The start of summer means we are heading full speed to accomplish this year’s goals as we prepare for next year. Membership Year 2026 will bring some strategic and important changes to AANA’s governance structure as we evolve to meet our members’ needs.
At the 2024 AANA Business meeting, AANA members voted to approve an amendment to increase the number of directors on the AANA Board from seven to nine and to realign the regions from seven to nine, effective following the 2025 Annual Congress. These charts show the current region and the new structure, and the full Membership Year 2026 Board of Directors listing is available here.
The five newly elected at-large directors have been assigned to AANA Regions 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9 beginning in Membership Year ‘26 according to the AANA Board Policy:
Region 1: Jerrol Wallace, DNP, MSN, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN, CAPT, U.S. Navy
Region 4: Wendy Odell, DNP, MSN, BS, CRNA
Region 5: Gregory Collins, DNP, CRNA
Region 8: Jason Bauer, MSN, CRNA, PHRN, FAANA
Region 9: Michelle Canale, DNP, MSN, CRNA, APRN, FAANA
In the latest episode of Beyond the Mask, AANA CEO Bill Bruce joins the conversation to share critical updates on how AANA is driving progress for CRNAs nationwide. He describes the emotional impact of his experience shadowing CRNAs in practice and discusses international advocacy, the AANA Innovation Lab, and how former presidents are shaping the future of the profession.
This is an important listen for all CRNAs, RRNAs, and our RN and APRN members who want to stay informed and engaged in shaping the future of our profession.
In less than two months (August 9-14), we will be in Nashville at the 2025 Annual Congress. We hope that you will join us, either in person in Music City or virtually, to learn, connect, and celebrate with one another at nurse anesthesiology’s largest educational event.
As always, thank you for being a part of AANA and for all that you do.
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
Important Update: House Actions on the VA
AANA Advocates with CMS on Deregulatory Initiative
Nebraska Terminates APRN Board, Adds APRN Positions to the Board of Nursing
West Virginia Imaging Board Amends Imaging Rules to Allow APRNs to Supervise Imaging Providers
AANA Attends Governor Meetings
CRNA-PAC 2024 Resident Education Campaign Wins Silver Pollie Award
2023 QPP Preview Period for Clinicians Is Open
Open Comments: Environmental Stewardship in Anesthesia Care
ADVOCACY UPDATES
Important Update: House Actions on the VA
There has been action in the House of Representatives regarding the VA and we wanted to make you aware of a couple of developments.
On Wednesday, June 11, Representatives Greg Murphy, MD, and David Scott sent a letter to VA Secretary, Doug Collins on behalf of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The letter, which received support from 83 Members of Congress, urges VHA to maintain the status quo on anesthesia care despite ongoing workforce shortages that drive up wait times and waste taxpayer dollars. The letter reiterates the misinformation that is often shared and is aimed at protecting the interests of anesthesiologists at the expense of patients.
“We are disheartened by the 83 members of Congress that put politics over research by signing on to a misguided letter calling for a costly anesthesia model that is not based in research and will do little to increase veterans’ access to care,” stated AANA President Jan Setnor, MSN, CRNA, Col. (Ret), USAFR, NC.
In addition, on June 10, the House of Representatives held a full committee markup for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs (MilCon/VA) appropriations bill. House appropriators passed report language that would require the Under Secretary of the Veterans Health Administration to submit a report to Congress outlining how the Department plans to ensure that veterans receive a standard of care equal to or better than that provided in civilian facilities within the same state.
We appreciate the over 200 CRNAs who called their Members of Congress urging them to remain opposed to the letter. However, just because the letter is closed, our work does not stop. FGA is working closely with our Congressional champions to build support for H.R. 2234, the Ensuring Veterans Timely Access to Anesthesia Care Act, introduced earlier this Congress and we urge all of you to make sure you are sending emails and making phone calls because they need to hear from you.
AANA Advocates with CMS on Deregulatory Initiative
On June 3, AANA Federal Government Affairs (FGA) submitted a response to a Request for Information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on wasteful and burdensome regulations in the Medicare program. AANA’s comments urged the removal of physician supervision requirements and listed other key priorities in the CMS purview that would remove barriers for CRNA practice. The FGA team will be leveraging this letter in follow up meetings with senior policy staff at CMS and across the Trump Administration. Read the comment letter on FGA’s Federal Executive Actions Webpage.
Nebraska Terminates APRN Board, Adds APRN Positions to the Board of Nursing
Recently enacted into law, Nebraska Legislative Bill 346 terminates the state’s APRN licensing board on July 1, 2026. Nebraska was the only state that had an APRN licensing board separate from the state board of nursing. The law also amends the membership of the board of nursing as of July 1, 2026, to include an APRN member from each of the four roles, including one CRNA. The Nebraska Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing supported the bill.
West Virginia Imaging Board Amends Imaging Rules to Allow APRNs to Supervise Imaging Providers
West Virginia’s Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Technology Board of Examiners adopted a rule amending 18CSR6 to define “Licensed Practitioner” to include APRNs who can generally supervise a medical imaging or radiation therapy technologist performing contrast imaging procedures. General supervision does not require physical presence during the procedure but requires that the licensed practitioner be immediately and physically available to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment of adverse events.
AANA Attends Governor Meetings
Attending state government association meetings helps AANA advocate for CRNA practice in the states. On June 1, AANA State Government Affairs (SGA) staff attended a reception for the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) in Portland, OR. SGA staff and CRNA volunteers met with several governors and used the opportunity to educate them on CRNA practice, including the need to fully utilize a state’s existing workforce. Later this month, SGA staff will be attending the Republican Governors Association Spring Policy Summit in Nashville, TN.
CRNA-PAC 2024 Resident Education Campaign Wins Silver Pollie Award
Last week, the American Association of Political Consultants recognized CRNA-PAC's “Resident 101” educational campaign with a silver Pollie Award. This campaign, designed in partnership with Sagac Public Affairs, educated residents about CRNA-PAC as well as provided top line information about how contributions to our PAC are used and benefit the CRNA profession. Referred to as the “Oscars of political advertising,” the Pollie Awards are issued every year to honor excellence, originality, and standout communications in the political and public affairs campaign space. We are excited to have a CRNA-PAC campaign recognized again this year.
SIGNIFICANT NEWS
Input Requested During Open Comment Period: Environmental Stewardship in Anesthesia Care
The 2023 Quality Payment Program (QPP) Review Period for Clinicians is open from Tuesday, May 27 through Wednesday, June 25, 2025. CRNAs who participated in the QPP in 2023 can log into their QPP account to view performance information that will be published on the CMS Compare tool and the Provider Data Catalog. If you have questions or need additional information, contact CMS at QPP@cms.hhs.gov or the AANA’s Research and Quality team at Research@aana.com
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
.png?upscale=true&width=600&upscale=true&name=AANA-logo-horizontal-white%20(1).png){kind=logo}
