Author Archives: dacana

Oppose legislation harming veterans access to anesthesia care

Yesterday, during the ASA’s annual legislative conference, Representatives David Scott (D-GA), Mike Turner (R-OH), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) introduced a bill ironically named the “Protect Lifesaving Anesthesia Care for Veterans Act of 2023” (H.R. 3347).  This self-serving legislation puts physician anesthesiologists’ egos ahead of veterans’ access to care and demonstrates once again […]

Ask your Representative to cosponsor the “ICAN Act” TODAY!

Representatives David Joyce (R-OH) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) have reintroduced the “Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act” (H.R. 2713) in the 118th Congress. This legislation will make a real difference for our patients by eliminating many of the barriers to the use of the highest-quality healthcare services provided by advanced practice registered nurses, […]

Special Business Meeting

The AANA Board of Directors has authorized an interactive hybrid meeting for the Aug. 19, 2023, AANA Business Meeting (BUSM). This will allow full participation in the meeting by eligible voting members both in the business meeting room and participating online. Because current BUSM Standing Rules do not support a hybrid business meeting format, the […]

In Memoriam: Col. Herb Watson, MEd, CRNA (1928-2023)

Col. Herb Watson, MEd, CRNA, a legend in nurse anesthesiology education, died on March 7, 2023, at the age of 94. Watson was a past chair of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Nurse Anesthesia and helped set the foundations for nurse anesthesiology education in the U.S. Among his many accomplishments, he received AANA’s Helen Lamb […]

AANA Recommends SAMHSA Allow CRNAs to be Medical Directors

In a letter to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the AANA recommended that CRNAs be included as providers who can be directors of Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP). Currently, only physicians can serve in this role. This letter was in response to the agency’s proposed rule on Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in OTPs. […]