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 "The Infinite Game"

Infinite Anesthesia 2In order to understand the vision of Infinite Anesthesia, we must first reflect on notions explained by James P. Carse ("Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility") and Simon Sinek ("The Infinite Game"). Carse writes that, "A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play." Sinek elaborates on the idea stating, “In a finite game, the game ends when the time is up and the players live on to play another day... In an infinite game, it’s the opposite. It is the game that lives on, and it is the players whose time runs out.” 

How does this translate to health care and the clinical setting? The authors of the "The Infinite Game: One Possible Future of Anesthesia in the United States"— including our department Chair Dr. Dan Berkowitz and Dr. Matt Sherrer—challenge clinicians to apply Sinek's five essential practices for adopting an infinite game mindset, and then build a new anesthesia approach, "Infinite Anesthesia," with these five practices as its core values.­

 

Lead Infinitely: Framework Resources

  • 1. Advance a just cause.

    1. Advance a just cause.

    “The just cause pursued by Infinite Anesthesia is the creation of a mutually supportive workspace that maximizes patient care with every encounter—in a way that appreciates every team member.”
    - The Infinite Game: One Possible Future of Anesthesia in the United States

    The Infinite Game: One Possible Future of Anesthesia in the United States
    Sherrer, D. Matthew MD, MBA, FASA, FAACD*; Dutton, Richard P. MD, MBA†; Kamdar, Nirav MD, MPP, MBA‡; Reede, Lynn DNP, MBA, CRNA, FNAP§; Tsai, Mitchell H. MD, MMM, FASA, FAACD∥; Berkowitz, Dan E. MB BCh*; Vetter, Thomas R. MD, MPH, MFA
    Anesthesia & Analgesia 137(6):p 1179-1185, December 2023. | DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000006628

    UAB Anesthesia Care Team Optimization Committee (ACTOC)
    ACTOC Mission: Optimize the perioperative care of our patients by building and promoting an inclusive, respectful, and fulfilling anesthesia care team.

Contact

SherrerMatt Sherrer, M.D., MBA, FASA, FAACD
dsherrer@uabmc.edu