Many dental procedures involving surgery (tooth extractions, gum surgery, pediatric dentistry, etc.) used to be performed in the hospital or ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), under general anesthesia. Around 1989, many insurance companies stopped paying for these procedures to be done in the hospital setting, and dentists were left to find other alternatives.
Oral surgeons receive some training in anesthesia in their residency, and many of them chose to perform their own anesthesia while also doing the surgery. One of the original oral surgeons in Wichita, Dr. James Quinley, was uncomfortable with this arrangement. He felt that all his attention should be focused on the surgery, and the anesthesia should be left to another professional. He asked Ron Keller if it would be possible to come to his office and help with cases that couldn't be done under local anesthesia. Keller assembled the appropriate monitors, equipment, and supplies at Dr. Quinley's office, and thus was born Special Anesthesia Services.
Before long, other area dentists had heard of the service, and began contacting Keller to help with their patients. He was still working full-time with a hospital based anesthesia group, and as the demand for office services increased, much of his vacation time was used to provide these. For a decade, Special Anesthesia Services continued to provide dental office anesthesia in this fashion.
In the mid 1990s, office based anesthesia was a newly emerging sub-specialty in anesthesia. Many medical procedures were being done in the office, which had previously been confined to the hospital or ASC. Insurance companies, as well as Medicare, were offering physicians greater reimbursements on procedures done in the office, as opposed to the hospital. Keller decided to see if there was a way to make a living at full-time office anesthesia, and, in July of 1996, launched the first office-based anesthesia practice in Kansas.
A large percentage of the office-based cases done during the early years were medical surgeries, mainly dermatological, plastic, and ear, nose, and throat. The dental cases steadily increased in numbers, however, and soon became the primary focus of the practice. Since 2005, SAS provides anesthesia services to dental offices exclusively.
In the early years, Keller did all the paper work, in addition to performing the anesthetics. In September of 2000, Kim Gates brought her expertise in office administration, as SAS opened their first office in her basement. The office has moved locations twice since then, and has remained in its current location at 729 N. Baltimore, in Derby, KS, since moving there in 2002.
Gates was joined in October of 2002, as Bonnie Casterline came out of retirement to bring her decades of experience and expertise to SAS. She retired again in July 2007, but still helps cover vacations for the office staff.
Heather McCreight joined the SAS office team in January 2007. As a former elementary school teacher, she has brought her unique organizational skills to the SAS office.
As demand for sedation services grew, it became obvious that Keller wouldn't be able to do this alone. For many years, he had provided weekend relief services to Kansas anesthetists, including his friend and colleague Marc Williamson, of McPherson. The two had often talked about becoming partners, and began to plan a way to combine Williamson's hospital based practice with Keller's office based practice.
In January of 2006, the new era began. Ryan Morgan and Ryan Kuhn joined Williamson's practice, and a contractual arrangement was reached to have the three join Keller in providing dental office anesthesia services. Business continued to grow, and Abbey Travis joined the force in January of 2007.
Special Anesthesia Services is committed to maintaining and increasing their staff at levels which will allow for dental office anesthesia services to continue indefinitely. Many practitioners, patients, and families have come to rely on these services, and SAS intends to be in a position to provide them as long as there is a need.
Oral surgeons receive some training in anesthesia in their residency, and many of them chose to perform their own anesthesia while also doing the surgery. One of the original oral surgeons in Wichita, Dr. James Quinley, was uncomfortable with this arrangement. He felt that all his attention should be focused on the surgery, and the anesthesia should be left to another professional. He asked Ron Keller if it would be possible to come to his office and help with cases that couldn't be done under local anesthesia. Keller assembled the appropriate monitors, equipment, and supplies at Dr. Quinley's office, and thus was born Special Anesthesia Services.
Before long, other area dentists had heard of the service, and began contacting Keller to help with their patients. He was still working full-time with a hospital based anesthesia group, and as the demand for office services increased, much of his vacation time was used to provide these. For a decade, Special Anesthesia Services continued to provide dental office anesthesia in this fashion.
In the mid 1990s, office based anesthesia was a newly emerging sub-specialty in anesthesia. Many medical procedures were being done in the office, which had previously been confined to the hospital or ASC. Insurance companies, as well as Medicare, were offering physicians greater reimbursements on procedures done in the office, as opposed to the hospital. Keller decided to see if there was a way to make a living at full-time office anesthesia, and, in July of 1996, launched the first office-based anesthesia practice in Kansas.
A large percentage of the office-based cases done during the early years were medical surgeries, mainly dermatological, plastic, and ear, nose, and throat. The dental cases steadily increased in numbers, however, and soon became the primary focus of the practice. Since 2005, SAS provides anesthesia services to dental offices exclusively.
In the early years, Keller did all the paper work, in addition to performing the anesthetics. In September of 2000, Kim Gates brought her expertise in office administration, as SAS opened their first office in her basement. The office has moved locations twice since then, and has remained in its current location at 729 N. Baltimore, in Derby, KS, since moving there in 2002.
Gates was joined in October of 2002, as Bonnie Casterline came out of retirement to bring her decades of experience and expertise to SAS. She retired again in July 2007, but still helps cover vacations for the office staff.
Heather McCreight joined the SAS office team in January 2007. As a former elementary school teacher, she has brought her unique organizational skills to the SAS office.
As demand for sedation services grew, it became obvious that Keller wouldn't be able to do this alone. For many years, he had provided weekend relief services to Kansas anesthetists, including his friend and colleague Marc Williamson, of McPherson. The two had often talked about becoming partners, and began to plan a way to combine Williamson's hospital based practice with Keller's office based practice.
In January of 2006, the new era began. Ryan Morgan and Ryan Kuhn joined Williamson's practice, and a contractual arrangement was reached to have the three join Keller in providing dental office anesthesia services. Business continued to grow, and Abbey Travis joined the force in January of 2007.
Special Anesthesia Services is committed to maintaining and increasing their staff at levels which will allow for dental office anesthesia services to continue indefinitely. Many practitioners, patients, and families have come to rely on these services, and SAS intends to be in a position to provide them as long as there is a need.