About the SSAI
Background
In 1949 the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiologists (Nordisk Anaestesiologisk Forening, NAF) was founded as a society of anaesthesiologists in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) based on individual membership. In 1997 the General Assembly of NAF agreed that the Society needed modernization regarding its aims, goals and visions with special emphasis on education, quality issues and research. In 1999 the by-laws and the proposed organisational changes were approved by the General Assembly at the 50th Anniversary Congress of the Society in Aarhus. The name was changed to: The Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, abbreviated SSAI.
The Organisational Structure
The Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care medicine (SSAI) is an umbrella organisation for the national societies of anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine in the Nordic countries. All full members of the national societies are automatically members of SSAI. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica is the official journal of the Society. All full members as well as associate and honorary members receive the journal the subscription fee being included in the membership fee. The General Assembly is the supreme authority of the Society. It will be held biannually at the congresses. It is open to all members of the Society, who have the right to speak and an opportunity to ask questions and to raise matters for discussion.
The Society has three permanent Subcommittees: The Clinical Practice Committee (CPC) works out proposals for joint Scandinavian quality standards within the field of interest and establishes evidence based recommendations and guidelines for good clinical practice. The Subcommittee takes initiatives for implementation of the recommendations and guidelines through publication in Acta and by approaching the responsible authorities in the different member countries in collaboration with the national societies. The CPC has six members, one member from each of the five member countries. The General Assembly elects the members on recommendation of the boards of the national societies. The Secretary General of the Society is the sixth member of this Subcommittee. The Chairperson of CPC is appointed by the Board of SSAI. The electoral period is four years and re-election can take place for a period of two years.
The Educational Committee (EC) has a remit in matters concerning education and training, works out proposals for strategies and policies of the Society in the educational field and is responsible for the practical organisation and management of educational initiatives. It has six members, one member from each of the five member countries. The President of the Society is the sixth member of this Subcommittee. The General Assembly elects the members on the recommendation of the boards of the national societies. The Chairperson of EC is appointed by the Board of SSAI. The electoral period is four years. Re-election can take place for a period of two years.
The Research Committee (RC) handles the applications for SSAI research grants with a priority to clinical, epidemiological and educational projects involving more than one of the nordic countries. It has six members, one member from each country of the five member countries. The General Assembly elects the members on recommendation of the boards of the national societies. The Editor-in-Chief of Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica is the sixth member and Chairperson of RC.
The Board is responsible for the management of the Society. It consists of 15 members, four of whom are elected by the General Assembly, one is appointed by the Board and 10 are nominated by the national societies. The President is the chief executive officer of the Society. Within a framework decided by the Board the President has the responsibility for the strategies, policies, activities and economic affairs of the Society. The Secretary General has, within the framework decided by the Board, the daily responsibility for the administration and management of the Society. The Treasurer has, within the framework decided by the Board, the daily responsibility for the economic affairs and financial policy. The Editor-in-Chief of Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica (Acta) has the legal responsibility for the editing and managing of the journal. The Editor-in-Chief is an ex-officio member of the Board of the Acta Foundation. The Chairperson of the congress to come is appointed by the Board. Within a framework decided by the Board the Chairperson is responsible for the organisation, arrangement and economic affairs in relation to the next international scientific congress of the Society. The President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer are elected by the General Assembly for a four-year period. Re-election can take place once for a period of two years. The Election Subcommittee enlists nominations of candidates for vacancies on the Board as President, Secretary General and Treasurer. It has six members and consists of the past chairperson of the congress who shall serve as chair and a past chairperson of each of the national societies. The electoral period for the national representatives is settled by the respective national society.
The Chairperson of the EC, CPC, RC, the Manager of the ACTA Foundation, the web-master of SSAI homepage, as well as past, current and future congress presidents are ex-officio Board members of SSAI. The SSAI Board meets twice a year: in January and during the summer at the next SSAI congress place or prior to the SSAI Congress.
Officers of SSAI Board
The President
Sten Lindahl 1999 – 2005
Eldar Söreide 2006 – 2011
Sigridur Kalman 2012 – 2017
Klaus Olkkola 2018 –
The Secretary General
Thorsteinn Stefansson 1999 – 2003
Eija Nilsson 2004 – 2007
Sigridur Kalman 2008 – 2011
Anne Berit Guttormsen 2012 – 2015
Tom Silvfast 2016 –
The Treasurer
Mårten Brinklöv 2000 – 2005
Freddy Lippert 2006 – 2009
Tom Silvfast 2010 – 2015
Per Nellgård 2016 –
Chairpersons on the subcommittees
The Clinical Practice Subcommittee
Jouko Jalonen 1999 – 2003
Eldar Söreide 2003 – 2006
Minna Niskanen 2006 – 2009
Ann Møller 2010 – 2011
Jon Henrik Laake 2012 – 2017
Morten Møller Hylander 2018 –
The Education Subcommittee
Hans Flaaten 1999 – 2003
Doris Östergaard 2003 – 2007
Kristian Hyldmo 2008 – 2011
Leila Niemi-Murola 2012 – 2015
Annukka Vahtera 2016 –
The Research Subcommittee
Anders Åneman 2008 – 2011
Palle Toft 2012 – 2013
Lars Rasmussen 2013 – 2015
Michael Haney 2016 –