AANA Honors our Nation’s Veterans, Supports Better Care And Greater Access to Healthcare in VA

Newswise — Rosemont, Ill. (AANA) – In observance of Veterans Day, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) honors and thanks the nation’s military veterans for their bravery and service to our country. AANA also recognizes our military Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), who are the primary providers of anesthesia care in the U.S. military and often the sole providers of anesthesia in austere environments.

“Military service requires a commitment, whether in wartime or peace, when there is often a sacrifice to be made,” said AANA President Dru Riddle, PhD, DNP, CRNA, FAAN. “As we honor those members of the nation’s military who served with such devotion, it is our turn to honor their service while making sure veterans have timely access to the high-quality care they need.”  

CRNAs deliver high-quality anesthesia care to all populations, including the complex needs of our nation’s veterans, due to their specialized and detailed anesthesia training.  CRNAs consistently demonstrate their competence and expertise in providing anesthesia services, without supervision, even in challenging environments such as battlefields.

Recently, during a congressional hearing, AANA refuted the erroneous testimony from the American Medical Association (AMA) and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), pointing that out physician supervision of CRNAs has no proven benefits to patients or quality of care, but it does have proven costs and detriments. An autonomous CRNA collaborating with a surgeon is the most cost-effective model for anesthesia delivery and used by healthcare facilities throughout the nation. 

AANA urged the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system to provide the same anesthesia care and services to our veterans as is in place in healthcare systems in 49 states. 

AANA also refuted the false narrative of physician anesthesiologists that the VA is planning to replace all physician anesthesiologists with CRNAs. AANA maintains that both physician anesthesiologists and CRNAs must be available to provide direct patient services, and that VA facilities should be afforded the ability to choose the best anesthesia delivery model that meets their needs.

“AANA believes that the VA facilities should be provided an opportunity to staff their anesthesia needs in the way that works best for that facility,” Riddle said. “AANA maintains that physician anesthesiologists should be utilized in direct patient care to ensure all veterans have access to the care they need… Autonomous practice has been tried and proven effective in our military system, and there is no reason it should not be adopted by the Veterans Health Administration.”

Currently, only seven states have rules in their Nurse Practice Acts or the State Boards of Nursing that require physician supervision of CRNA services. Twenty-four states have opted out of Medicare’s supervision requirement for CRNAs. Only one state requires the supervision by a physician anesthesiologist when a CRNA is providing care, and even then, only at ambulatory surgical centers.   

In some states, CRNAs are the sole anesthesia providers in nearly 100 percent of rural hospitals, affording these medical facilities obstetrical, surgical, trauma stabilization, and pain management capabilities.

Visit this link for more information and to contact your Congressional representative to oppose legislation harming veterans’ access to care.