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PA's in anesthesia


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There were (are?) AA's/Anesthesia Assistants (PA version of CRNAs) but only in some states and I think there were only a handful of AA's practicing. I think their scope was more limited than CRNA too. I'm not entirely certain of this info but when I first looked into PA in the late 90s, I briefly looked into it.

 

Found a Wikipedia page:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anesthesiologist_assistant

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

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There are AA’s, training additional to or somewhat separate from PA. Approximately 10 programs, however they have a hard time being able to practice, not sure but heard less than 15 states. Within past 2 years, physicians wrote very supportive letters To legislation so AA’s could practice in Virginia, Nurses lobbied heavily against basically saying AA’s would take away Their jobs and state should further support the CNA’s. Guess who won. I made a comment in a thread a while back  that AA and PA should join forces. Scope  of practice is quite different, however, CRNA, RN, APRN....have different scope but stick together with strength in numbers.

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In the Washington State PA modernization bill that died in committee last session, the CRNAs were trying to get anesthesia out of PA scope, and WAPA's rep replied that there were six PAs in the state that were already functioning as anesthesiology PAs with approved practice agreements.  That's all I've ever heard of it in this neck of the woods.

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  • 1 year later...

I had spoke with Shepard many years ago and that was the gist of the conversation, he had a unique situation that they made it work. If there was the option I would have done anesthesia. Even now I’d consider a residency if it were available and jobs were around. 
Going back to the Medicare law, until this is changed we won’t see widespread PAs providing true anesthesia services, maybe AAPA can work on changing this law.  PAs would have to be included on this list of approved anesthesia providers.  AAPA loves to say how difficult it is to change laws, but AAs are on this list so maybe there’s some hope.

42 CFR § 482.52 - Condition of participation: Anesthesia services.

(a) Standard: Organization and staffing. The organization of anesthesia services must be appropriate to the scope of the services offered. Anesthesia must be administered only by - 

(1) A qualified anesthesiologist; 

(2) A doctor of medicine or osteopathy (other than an anesthesiologist); 

(3) A dentist, oral surgeon, or podiatrist who is qualified to administer anesthesia under State law; 

(4) A certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), as defined in § 410.69(b) of this chapter, who, unless exempted in accordance with paragraph (c)of this section, is under the supervision of the operating practitioner or of an anesthesiologist who is immediately available if needed; or 

(5) An anesthesiologist's assistant, as defined in § 410.69(b) of this chapter, who is under the supervision of an anesthesiologist who is immediately available if needed.

Edited by DigitalFusion04
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25 minutes ago, DigitalFusion04 said:

I had spoke with Shepard many years ago and that was the gist of the conversation, he had a unique situation that they made it work. If there was the option I would have done anesthesia. Even now I’d consider a residency if it were available and jobs were around. 
Going back to the Medicare law, until this is changed we won’t see widespread PAs providing true anesthesia services, maybe AAPA can work on changing this law.  PAs would have to be included on this list of approved anesthesia providers.  AAPA loves to say how difficult it is to change laws, but AAs are on this list so maybe there’s some hope.

42 CFR § 482.52 - Condition of participation: Anesthesia services.

(a) Standard: Organization and staffing. The organization of anesthesia services must be appropriate to the scope of the services offered. Anesthesia must be administered only by - 

(1) A qualified anesthesiologist; 

(2) A doctor of medicine or osteopathy (other than an anesthesiologist); 

(3) A dentist, oral surgeon, or podiatrist who is qualified to administer anesthesia under State law; 

(4) A certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), as defined in § 410.69(b) of this chapter, who, unless exempted in accordance with paragraph (c)of this section, is under the supervision of the operating practitioner or of an anesthesiologist who is immediately available if needed; or 

(5) An anesthesiologist's assistant, as defined in § 410.69(b) of this chapter, who is under the supervision of an anesthesiologist who is immediately available if needed.

I was today years old when I learned that AAs have an apostrophe. 

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