VOLUME 36, ISSUE 1

The Anesthesia Care Team – when comprised of anesthesiologists and certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAA) – is a pillar of patient safety and perioperative excellence. Our collaboration, rooted in a shared commitment to delivering safe and effective anesthesia care, is crucial to the landscape of anesthesia practice in Texas. CAAs have been an important part of anesthesia care in Texas since delegatory authority was established in 1999. CAAs in Texas operate within a closely supervised model under the oversight of an anesthesiologist, prioritizing collaborative patient care. The working relationship of CAAs and anesthesiologists optimizes patient safety and is a testament to the power of teamwork. As CAAs and anesthesiologists continue to uphold the ideals set forth by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, they stand poised to elevate the quality and accessibility of anesthesia care in Texas. As the population in Texas continues to rapidly increase, our sincere hope is that CAAs will gain licensure in Texas in the near future.

As CAAs continue to look ahead to our bright future in Texas, I am excited to bring forth information about the newly announced Master of Science in Anesthesia Program at the University of Texas Health Houston (UTH). The UTH-MSA Program will be the twenty-first program established in the country and the first program from a Texas state institution. The program will be housed under the University of Texas McGovern Medical School. Located in the heart of one of the most diverse cities with the fourth largest population in the country, the UTH-MSA Program will give students the opportunity to complete most of their training within the busiest trauma center in the United States. MSA students at UTH will learn how to manage the anesthetic care for high acuity patients undergoing surgical and procedural care in the subspecialties of trauma, cardiovascular, neurology, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, urology, otolaryngology, oromaxillofacial, ophthalmology, orthopedic, advanced endoscopy, and interventional radiology. Charlie Phung, a CAA who has been with UTH throughout his career will be the program director. Charlie was recognized as the clinical instructor of the year early in his professional career, and then went on to also become a simulation lab instructor. He became one of the Chief CAAs for UTH Memorial Hermann Hospital in 2021. Charlie is proud to represent the UTH Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine in this new program and feels very fortunate to be a part of an extraordinary leadership team. UTH continues to be one of the largest advocates for CAAs in the state of Texas. Charlie says his passion for excellence in education with an emphasis on accountability, respect, responsibility, and diversity has manifested into his new role as the training program director. It is his expectation that this MSA program will be one of the strongest AA training programs in the country. Charlie’s mission as program director is to train and develop exceptionally well-rounded certified anesthesiologist assistants who are leaders in anesthesiology, professionalism, and patient safety.