American Society of Anesthesiologists Applauds Congressional Leadership in Demanding VA Maintain Safe Anesthesia Care for Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D., (NC-03) and U.S. Rep. David Scott (GA-13) led a bipartisan letter to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Doug Collins urging the department to maintain safe anesthesia care for our nation’s Veterans. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) lauded the bipartisan group of more than 80 lawmakers who joined as signatories on the letter and thanked them for their leadership on behalf of Veterans.

“Our Veterans deserve the exact same standard of care as that available in their local community, not a different standard and certainly not a lower standard,” said ASA President Donald E. Arnold, M.D., FACHE, FASA. “We applaud these lawmakers and join in urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue with the highest standard of care for those who have served our nation.”

Importantly, in addition to the letter’s signatories, a nationwide survey conducted by the American Legion found that:

• 91% of respondents expect the same quality of health care as the top-rated civilian hospitals.
• 71% of respondents believed VA will have a different standard of care if nurse anesthetists replace anesthesiologists.

"Our veterans deserve the highest standard of care, including careful oversight by trained physicians," said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. "The trend in medicine to allow nurses to assume certain responsibilities that medical doctors are trained to do is dangerous. The attempt to cut costs is noble, but doing so at the expense of quality and safety is unacceptable. I urge Secretary Collins to reconsider the proposed policy change that would authorize nurse-only anesthetic care without physician oversight."

“After years of reviews and agency listening sessions, we know that removing physicians during anesthesia care, strips away a critical layer of medical expertise — particularly during high-risk or emergency scenarios where seconds matter and complications are unpredictable,” said Congressman David Scott. “I expressed deep concern with the previous Administration’s effort to diminish and depart from universally agreed upon anesthesia care standards, independent data, and the very voices of our Veterans who remain firmly opposed to this dangerous initiative. Secretary Collins can protect the integrity of the VA’s anesthesia standards and reaffirm the agency’s firm commitment to medical excellence. Veterans earned that commitment through their service. It would be unconscionable to think the government is now planning to compromise their care.”

This congressional letter comes amidst ongoing reviews within VA to dismantle the gold standard, physician-led, team-based model of anesthesia care for Veterans and instead use a nurse-only model. Currently, carefully crafted existing VA policy affirmed the important role of anesthesiologists in leading a team working together to deliver safe, high-quality anesthesia care.

Read a copy of the letter.

Read Congressman Greg Murphy’s press release.

Read Congressman David Scott’s press release.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 59,000 members organized to advance the medical practice of anesthesiology and secure its future. ASA is committed to ensuring anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of all patients before, during and after surgery. ASA members also lead the care of critically ill patients in intensive care units, as well as treat pain in both acute and chronic settings.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about how anesthesiologists help ensure patient safety, visit asahq.org/madeforthismoment. Follow ASA on Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky, and LinkedIn.

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