Washington D.C. Increases Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant Supervision Ratio

On April 8, 2016, the D.C. Department of Health approved a rule increasing the supervision ratio for Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) in the District of Columbia. Specifically, the rule increases the number of CAAs a physician anesthesiologist may supervise from three to four. This increase will provide District residents greater access to the safe and effective care that CAAs provide. The rule is effective immediately and can be viewed here.

CAAs are highly skilled health professionals who work within the direction of physician anesthesiologists to implement anesthesia care plans. They work exclusively within the Anesthesia Care Team environment as described by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). All CAAs possess a premedical undergraduate background and complete a comprehensive didactic and clinical program at the graduate school master’s degree level. They are trained extensively in the delivery and maintenance of quality anesthesia care as well as advanced patient monitoring techniques.

The D.C. Society of Anesthesiologists (DCSA) worked with the D.C. Department of Health to help advance this regulation. Both DCSA and ASA submitted formal comments in support of the proposal. Congratulations to the DCSA on this achievement!

To learn more about initiating certified anesthesiologist assistant legislation in your state, please feel free to contact Ashli Eastwood, State Affairs Associate, at [email protected].

Read ASA’s comments in support of the proposed regulation.