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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 13, 2022 04:12 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Eric Davanzo |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Real Patient Safety Concern: Anesthesiologist Assistants are not Required to have any Healthcare Experience |
| Recently, I have noticed legislation, as well as job postings, which would permit Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs) to practice in Pennsylvania. Currently, our health systems are trying to find ways to meet the demand of the communities they serve through cost-efficient measures that ensures patient safety. However, permitting AAs to practice in Pennsylvania does nothing to improve accessibility, actually drives health care costs ups, and in no way improves safety for our patient constituents in Pennsylvania. AAs are only permitted to work by licensure in 14 states and are significantly limited by their training and licensure to provide only clinical support in an assistant role. AAs are not required to have any healthcare experience prior to anesthesiologist assistant school and as such, are trained as dependent providers that are not licensed, and legally not permitted to make any decisions regarding patient care. Because of AAs lack of education, training, and experience, they are the only healthcare providers that are required to be directly supervised by a physician anesthesiologist that must be physically present. Due to this restrictive requirement, permitting AAs to practice in Pennsylvania creates a provider redundancy that is one of the costliest delivery models of anesthesia. We should not permit a model in which two providers are required to work together to provide the identical services, already available in Pennsylvania, for a fraction of the cost. These increased healthcare costs will be absorbed by our facilities through anesthesia stipends - meaning money will be unnecessarily diverted from other areas of the hospital that needs it - or the increase in cost will be deferred to patients, Pennsylvania residents. CRNAs and physician anesthesiologists, not anesthesiologist assistants, have a long track record of providing safe anesthesia care for Pennsylvanians. Due to this simple fact, I plan to introduce legislation that would bar AAs from practicing in Pennsylvania. Please join me in cosponsoring this legislation to prevent Anesthesiologist Assistants from practicing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to avoid unnecessary healthcare costs, while prioritizing patient safety and quality of care. |