Independent Practice Does Not Expand Rural Access
MYTH: Unsupervised practice by nurse anesthetists leads to increased access to care in rural areas.
FACT: Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) cannot practice in areas where facilities don’t exist. An examination of county of residence data showed that both anesthesiologists and CRNAs are clustered around the 106 trauma hospitals (levels I-III) in Texas where anesthesia services are required. Anesthesiologists reside in every county with a trauma hospital, where they work and care for patients.1
Anesthesiologists are primarily responsible for the safety and well-being of patients before, during and after surgery. This may include:
- Placing the patient in the state of controlled unconsciousness called “general anesthesia”
- Providing “regional anesthetics,” in which only a portion of the body is made numb
- Administering sedation when indicated for the relief of pain or anxiety
All of these anesthetics provide continuous pain relief and sustain patients’ critical life functions as they are affected throughout surgical, obstetrical or other medical procedures.
The role of the anesthesiologist extends beyond the operating room. The anesthesiologist is responsible for the preoperative assessment of the patient, an evaluation process that carefully considers both the patient’s current state of health and the planned surgical procedure. This evaluation allows anesthesiologists to make judgments about the safest anesthesia plan for each individual patient. The anesthesiologist also is responsible for the well being of the patient postoperatively, while the patient emerges from the effects of anesthesia. They often are involved in the management of acute postoperative pain, as well as chronic and cancer pain; cardiac and respiratory resuscitation; blood transfusion therapies; and respiratory therapy.
In states that have granted independent practice to CRNAs, studies consistently show no increase in inpatient access to care. Patients travel the same distance to receive care in states with independent practice as states where CRNAs practice under the delegation of a physician.4
Oppose SB 1700 by Sen. César Blanco
- Texas Department of State Health Services. “Texas Trauma Facilities.” Texas Department of State Health Services, 15 Oct. 2022.
- Health Workforce Mapper.” American Medical Association, American Medical Association.
- O’Reilly, Kevin B. “3-Year Study of NPS in the ED: Worse Outcomes, Higher Costs.” American Medical Association, 10 Mar. 2023.
- Schneider JE, Ohsfeldt R, Li P, Miller TR, Scheibling C. Assessing the impact of state “opt-out” policy on access to and costs of surgeries and other procedures requiring anesthesia services. Health Econ Rev. 2017 Dec;7(1):10.
For more information regarding the care provided by anesthesiologists please visit https://tsa.org/advocacy/
TSA Facebook Feed
6 days ago
TMA Letter Calls Out HHSC Over Medicaid Payment Rates
TMA responded to the state’s latest proposed Medicaid rates, issuing a letter calling out the lack of an inflationary adjustment, bringing along anesthesiologists and oncologists who will specifical...TSA Instagram Feed
TSA Twitter Feed
TSA Member Alerts
TSA provides CME programs; advocates at the legislative, regulatory and legal arenas; and through its representation at the ASA, TMA, and AMA, it insures that TSA’s voice is heard at the state and national levels.
Posted 03/2023
The TSA is a voluntary, non-profit association of over 3,800 members interested in the medical specialty of Anesthesiology and it is a component of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
Posted 07/2022
The American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association of physicians organized to raise standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and to improve patient care.
Posted 01/2022
The Pediatric CV Anesthesia Fellowship at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is now Texas Medical Board
Posted 01/2021
TSA Upcoming Events
Get your Free Texas Prescription Monitoring Program CME today!