Wolf Administration Supports Professional Designation for CRNAs

Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kurt Knaus, P: 717-724-2866

E: kurt@ceislermedia.com

Wolf Administration Supports Professional Designation for CRNAs

Pa. is one of just two states that fails to recognize nurse anesthetists in some form

HARRISBURG (April 29, 2021) --- The administration of Gov. Tom Wolf this week announced that it fully supports professional designation for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) in Pennsylvania.

The Department of State endorsed the plan in an April 28 letter to the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA), which represents more than 3,700 CRNAs and students in the commonwealth. The department, which is responsible for professional licensing, spent more than a year reviewing the proposal as part of its Sunrise Evaluation Report examining the state’s occupational practices.

“This is an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to finally give CRNAs the recognition they deserve,” PANA President Matt McCoy said.

Pennsylvania is one of just two states that fails to formally recognize CRNAs in some form. Because there is no definition for “certified registered nurse anesthetist” under the state’s Professional Nursing Law, CRNAs are recognized only as registered nurses, not as CRNAs.

This brings logistical and financial challenges. Pennsylvania nurse anesthetists who serve in the military must secure designation in another state to provide anesthesia in the armed services. They cannot assist on rapid response teams in states affected by natural disasters because they lack formal credentials. And, after receiving training in Pennsylvania, many nurse anesthetists relocate to states with full credentialing, contributing to the state’s “brain drain.”

Bipartisan measures have been introduced in both the state House and Senate to finally recognize nurse anesthetists as “CRNAs” under Pennsylvania statute.

Senator John R. Gordner (R-Columbia) has re-introduced his professional designation legislation (S.B. 416). An identical measure passed the Senate unanimously in June 2019 before getting stuck in a House committee. Rep. Tarah Toohil (R-Luzerne) has re-introduced a companion bill (H.B. 931) in the House.

Two-thirds (67%) of Pennsylvania voters support professional designation for certified registered nurse anesthetists, including those who identify as Republican (59%), Democrat (75%) and Independent (62%), according to results of a statewide public opinion poll conducted last year by G. Terry Madonna Opinion Research.

CRNAs are the hands-on providers of anesthesia care, operating safely in every setting where anesthesia is administered, including hospital operating and delivery rooms; ambulatory surgical centers; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, and plastic surgeons; pain management centers and more.

With advanced degrees and a high level of education and clinical experience, CRNAs are able to deliver the same safe, high-quality anesthesia care as physician anesthesiologists but at a lower cost, helping to control the nation’s rising health-care costs.

Because of their training and experience, numerous medical studies show there is no statistical difference in patient outcomes when a nurse anesthetist provides treatment. In fact, these studies by nationally recognized health-care policy and research organizations prove that CRNAs provide high-quality care, even for rare and difficult procedures.

For more information, visit www.PANAforQualityCare.com or follow along on social media via Twitter at @PANACRNA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PANACRNA.

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Guest column: Eliminate barriers to crisis-ready health care

An emergency is no time to trifle with bureaucratic red tape. At the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, many feared a surge of patients would overwhelm hospital capacity. Health officials sounded the alarm and identified policy changes that would enable them to meet the coronavirus challenge. And, in many cases, government responded.

In March, Gov. Tom Wolf issued executive orders designed to expand the state’s health care capacity, including temporarily suspending regulations that restricted where and how nurses and other health care professionals could practice.

For those aiming to ensure our health care system is always prepared, this raises an important question: If we cut the red tape during times of crisis, why not cut it permanently?

The fact is, before these regulations were suspended, our health system was suffering serious consequences. In April, PennLive reported that thousands of medical professionals across the country were getting furloughed or laid off. Though postponed elective procedures were partially responsible, another major factor was licensing requirements that made it difficult for medical staff to transition from their previous roles to help care for those suffering due to COVID-19.

Jess Poole, who previously worked out of Greensburg, is one such medical professional. Despite being a licensed nurse anesthetist with the training to intubate and manage patients, Pennsylvania wouldn’t recognize her specialty. Licensing restrictions made it impossible for her to contribute.

Health care heroes like Jess were forced to sit on the sidelines just when they were needed most. Thankfully, some state lawmakers are determined to keep this from happening again.

State Rep. Christopher Quinn (R-Delaware County) recently introduced legislation, HB 2779, that everyone concerned about conquering the virus should care about. Rep. Quinn’s bill would extend the suspension of certain bureaucratic regulations holding back our health system for one year — and establish a panel to determine which of those counterproductive regulations should be done away with for good.

Telehealth, or remote medical appointments often conducted via video calls, is a great example of a health care innovation that would have been limited under prior overly-restrictive regulations. The contagious nature of COVID-19 made telehealth an essential service in 2020, and utilization skyrocketed by 50 to 175 percent. This expanded use was made possible because Pennsylvania took steps to guarantee provider reimbursements by insurance companies and relaxed licensing restrictions that prevented providers from serving patients across state lines.

Even after the crisis subsides, telehealth promises increased access to care and reduced patient costs. For example, a Vermont Veterans Association saved almost $19,000 a year from reduced travel costs after offering telehealth options. A 2017 study found that patients experienced a cost savings of $156 per consultation due to reduced time and travel burden.

The removal of antiquated barriers to telehealth and the lifting other unnecessary regulations should be made permanent to expand access to care. For example, maintaining newly-increased practice flexibility for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Practitioners would empower over 7,000 nurse practitioners in Pennsylvania to care for more patients.

Rep. Quinn isn’t alone in seeing an opportunity to improve health care access and reduce cost for all Pennsylvanians. Senate Bill 25 and HB 100, together sponsored by over 70 lawmakers, create a path for nurse practitioners to practice independently after a minimum of 3 years and 3,600 hours under the supervision of a physician. Empowering them to provide primary care could bring down the patient load per primary care provider from almost 1,000 patients per provider to 667 patients per provider.

Two other proposals, HB 1997 and HB 1998, would give doctors more flexibility over how to work with physician assistants. The result? Greater access by patients to customized care.

Another bill would allow pharmacists to offer flu shots to individuals 9 years of age or older, creating an additional 9,000 access points for flu vaccinations across the state. Empowering pharmacists to provide vaccinations to a wider age range can free up physicians to focus on their most urgent cases.

It is impossible to predict what the future holds for COVID-19. But by repealing unneeded health care regulations that are barriers to patient care, lawmakers can ensure Pennsylvania’s health system is always prepared for crisis.

Stephen Bloom is vice president for the CommonwealthFoundation, Pennsylvania’s free market think tank.

Published in The Pottstown Mercury

PANA works with Wolf administration on new Ketamine prescribing guidelines

The administration of Gov. Tom Wolf today announced new guidelines for subanesthetic dosing of Ketamine, Guidelines for the Safe Administration of Subanesthetic Ketamine, to assist physicians and advanced practice nurses working to treat patients.

These guidelines were developed by the Safe and Effective Prescribing Task Force, which included a representative of the Pennsylvania Association or Nurse Anesthetists.

Jessica Poole, DNAP, MHS, CRNA, and Government Relations Director for PANA, represented the profession on the Department of Health committee, which studied the issue for roughly two years before issuing the guidelines.

CRNAs are playing a major role in curtailing the opioid epidemic by manipulating their anesthetic to provide narcotic-sparing and often narcotic-free anesthesia. Additionally, anesthesia professionals utilize subanesthetic doses of Ketamine to treat opioid-tolerant patients, chronic non-cancer pain patients, and those in palliative care.

The ketamine guideline differs from previous prescribing guidelines by addressing administration of a non-opioid.

The ketamine guideline provides best practices for the subanesthetic administration of ketamine for a variety of conditions. This includes recommendations for the treatment team, treatment location, patient selection, and patient monitoring.

Learn more about this important decision HERE. Or access the Guidelines for the Safe Administration of Subanesthetic Ketamine directly.