Image by Drazen ZigicOPINION – By enacting AB 985, California would align itself with national best practices, safeguard the future of physician-led anesthesia care, and ensure that all patients—regardless of socioeconomic status—receive the highest standard of care.
Image by nd3000OPINION – Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) play an indispensable role in California’s health care system, particularly for underserved and rural communities where anesthesia access is critical, yet limited. For decades, California CRNAs have independently provided safe, cost-effective, and patient-centered anesthesia care—a policy reinforced by state statute and upheld by court rulings and regulatory guidance.
As more people enter the healthcare system and as baby boomers enter senior status there is increased demand for services, especially surgeries and outpatient procedures requiring anesthesia. Administering anesthesia has become even riskier and more difficult as patients with multiple medical problems have been able to live longer.