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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 25, 2021 12:09 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Lynda Schlegel Culver |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA) |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that would create a license for Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA) in Pennsylvania. Currently, Anesthesiologist Assistants have no ability to practice in Pennsylvania. Anesthesiologist Assistants serve as a key part of the anesthesia care team. The profession of anesthesiologist assistant was established in the 1960s by three chairmen of academic anesthesiology departments, who were concerned with the shortage of anesthesiologists in the US. Anesthesia assistants are highly trained master’s degree level non-physician anesthesia care providers. For the past two decades, the mortality rate of anesthesia-related deaths has gone from 1 in 25,000 to 1 in 300,000. My legislation will help to maintain the outstanding standard of anesthesia care here in Pennsylvania, by adding anesthesiologist assistants to the anesthesia care team under the direction of a supervising anesthesiologist. Currently, 16 states, the District of Columbia and the territory of Guam recognize the ability of CAAs to practice. CAAs have also been granted the ability to practice at any Veterans Affairs facility in the United States. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB1956