Letter: Support use of assistants for anesthesiology care
Whether you are expecting a baby, having a knee replacement or an emergency surgery, you want access to the best medical treatment. This includes an anesthesia care team protecting you before, during and after the procedure, managing your pain and ensuring your safety.
Current workforce challenges in health care and the backlog of surgeries in Illinois potentially jeopardize the care all Illinoisans deserve.
Senate Bill 2214 addresses that challenge by expanding the team providing anesthesia care to allow certified anesthesiologist assistants to practice in our state.
CAAs are highly-trained non-physician anesthesia care professionals who work under the direction of physician anesthesiologists without compromising safety, at no additional cost to patients. Currently, CAAs can practice in 20 U.S. jurisdictions and all U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. They also are eligible for rural pass-through payment from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid that allows both rural hospitals and major regional medical centers to serve more patients and fully staff operating rooms.
When CAAs are added to the team, both patients and hospitals benefit from expanded anesthesia services.
As a practicing physician anesthesiologist in Illinois, I know how important it is to have an anesthesiologist and a fully-staffed, qualified team available since you never know when a complication can occur.
Recently, after managing the labor pain of a patient after childbirth, I noticed her blood pressure dropped and she became abnormally drowsy. These subtle symptoms are signs of a postpartum bleed that had potentially deadly consequences. The patient's access to me and the Anesthesia Care Team provided her with the critical care needed to immediately diagnose and treat this life-threatening condition.
Every patient deserves access to safe, high-quality anesthesia care without delays. Ask your state senator to vote "yes" to Senate Bill 2214.
Lisa Solomon
Elgin