Senate subcommittee advances bill to license certified anesthesiologist assistants after debate over training slots

A Virginia Senate subcommittee voted 4-0 to report Senate Bill 882 to the full committee after hearings in which supporters said licensing certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs) would expand the state’s anesthesia workforce and educators warned the change could reduce clinical training opportunities for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) students.

Senator Locke presented the bill as a Joint Commission on Health Care recommendation to license CAAs in Virginia, saying the measure would “expand access to care and reduce the strain on the current anesthesia workforce.” The bill would create a licensure and regulatory pathway for CAAs, who supporters described as graduate-trained members of anesthesia care teams practicing under anesthesiologist supervision in 22 other states.

The bill’s supporters included Sarah Graham Taylor, testifying on behalf of the Virginia Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants, who said the bill would allow highly trained professionals to return to Virginia. “This bill is about…