Over the holidays, families in our community faced canceled surgeries that may persist well into this year due to a shortage of anesthesiologists. Not only is this stressful for families, but delaying surgeries often leads to more expensive and urgent care needs.
This was just the latest example of what we all know: our health care system is in crisis. The causes are complex.
Workforce recruitment and training isn’t keeping up with the needs of an aging population. Health care workers are burnt out and leaving the field. And costs are skyrocketing while payment has not grown at the same rate.
A comprehensive approach is needed to ensure reliable health care. Over the last few years, the Legislature has been expanding the scope of practice for existing providers such as physician assistants and creating new types of providers, such as dental midlevel practitioners.
Our state must also license certified anesthesiologist assistants. Certified anesthesiologist assistants are not new providers. They have existed across the country for more than 50 years, and they are licensed to practice in 20 other U.S. jurisdictions.
They provide safe, high-quality anesthesia as part of a proven model of care in which anesthesiologists work as a team with anesthesiology residents, certified anesthesiologist assistants and certified registered nurse anesthetists.
Scope and licensure changes are often very political. So, Washington has a thorough, nonpartisan process, led by the Department of Health, to make recommendations to the Legislature.
In 2021 that process recommended the licensure of certified anesthesiologist assistants and determined they were cost-effective, adequately trained — and safe.
There is no legitimate reason to keep certified anesthesiologist assistants from being able to practice in Washington. If we allow them to work here, there won’t be a flood of hundreds of anesthesiologist assistants coming to Washington to take jobs or training slots away from other health professions — like the opposition of this bill claims.
This isn’t “either/or,” it’s “and/also.” It is one approach that among others that will collectively help to ensure health care is accessible to Washington residents.
Across our state, there are certified anesthesiologist assistants who live in Washington but travel to other states to practice because they can’t practice here. Let’s fix this so these health care providers can care for their own neighbors.
The Legislature has a responsibility to take whatever measures it can to provide timely and safe access to care. To meet this responsibility, they must pass Senate Bill 5184.
Dr. Cassie Gabriel is a board-certified anesthesiologist and has practiced in Southwest Washington for nearly 15 years. Senate Bill 5184 is sponsored by Southwest Washington Sens. Ann Rivers and Annette Cleveland; it has been passed by the Committee on Health & Long Term Care.
