Certified anesthesiologist assistants have been granted licensure in Virginia, thanks to a law that will go into effect on July 1.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law Senate Bill 882, joining over 20 states in allowing nonphysician anesthetists to practice alongside physician-led anesthesia teams, according to a March 25 press release sent to Becker’s.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Virginia Society of Anesthesiologists have both expressed their support for the bill.
CAAs undergo training to deliver anesthesia care and advanced patient monitoring techniques. They work under the direction of anesthesiologists.
“This action allows patients in Virginia to benefit from the state-of-the-art care services that CAAs provide,” Donald Arnold, MD, president of the ASA, said in the release. “CAAs balance and supplement the perioperative anesthesia workforce and actively contribute to better access, improved service line expansion efforts and preserved quality in patient care. We are very pleased that Gov. Youngkin recognizes these contributions and are hopeful that all states will adopt similar legislation.”
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