The success of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF), incorporated in 1985, is due, in no small measure, to the continuing contributions of Burton A. Dole Jr. Mr. Dole, a founding member of the APSF and its Board of Directors, served as its first Treasurer. During his early tenure in that capacity, he was responsible for obtaining three consecutive annual grants from the Parker B. Francis Foundation, without which the initial programs and success of the APSF would not have been possible.

Hewlett Packard to Puritan-Bennett

Mr. Dole’s contributions to patient safety include 31 years of leadership in the medical device industry, initially with the Hewlett Packard Corporation and subsequently as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Puritan-Bennett Corporation. During this time, the organizations that he led invented, manufactured, and supported many of the diagnostic and therapeutic tools used worldwide by anesthesiologists and critical care practitioners. His background in these areas made him an invaluable resource to the goals of anesthesia patient safety.

VP to CAC

Mr. Dole has served as APSF’s Vice-President since 1990 and as Chairman of its Corporate Advisory Council since 1993. In the latter capacity, his input has yielded increased sources of corporate funding permitting the expansion of programs dedicated to improving the safety of patients receiving anesthesia care for surgical, diagnostic and obstetrical procedures. Mr. Dole’s wisdom and insights have led to productive collaboration between the specialty of anesthesiology and both the medical device and pharmaceutical industries and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, working jointly to improve safety in anesthesia.

In recognition of his dedicated service, the Executive Committee of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation was most pleased to confer upon Burton A. Dole, Jr. the 1997 APSF “Distinguished Achievement Award” on February 1, 1997.