Chief Medical Officer of GE Healthcare’s Patient Care Solutions division, joins the Vital Times podcast to discuss his remarkable career journey. As a member of the Board of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, Dr. Beard shares how his background in anesthesiology uniquely prepared him for leadership in the medical technology industry, and offers insights into bridging clinical practice and innovation.

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The CSA and the Vital Times podcast are proud to recognize Dr. Ana Maria Crawford of Stanford University, recipient of the 2025 ASA Nicholas Greene, MD Award for Outstanding Humanitarian Contribution.

In this episode, host Dr. Ludwig Lin speaks with Dr. Crawford about her decades-long commitment to advancing global health. To learn more about opportunities to get involved in global health initiatives and participate in Dr. Crawford’s upcoming webinars, visit www.stanesglobal.com.
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Dr. Ludwig Lin of the CSA Vital Times Podcast sits down with Dr. Adjoa Boateng Evans, a former Stanford ICU and anesthesia attending and now faculty at Duke University School of Medicine to discuss her pioneering work in bringing Humanities and personal expression into academic anesthesiology. She shares how this approach can help healthcare professionals navigate the stresses of our profession and build resilience. What inspired her to take this path? Tune in to find out.

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Dr. Jason Leong began his career as a night-shift nurse in the emergency department, quickly advancing to the role of charge nurse. Determined to further his impact in patient care, he went on to attend medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He then completed a combined Internal Medicine and Anesthesiology residency at Stanford University, followed by advanced training in Critical Care Medicine and Cardiac Anesthesiology.

Unique? Absolutely. But beyond his impressive credentials, Dr. Leong is an engaging and insightful conversationalist. In this episode of Vital Times, Dr. Ludwig Lin sits down with him for an in-depth discussion.

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Welcome to another episode of Vital Times, the CSA podcast!
I'm your host, Dr. Rita Agarwal, and today we’re revisiting an important topic: mentorship. We've discussed mentoring before, but its significance in the lives and careers of anesthesiologists makes it worth exploring again.

Strong mentorship can have a transformative impact, especially for early career anesthesiologists. Yet, despite its many benefits, building effective mentorship programs continues to be a challenge. In this episode, we’ll focus on how mentorship can help young professionals truly thrive.

We’re joined by two outstanding guests:

Dr. Titi Aina-Jones, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Texas Children’s Hospital. She trained at the University of Connecticut, University of Florida, and Boston Children’s Hospital, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Medical Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ioana Pasca, Associate Professor at Riverside and Loma Linda University Medical Center in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Neurocritical Care. She also serves as Associate Program Director and Director of Neuroanesthesia at Riverside University Health System, and like Dr. Aina-Jones, is currently enrolled in the Medical Education Master’s Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

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In this episode of the CSA Vital Times podcast, host Dr. Ludwig Lin explores the role of Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs). He speaks with anesthesiologists who have experience working alongside CAAs and navigating the legislative efforts to establish a CAA system in clinical practice. The episode also features a CAA who is a leader in education and practice management. This introductory conversation aims to familiarize California listeners with the CAA model, share key insights, and spark interest in this emerging aspect of anesthesiology care.

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Catch this episode where *both* of the Vital Times podcast hosts, Drs. Rita Agarwal and Ludwig Lin, show up, and discuss how they fell in love with Anesthesiology, and podcasting.