house resolution no.123

Reps. Bezotte, Breen, Garza, Haadsma, Sneller, Steenland and Thanedar offered the following resolution:

A resolution to declare June 7-13, 2021, as Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants Week in the state of Michigan.

Whereas, In the early 1960s, leaders in the medical specialty of anesthesiology recognized the existence of staffing shortages and to meet the growing demands and to accommodate the increasing complexity of anesthesia and surgery, three anesthesiologists proposed the precursor to what is now the certified anesthesiologist assistant; and

Whereas, Certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs) are highly skilled health professionals who work under the direction of licensed physician anesthesiologists to implement anesthesia care plans and work exclusively within the anesthesia care team model as described by the American Society of Anesthesiologists; and

Whereas, All CAA students must have earned a baccalaureate degree with premedical coursework to be admitted into a CAA training program and must complete a comprehensive didactic and clinical program at the graduate school level; and

Whereas, CAA training programs must include a minimum of 24-28 months in a master's level program accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs (CAAHEP) and must be based at, or in collaboration with, a university that has a medical school and academic anesthesiologist physician faculty; and

Whereas, An average of 600 hours of classroom/laboratory education, 2,000 hours of clinical anesthesia education, and more than 600 anesthetics administered, including all types of surgery, are typically required to successfully complete CAA training; and

Whereas, CAAs are trained extensively in the delivery and maintenance of quality anesthesia care as well as advanced patient monitoring techniques and perform such tasks as administering drugs, obtaining vascular access, applying and interpreting monitors, establishing and maintaining patient airway, and assisting with preoperative assessment; and

Whereas, In 1989, the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA) was established to create a national certification process and since 2002, there has been a significant expansion of CAA education programs in the U.S.; and

Whereas, CAAs practice in 16 states and the District of Columbia, the Medicare system, and Veteran’s Affairs hospitals across the country and provide anesthesia services for thousands of medical procedures every year in the United States; and

Whereas, The Michigan Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants is dedicated to providing the safest, high-quality care as a member of the anesthesia care team and to creating a better future through innovation, cutting-edge medicine, advocacy, and education; and

Whereas, A national week of recognition for certified anesthesiologist assistants starts June 7,2021, and continues through June 13, 2021; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare June 7-13, 2021, as Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant Week in the state of Michigan.