It’s hard to believe that we’re well past the mid-way mark of our term as your Board of Directors. It’s been an exciting and incredibly busy time. There is still much to do as we push forward with advocating for our profession with the new administration in D.C. and in the states.
In just a few weeks we will head to the Mid-Year Assembly. If you haven’t already signed up, it’s not too late. We hope to see you there! Your presence and your voice are so important. Additionally, it’s a great time and an experience you’ll never forget.
A BIG change this year is how AANA Leadership Identification Committee will present the candidates. Rather than having a candidate forum taking up several hours of the meeting, we will meet the candidates virtually prior to Mid-Year Assembly.
April 16 and 17: Candidate Forums: Engage with the candidates who are running for AANA leadership positions during the upcoming Virtual Forums. This is your chance to hear from the candidates before the election. Register for both sessions here.
April 21: Virtual Bylaws Hearing: Learn about proposed amendments to the AANA Bylaws. Your input is essential in shaping the policies that govern our organization today and into the future. The session will be recorded and posted for members who cannot attend the live session. Register here.
Of course, plenty of opportunities to participate in your professional organization are coming up soon.
Are you looking for a meaningful way to contribute to the future of our profession? Please consider serving on an AANA Committee. April 30 is the deadline to apply to serve on an AANA Committee. Visit the AANA Committees webpage to learn more about open positions and apply.
May 15: Deadline to complete the Practice Profile, Compensation & Benefits Member Survey: The data collected from this survey is anonymous and is used to calculate statistics and trends for geographic areas and practice settings. Learn more below. Please take a few minutes to complete this important survey.
To add to your already full calendars, be sure make plans to attend nurse anesthesiology’s premier educational event: the Annual Congress, August 9-13 in Nashville and online. Registration is open now. If you thought last year's Party With A Purpose on the USS Midway was amazing, just wait until you see what’s planned for this year in this music city and the heart of country music! Don’t forget your boots and cowboy hat!
As always, thank you for all that you do, and for allowing us the honor to serve as your Board of Directors.
If you have general questions for the Board of Directors, please reach out to them at: Board-of-Directors@aana.com
To avoid multiple responses, the AANA Vice President will triage these inquiries and reply on behalf of the Board.
IN THIS ISSUE
Push Back on ASA Misinformation About CRNA Care
AANA Joins PARCA Letter Opposing Medicaid Cuts
Idaho Enacts Law Concerning CRNA Practice
The 2025 AANA Practice Profile, Compensation & Benefits Member Survey is Now Open
HHS Releases Reorganization Plan
Calling All Educators: Be the Voice of a New AANA Podcast
AANA Congratulates Jackie Rowles on Her Contributions to Award-Winning Research Article
ADVOCACY UPDATES
Push Back on ASA Misinformation About CRNA Care
ASA put out a misleading and inaccurate press release, attacking a bill by Reps. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA) that would help ensure veterans have timely access to anesthesia care. This new legislation, the Ensuring Veterans Timely Access to Anesthesia Care Act (H.R. 2234), would align Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policy with the current Defense Health Agency policy, allowing CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists and physician anesthesiologists to practice independently in VA facilities. We need CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists to contact their legislators and urge them to support this commonsense legislation that benefits veterans.
You will be directed to a sample email to your representative. Please personalize this email so that it is not seen as a form letter.
Click “send letter.”
Your advocacy makes a difference. Thank you for standing up for veterans and taking the time to be a CRNAdvocate!
AANA Joins PARCA Letter Opposing Medicaid Cuts
The AANA and 14 other healthcare provider groups sent a letter to congressional leaders expressing concern about potential Medicaid cuts. The letter responds to the recently passed House budget reconciliation framework, which instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut $880 billion over 10 years from programs under its jurisdiction.
Given the size of the proposed cuts and the committee’s oversight of Medicaid, many worry the program could face significant reductions.
Many of the providers who signed the letter—including CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists—are not mandatory providers under Medicaid. As a result, budget cuts could lead states to stop reimbursing them or other providers for services delivered to Medicaid patients.
The AANA remains concerned about harmful cuts to Medicaid and will continue working with Congress and the administration to reduce costs in a way that maintains patient access to care while protecting taxpayer dollars.
Idaho Enacts Law Concerning CRNA Practice
Idaho House Bill 289 concerning CRNA practice was signed into law by Governor Brad Little on March 28, 2025. The bill was introduced at the request of the Idaho Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and unanimously passed both house and senate. The law specifies that CRNAs provide “the full spectrum of anesthesia care and related services” and are responsible for the care they provide. Additional provisions within the law state that physicians are not liable for “any act or omission relating to anesthesia services” when provided “solely and independently by a CRNA acting within the scope of the CRNA's licensure, education, training, and experience,” and in accordance with state and federal law.
SIGNIFICANT NEWS
The 2025 AANA Practice Profile, Compensation & Benefits Member Survey is Now Open
AANA is seeking your input via the 2025 AANA Practice Profile, Compensation & Benefits Member Survey. The survey is open until May 15. The data collected from this survey is anonymous and is used to calculate statistics and trends for various geographic areas and practice settings. Each year, CRNAs, hospital administrators and others who employ CRNAs contact the AANA for information on CRNA benefits and compensation. This information helps them understand CRNA practice and employment across the country.
As a thank you for your time, once you complete the survey, you will have the opportunity to opt-in to a free electronic copy of the 2025 AANA Compensation & Benefits Report, available at the end of the summer. Please note that in order to receive your free copy, you must provide your contact information via a separate form at the end of the survey. Take the survey.
HHS Releases Reorganization Plan
On March 27, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a restructuring plan in a press release. HHS will reduce its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees and consolidate 28 subagencies into 15.
The new Administration for a Healthy American (AHA) will merge the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
The goal of this restructuring is to better coordinate services for low-income communities in areas such as primary care, maternal and child health, mental health, environmental health, HIV/AIDS, and healthcare workforce development. There will also be a new Assistant Secretary for Enforcement overseeing the Office of Civil Rights and other investigative offices to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in federal health programs.
According to a fact sheet, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will reduce its workforce by 300 employees though Medicare and Medicaid Services will not be affected. Despite these cuts, CMS will assume new responsibilities, including supporting people with disabilities and older adults from the Administration for Community Living (ACL). Additionally, Medicare Administrative Contractors—which process claims, including those for CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist services—are not expected to be directly affected by these CMS workforce reductions.
Calling All Educators: Be the Voice of a New AANA Podcast
AANA, in partnership with Beyond the Mask, is launching a new podcast series for CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist educators—and we want you to be part of it. We’re seeking passionate educators to help shape the show’s direction as hosts or steering committee members. Designed as a faculty forum, the podcast will connect colleagues and help inform the broader community about the CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist role. Episodes will air twice a month and run approximately 30 minutes.
AANA members in good standing who teach in didactic or clinical settings are encouraged to apply. Public speaking or podcasting experience is a plus but not required. Finalists will be contacted for a video interview. Apply by May 1, 2025.
MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
AANA Congratulates Jackie Rowles on Her Contributions to Award-Winning Research Article
The AANA is proud to announce that former AANA president Jackie Rowles, DNP, MBA, MA, CRNA, ANP-BC, NSPM-C, FNAP, FAANA, FAAN, was part of a research team that won First Place in the Editors’ Choice category for Anesthesia & Analgesia for their article titled “The Global Anesthesia Workforce Survey: Updates and Trends in the Anesthesia Workforce.” This award recognizes the Editors’ choice for the best publication in 2024. The research team was recognized during the Anesthesia & Analgesia and A&A Practice Editorial Awards Session, March 21, in Honolulu. Read more.
The following is an FEC required legal notification for CRNA-PAC. Gifts to political action committees are not tax deductible. Contributions to CRNA-PAC are for political purposes. All contributions to CRNA-PAC are voluntary. You may refuse to contribute without reprisal. The guidelines are merely suggestions. You are free to contribute more or less than the guidelines suggest and the association will not favor or disadvantage you by reason of the amount contributed or the decision not to contribute. Federal law requires CRNA-PAC to use its best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and the name of the employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year. Each contributor must be a US Citizen.
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