INSIGHT: Proposal looks into changing model of care for veterans

There is a proposed change over how veterans get anesthesia if they need surgery.
The Department of Veterans Affairs current system includes a doctor working with an anesthetist nurse to provide anesthesia care. It’s been like that for decades, but it varies by state and VA officials want to know if a National Standard of Care would better care for veterans.
“What’s being proposed is to remove the physician from that team. So, that it would be a nurse anesthetist practicing independent of any physician oversight. That is a model that’s rarely used in this country and we feel puts our veterans at unnecessary risk,” said Dr. Ronald L. Harter - president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
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[@zacharyariail134]

It's literally harder to get into CRNA school than medical school. The issue is access they need more CRNA school in order to build up the force and allow anesthesiologists supervise more closely.

[@MRanda-so9yo]

CRNAs often practice independently even within the anesthesia care team model. CRNAs tend to be the ones performing the anesthetics from start to finish on patients with varied levels of acuity. Saying that CRNAs rarely practice independently is deceptive. There are numerous CRNA only groups throughout the country that have proven to provide safe and quality anesthesia care without physician anesthesiologist involvement.

[@jfitzpatrick6108]

Too much can go wrong with an individual's reaction to anesthesia. The situation can go from "routine" to "life threatening" in seconds. Should our veterans - whose health states may be more varied than most other persons' - be provided _less_ _than_ _normal_ surgical care?
I DON'T THINK SO!
We're HERE _because_ they were THERE when we needed them. We need to BE HERE NOW for them and _NOT_ pinch pennies & ration Anesthetic Care.