The Anesthesiologist Assistant Is The Answer To The Anesthesia Provider Shortage

A critical shortage of anesthesia providers has made a significant impact on staffing within surgical facilities throughout the U.S., Are Anesthesiologist Assistants the answer to this ever growing shortage? End Quote

(1888PressRelease) December 14, 2007 - A critical shortage of anesthesia providers has made a significant impact on staffing within surgical facilities throughout the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report indicated a national nurse anesthetist’s shortage of more than 5,000 throughout the United States. The study also showed that nurse anesthesia educational programs alone would need to produce close to 2,000 graduates annually to meet societal nurse anesthesia demands by the year 2010. Also contributing to the overall decline in CRNA numbers is the increasing number of CRNA’s who are retiring paired with decreasing graduation rates from nurse anesthesia programs. As the escalating numbers of surgical procedures requiring anesthesia have increased, the need for anesthesia providers has grown exponentially.

"We are feeling the grip of the Anesthesia provider shortage and the Anesthesiologist Assistant will be the answer to this shortage!", said Christopher Green, President of AnestaWeb, Inc. "The questions is how long will it take until legislation is passed in all states allowing the practice of these qualified master degree earning anesthetists who have practiced safely for over 30 years?". "The Anesthesiologist Assistant (AA) will ultimately help meet the ever growing staffing shortages along with CRNA’s by providing quality anesthesia care with reduced expense to insurance companies and patients." said Green.

Although Anesthesiologist Assistant’s have been practicing safely for over 30 years, they are advancing considerably as legislation is redefining their role as physician assistant specialists. The Anesthesiologist Assistant participates actively in outpatient and inpatient care, operating rooms, recovery rooms, outpatient clinics, intensive care units and outpatient surgery centers. AA’s will continue to thrive as partners in the care of surgical and medical patients. They are valued and respected by Anesthesiologists and surgical colleagues and are compassionate, committed, dedicated members of the Anesthesia care team.

To become an AA the candidate must obtain a baccalaureate degree preferably in a science related field (but this is not mandatory). You must complete the medical prerequisites (English, General Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, General physics, Calculus) with above average grades. Once accepted into the Anesthesiologist Assistant program, the candidate will train for approx. 27 months, earn a Master of Science in Anesthesia degree and eventually take the Certifying Examination for Anesthesiologist Assistants. The Anesthesiologist Assistant’s earning potential is comparable to CRNA’s with average earnings of 110,000 to 150,000 annually. The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine is the newest AA program west of the Mississippi River with the implementation of their charter class in January 2008. Nova Southeastern University will be celebrating their first graduating class in mid 2008.

Along with graduating AA's comes finding the perfect job. Christopher Green has created the first of its kind exclusive AA job posting board in the country. "AAs are thrilled that they finally have an exclusive place where they can post their resumes for consideration." said Green. As a “members only” site, the website model was designed and programmed with emphasis on keeping their databases of employers and AA candidates as current and up-to-date as possible. "This website was created for AA students as well as working AA professionals. It is a sounding board for AA's and hiring managers throughout the country where the employment match is made,” said Green.

Green predicts that AA membership will grow steadily over the next few months as more Anesthesiologist Assistants are graduating from Universities throughout the U.S. and Hospitals are learning of the enormous benefit Anesthesiologist Assistants bring to a Hospital’s Anesthesia Care Team. "We are truly excited about the response AnesthesiologistAssistant.com has received and believe that we can attribute this success to our emphasis on direct communication between employers and Anesthesiologist Assistant candidates," said Green.

The shortage of anesthesia providers in the marketplace guarantees job opportunities. With healthcare facilities and hospitals scrutinizing their bottom lines, Anesthesiologist Assistant’s offer an attractive option for providing quality anesthesia care.

Christopher Green is President of AnestaWeb, Inc. For more information, e-mail info ( @ ) AnesthesiologistAssistant dot com,
visit www.AnesthesiologistAssistant.com
or the AA message board at
www.AnesthesiologistAssistant.com/forum/

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