Mississippi medical board advances clarified supervision rules for CRNAs, requires anesthesiologist availability for higher‑risk cases

The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure voted to advance proposed rule changes that clarify expectations for physician supervision and anesthesiologist availability during anesthesia care, the board said during its public meeting.

The changes, drafted by the board's Rules, Regulations and Legislative Committee, add definitions drawn from American Society of Anesthesiology guidance and set a standard that a supervising physician must be "immediately available" during the intraoperative anesthetic and acute postoperative period. The proposal also requires a collaborating physician anesthesiologist to be available for consult — including by telephone when not on-site — for procedures likely to require general anesthesia or levels of sedation beyond simple assisted ventilation in a spontaneously ventilating patient.

The committee argued the language is intended to reduce risk by ensuring specialized anesthesiology expertise is available for consult when cases exceed routine levels of sedation. "A collaborating physician anesthesiologist shall be available for…