March 23, 2026

Dear Colleagues, 

Happy spring! Along with warmer weather and sunshine, this season is a time for new beginnings, innovation, and growth.  

At AANA, this means taking advantage of the opportunities and meeting the challenges of today while planting seeds for a bright future for our members and our profession. We are preparing for our AANA elections in mid-May and gearing up for our most important advocacy event of the year: the Mid-Year Assembly. If you have not already registered, we encourage you to join us in Washington, D.C., on April 24-29. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to be a part of the advocacy that shapes the future of our profession. 

This year, AANA’s advocacy efforts address high-stakes issues such as student loans, federal funding, and reimbursement. As of press time, the Department of Education had not yet published its final rule excluding nursing degrees from the professional degree category. With the comment period closed, AANA is actively pursuing all avenues to ensure that future CRNAs can finance their education. 

We continue engaging with the Department of Education, the Administration, and Congress to emphasize the importance of nurse anesthesia education and to explore legislative options to prevent or overturn this decision. Regardless of the outcome of this process, AANA remains committed to advocating for CRNAs as essential providers in the U.S. healthcare system. 

In parallel, AANA is actively involved in the FY2027 budget process, submitting language requests to support removing barriers to care and improving reimbursement for CRNA-provided care. We are also working with Congressional offices and supporting the Nursing Community Coalition to secure strong funding for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs. 

These efforts reflect AANA’s ongoing commitment to advancing the profession and ensuring access to safe, high-quality anesthesia care nationwide. 

As always, thank you for everything you do for your patients, community, and profession. 

We hope to see many of you in Washington, D.C., at the Mid-Year Assembly as we continue this work together. 

Sincerely, 

The AANA Board of Directors

In This Issue

• Modernized CRNA Practice Law Secured for Ohio CRNAs  

• The Joint Commission Clarifies that Standards Do Not Restrict or Prohibit the Use of SRNAs/RRNAs in Teaching Cases 

• Washington State Enacts Law Permitting APRNs to Directly Supervise Intravenous Contrast Procedures 

• Utah Enacts Law Mandating Anesthesia Coverage 

• AANA Meets with Governors’ Senior Staff 

• The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses Returns  

• Join the upcoming Candidate Conversations 

• Deadline for 2025 MIPS Data Submission Is Approaching  

• EDGE 2027 Call For Abstracts Now Open  

• Maria van Pelt Named to ASATT Board of Directors as AANA Liaison 

• Three CRNAs Inducted as Distinguished Fellows in the National Academies of Practice Nursing Academy 

Advocacy Updates 

Modernized CRNA Practice Law Secured for Ohio CRNAs

Ohio has enacted legislation updating and modernizing outdated statutes governing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). The law modernizes Ohio’s anesthesia statutes to better align state law with the healthcare needs of the people in Ohio. House Bill 52 replaces the statutory requirement for physician supervision with a collaborative framework that reflects how anesthesia teams currently function in many healthcare settings. Read more.

The Joint Commission Clarifies that Standards Do Not Restrict or Prohibit the Use of SRNAs/RRNAs in Teaching Cases

The Joint Commission has released an FAQ, affirming that their standards are not intended to restrict or prohibit students, including student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs/RRNAs), who are enrolled in an approved educational program from participating in the delivery of patient care.  This FAQ was requested by AANA to seek clarification of recent changes and their intended impact.  

The Joint Commission 2026 Hospital Standard PC.13.01.01 is consistent with CMS Conditions of Participation and hospital interpretive guidelines, which do not prohibit or restrict SRNA/RRNA involvement in anesthesia teaching cases.  Medicare teaching rules permit CRNAs to supervise up to two SRNAs/RRNAs at one time, as outlined in the Medicare Claims Processing Manual.  State law rarely addresses supervision requirements for SRNAs/RRNAs. Facilities determine student involvement in patient care based on compliance with licensure, state and federal regulations, scope of practice, organizational policies, and patient safety.   

CRNAs and program administrators are strongly encouraged to review facility-specific SRNA/RRNA training policies, procedures, and facility bylaws regarding the SRNA/RRNA participation in cases and the use of teaching CRNAs, to verify that unwarranted restrictions are not in place for teaching cases.     

For more information, see AANA Facility Accreditation Resources. Inquiries on standards interpretations can also be directed to the Joint Commission. 

Washington State Enacts Law Permitting APRNs to Directly Supervise Intravenous Contrast Procedures

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed HB 2113 into law on March 9, 2026. The law permits a diagnostic radiologic technologist, therapeutic radiological technologist, and a magnetic resonance imaging technologist to perform intravenous contrast procedures under the direct supervision of a physician, APRN, or physician assistant.  

Utah Enacts Law Mandating Anesthesia Coverage

Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed SB 50 into law on March 17, 2026. The law requires health benefit plans entered into or renewed after Jan. 1, 2027, to provide coverage for medically necessary anesthesia services, regardless of duration, for any procedure covered by the health benefit plan. Health benefit plans are prohibited from denying payment or reimbursement for anesthesia services solely because the duration of care exceeded a preset time limit.  

AANA Meets with Governors’ Senior Staff

On March 18, senior staff from Republican governors’ offices gathered in Washington, D.C. for a “Fly-In” event hosted by the Republican Governors Public Policy Committee (RGPPC). During the event, governors’ staff met with the administration and Congress to discuss shared priorities across all levels of government. AANA State Government Affairs staff attended the RGPPC’s opening reception and used the opportunity to advocate for CRNAs at the state level. Governors’ senior staff were told of the benefits from removing unnecessary restrictions to CRNA practice as well as the harms from cuts to QZ billing.  

The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses Returns

Since 1977, Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) has conducted the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN), the longest-running and primary source of data on the U.S. nursing workforce. In mid-March 2026, selected nurses will receive a notice from the U.S. Census Bureau inviting them to take the survey:  

• If you receive a notice from the U.S. Census Bureau, follow the instructions to complete the survey.   
  
  

• If you work with nurses who receive the survey, please encourage them to complete it.  

Thank you for supporting the NSSRN. Each response helps educators, health workforce leaders, and policymakers better understand the nursing workforce and determine how to best support nurses in the future.   

Significant News

Join the upcoming Candidate Conversations

Hear directly from AANA candidates in informal conversations about their ideas, perspectives, and vision for the profession. Compare perspectives and make more informed decisions about the future of nurse anesthesiology leadership. 

Upcoming sessions include: 

• April 13, 6 p.m. CT - Directors 

• April 14, 6 p.m. CT - Elected committees 

• April 21, 7 p.m. CT - Officers 

Any suggested questions or topics may be sent to aanaelections@aana.com by April 1. 

Deadline for 2025 MIPS Data Submission Is Approaching

CRNAs who participated in Merit-based Incentive Program System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Model (APM) programs during 2025 are reminded that the deadline for MIPS data submission is March 31, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET. You can report your data through your Quality Payment Program account either directly, or through a third party on your behalf. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides guidance on data reporting and submission. If you need assistance, contact the AANA’s Research, Quality & Policy department at research@aana.com or the CMS QPP Service Center. 

EDGE 2027 Call For Abstracts Now Open

Share your ideas at EDGE 2027: Educate, Develop, Grow, Engage, Feb. 25–28, 2027, in Dallas, Texas. The AANA Education Committee invites abstracts for education sessions focused on innovative teaching, leadership, student success, and professional development. Selected presenters will deliver 30- or 60-minute sessions and receive discounted registration. Submit your abstract by April 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST.  

Member Highlights

Maria van Pelt Named to ASATT Board of Directors as AANA Liaison

Maria van Pelt, PhD, CRNA, CNE, CPPS, FAAN, FAANA, has been named to the Board of Directors of the American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians (ASATT) as the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) Liaison. ASATT represents anesthesia technologists and technicians who play a critical role in safe anesthesia delivery. 

Van Pelt is a Clinical Professor and Director of Wellness for the DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program at Northeastern University and brings nearly 30 years of clinical and patient safety leadership experience to the role. Read more. 

Three CRNAs Inducted as Distinguished Fellows in the National Academies of Practice Nursing Academy

The National Academies of Practice (NAP) has elected AANA Director Daniel King, DNP, CRNA; Tony Umadhay, PhD, CRNA, APRN, FAANA, FAAN, and Dawn Bent, DNP, CRNA, FAANA, as Distinguished Fellows in the Nursing Academy. They were formally inducted as part of the Class of 2026 during the Annual Induction Banquet and Awards Ceremony held in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Founded in 1981, the National Academies of Practice advances interprofessional education, scholarship, research, clinical practice, and public policy to improve healthcare outcomes. The organization brings together leaders from multiple health professions and advises governmental bodies on healthcare issues to support accessible, coordinated, and high-quality care. 

Pictured from left to right at the National Academies of Practice Induction Banquet and Awards Ceremony are Daniel King, DNP, CRNA; Dawn Bent, DNP, CRNA, FAANA, and Tony Umadhay, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN. 

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