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Anesthesiologist assistant urges Senate panel to allow anesthesia care team model in Arkansas
Summary
Megan Moke, an anesthesiologist assistant employed in Round Rock, Texas, testified before the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee that a bill to allow anesthesiologist assistants to practice in Arkansas would expand access to anesthesia care and let hospitals choose to adopt the anesthesia care team model.
Megan Moke, an anesthesiologist assistant employed in Round Rock, Texas, testified before the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee that a bill to allow anesthesiologist assistants to practice in Arkansas would expand access to anesthesia care and let hospitals choose to adopt the anesthesia care team model.
Moke said the proposal would “continue to expand health care across the state” by enabling hospitals to hire more anesthesia providers and decide whether to use an anesthesia care team supervised by an anesthesiologist. She described her training and experience: “During that training, I had more than 2,200 hours of direct patient care, and I passed a national board certifying exam that was overseen by the National Board of Medical Examiners,” she told the committee.
Moke said her training is similar to that of physician assistants and that she currently works under an anesthesia care team model in which an anesthesiologist supervises several providers. “While I have the physical and mental capability of doing all this alone, having that extra set of hands is the safest for the patient,” she said.
Moke told the committee she hopes the change would reduce barriers that currently prevent her from returning to Arkansas: “I’m being robbed of living amongst these friends again simply because I can’t work here as an anesthesia provider,” she said, adding that she and others would benefit from expanded practice authority.
Moke also said 21 states currently allow anesthesiologist assistants and named nearby states that permit them. When a committee member asked whether her practice model is allowed in Texas, she replied, “Yes, ma’am. So 21 states currently allow AAs. Your surrounding neighbors, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri also do.”
The committee chair told those present that the committee would not run the bill or take a vote at this meeting, but that because a witness had flown in the committee would hear the testimony. No formal action or vote on the bill was taken at the session.
The committee moved on after the testimony and later discussed scheduling for other items on the agenda.
