In just over two months, Aug. 21-25, CRNA/nurse anesthesiologists, residents, RNs, and APRNs from around the country will gather in Boston for AANA's Annual Congress. If you haven't already made plans to join us, don't wait. Early bird pricing ends next week. Register before June 22 and save up to $450.
In the meantime, we remain hard at work making sure your voice is heard by legislators and regulators on Capitol Hill and in statehouses across the country.
Throughout the federal appropriations process for fiscal year 2027, the AANA Federal Government Affairs (FGA) team has been working to secure funding for nursing programs and support pro-CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist language. Over the past few months, officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and Department of Labor have appeared before congressional committees to discuss the FY27 budget, including the president's proposal to eliminate most Title VIII Nursing Workforce Programs.
Last week, we were encouraged by several developments during the markup of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill markup in the House. The bill proposes an additional $2 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce programs for next fiscal year, a major improvement over the House proposal to cut more than $40 million last year and an improvement over this year's flat funding. The report also includes language encouraging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to better utilize CRNA/nurse anesthesiologists to expand access to care, and calling for the Department of Education to classify CRNAs and other APRNs as professional degrees. The AANA worked with our champions in Congress and other nursing groups to advance these priorities.
AANA will continue engaging with regulators and legislators throughout the appropriations process to highlight concerns related to Title VIII funding, the importance of removing supervision requirements, and the need for CRNA/nurse anesthesiologists and other APRNs to have access to professional-level loans. Stay tuned for further developments.
Happy Birthday AANA!
AANA, the first national association of anesthesia providers, celebrates its 95th birthday this week. AANA was founded on June 17, 1931, in Cleveland, Ohio, by Agatha Hodgins.
Hodgins, who administered anesthesia to combat casualties during World War I, was one of the first to perfect the nitrous oxide-oxygen technique of anesthesia. In 1938, the NANA became the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, and its leaders and members built a professional association that would advocate for its members, their growing profession, and their patients in the decades that followed.
Our steadfast advocacy for the profession we love continues to this day. Thank you for advancing our profession and supporting your colleagues by being a part of AANA.
AANA Vice President Discusses Student Loan Cap Ruling with Scripps News
AANA Endorses Legislation to Ensure Future CRNAs Have Access to Federal Student Loans
AANA Meets with Department of Veterans Affairs staff to discuss CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist practice
AANA Board Announces Region AssignmentsforNewly Elected At-Large Directors
Seeking Feedback on the 2026 Election
AANA Wins Two 2026 ASAE Gold Circle Awards
Advocacy Updates
AANA Vice President Discusses Student Loan Cap Ruling with Scripps News
At a time when anesthesia shortages and access challenges are well documented, we should be advancing solutions – not policies that further strain the workforce and patients. AANA Vice President Jennifer Banek MSN, MHA, CRNA spoke with Scripps News about how these changes could impact nurses and access to care. Watch the interview.
AANA is proud to stand with American Nurses Association and our partners in a lawsuit challenging a new student loan cap ruling.
AANA Endorses Legislation to Ensure Future CRNAs Have Access to Federal Student Loans
The AANA Federal Government Affairs team (FGA) is working with congressional partners to advance legislative solutions to give advanced practice nursing students access to federal student lending.
Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-VA), David Joyce (R-OH), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), have introduced the Nursing is a Professional Degree Act, which amends the definition of “professional degree” in the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include all post-baccalaureate nursing degrees (MSN, DNP, DNAP, and PhD). Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen. Cynthis Lummis (R-WY), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have also introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.
Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), John Mannion (D-NY), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL) and Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to repeal ED’s final rule in its entirety.
While AANA works to advance these bills in Washington, DC, it’s critical that your legislators hear that you – as a voter and a constituent – support these bills. Please urge them to cosponsor them today by clicking here.
AANA has also formally endorsed Rep. Mike Lawler’s (R-NY) Professional Student Degree Act, which would list advanced nursing degrees as “professional degrees.” This bipartisan legislation includes other non-MD medical doctoral degrees under the “Professional” designation. The bill does not have a Senate companion bill, but AANA will provide updates as they become available.
AANA Meets with Department of Veterans Affairs Staff to Discuss CRNA/Nurse Anesthesiologist Practice
AANA met with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staff at VA Central Office twice in May 2026 to advocate for licensed independent practitioner status for CRNA/nurse anesthesiologists across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
Approximately 1,100 CRNA/nurse anesthesiologists currently practice throughout the VHA, providing anesthesia care and pain management services. The VA granted full practice authority to nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists in 2016 but denied CRNA/nurse anesthesiologists the same status, citing a lack of provider shortages. Without licensed independent practitioner status for CRNA/nurse anesthesiologists, the VHA's default anesthesia care model requires physician supervision of CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist practice.
The VHA has had to postpone or cancel surgeries multiple times because of a lack of anesthesia staff. The VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) identified 44 facilities with physician anesthesiologist shortages in 2025, a 38% increase from the 32 facilities with physician anesthesiologist shortages in 2024. Four VA medical centers have changed their bylaws since August 2025 to confer licensed independent practitioner status on CRNA/nurse anesthesiologists.
FGA staff will continue engaging with VA staff and other stakeholders to achieve licensed independent practitioner status for CRNA/nurse anesthesiologists across the VHA. This will help ensure veterans receive the timely, high-quality anesthesia and pain management care they have earned.
Significant News
AANA Board Announces Region Assignments for Newly Elected At-Large Directors
The AANA Board of Directors has assigned the four newly elected at-large directors to AANA Regions 2, 3, 6, and 7 for the MY27-MY28 terms.The assignmentswere madeaccording toan AANA Boardpolicy.
Region 2:Jeffrey Darna, PhD, DNP, CRNA, ACNP-BC, FAANA
Region 3:Dee Berry, DNAP, MS, CRNA
Region 6:Laura Wiggins, DNP, MSN, CRNA, Lt. Col. (Ret), USAF
Region 7:Bijal Chaturvedi, DNP, CRNA, FNP, FAANA
Seeking Feedback on the 2026 Election
Help us learn what went well in the 2026 Election andidentifyopportunities for improvement. Please takethis brief, anonymous surveyby Friday, June 19, 2026.
AANA Wins Two 2026 ASAE Gold Circle Awards
AANA received two 2026 Gold Circle Awards fromthe American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), recognizing excellence inmember engagement and podcasting. AANA was honored in the Member/Volunteer Engagement Campaign category for its Diversity Anesthesia Pathways (DAP) Tour and in the Podcast category for “Grade 1 View,” the podcast for future CRNAs, by future CRNAs. ASAE announced the winners on April 27, and recipients were recognized during ASAE’s Marketing, Membership, Communications + Tech Conference, May 28-29, in Washington, D.C.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.
American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology 10275 West Higgins Road, Suite 500 Rosemont, IL 60018
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