RT Book, Section A1 Marino, Joseph A2 Hadzic, Admir SR Print(0) ID 3507969 T1 Chapter 65. Regional Anesthesia in Community Practice T2 NYSORA Textbook of Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management YR 2007 FD 2007 PB The McGraw-Hill Companies PP New York, NY SN 9780071449069 LK accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=3507969 RD 2024/03/28 AB A renewed interest in the treatment of postoperative pain, together with the need for expedient operating room management, creates a professional mandate for the development of safe anesthetic alternatives to the ubiquitous general anesthesia. It is well documented that regional anesthesia helps to decrease opioid-related side effects, facilitates the bypass of the postanesthesia care unit, shortens the turnover times, facilitates early patient discharge, and decreases the risk of unanticipated hospital admissions.1–5 However, a variety of factors germane to the private practice of anesthesiology hinders the wider application of a regional anesthesia-driven service to the community setting. These factors include increased production pressure due to an accelerated surgical pace and volume and a demand for efficiency. In addition, the lack of resources, a shortfall in assistance, and the capricious state of third-party reimbursement often force the specialty to question whether these services can be implemented and offered in a community setting.