Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • ESG: THE IMPLEMENTATION IMPERATIVE
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Digital Health
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Transformation
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Unwell in America
  • Opinion
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Supply Chain
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • Data Center
    • Data Center Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Patient Care
Sponsored Content Provided By American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology
This content was created by and paid for by an advertiser. The Crain's editorial department was not involved in the creation of this content.
March 31, 2022 01:00 AM

How efficient anesthesia staffing ensures quality and reins in costs

By Dina Velocci, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    AANA

    Spiraling costs, provider shortages, hospital closings and an aging population were already driving the U.S. healthcare system into crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic. To stay financially viable and continue providing patients access to high-quality healthcare, administrators must take a hard look at all facility resources and services, including anesthesia. This requires a willingness to evaluate costs, services and staffing, and to make decisions that maximize resources while ensuring quality and access to care.

    The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology believes Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Modeling is ideally suited to address key concerns of healthcare systems. By adopting a decision-making framework from the science of public policy, Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Modeling identifies the most appropriate anesthesia care delivery system for a location. This makes the most of a facility’s resources by positioning efficient anesthesia provider staffing as a central objective.

    As research demonstrates, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are integral to a high-value anesthesia care delivery approach where quality and safety are emphasized and costs are reduced. Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Modeling engages both CRNAs and physician anesthesiologists working at the full scope of their practice, education and licensure. It also supports flexibility to match local demand and financial capacity, even as it limits the duplication of services, improves effectiveness, increases access and reduces costs.

    Choosing efficiency and quality

    An anesthesia department’s efficiency assessment should begin by identifying a delivery model that is the most appropriate for the facility. Anesthesia delivery models to consider are:

    1) The Consultative/Collaborative model

    This model is designed to promote professional cooperation and to create the most value for patients. It does not consider licensure like the Anesthesia Care Team (ACT) model, but instead focuses on maintaining quality, maximizing efficiencies and increasing patient and surgeon access. In the Consultative/Collaborative model, all anesthesia providers are clinically autonomous and encouraged to use their full skill set and licensure in caring for patients.

    2) Medical Direction with Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility (TEFRA) requirements

    Also known as the ACT model, Medical Direction with TEFRA requirements requires heavy physician anesthesiologist involvement in key portions of every anesthetic procedure, as well as fulfillment of Medicare’s seven regulatory billing requirements under TEFRA. The ACT’s explicit hierarchical physician-led structure ultimately increases healthcare costs by mandating a maximum 1:4 ratio of physician anesthesiologist to CRNAs. There is no scientific evidence that the ACT model increases patient safety or quality of care, but there is strong evidence that the ACT model increases costs to the healthcare system.

    3) Independent CRNA or Physician Anesthesiologist

    Some care settings function best with a single anesthesia provider who either works solo or as part of a team made up of only CRNAs or only physician anesthesiologists. Historically, lower volume facilities in rural areas are more likely to use CRNA-only groups. Today, this single-provider model is being rapidly adopted at urban facilities in non-hospital-based settings such as ambulatory surgical centers and medical offices. Delivery models that utilize CRNAs, including the model where CRNAs practice alone, are the most cost-effective option.

    Providing equitable access to effective, compassionate care

    CRNAs provide the majority of anesthesia services in rural America and have a greater presence in areas with vulnerable populations including Medicaid recipients, the uninsured and the unemployed. Increased use of CRNAs may create cost savings that can be redistributed to provide additional coverage for anesthesia services and other areas. Facilities serving disadvantaged populations, struggling to attract high-cost physician anesthesiologists or burdened by expensive financial subsidies could be well-served by utilizing Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Modeling, and CRNAs are ready to provide effective, more efficient and equitable anesthesia care.

    The time has come to ask questions and listen to communities to select the best Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Model that suits the locale’s needs. Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Modeling is purposely responsive to a facility’s needs and based on evidence established in safe practice, cost effectiveness and improved accessibility.

    For more information about the Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Model, see AnesthesiaFacts.com.

    About the author

    Dr. Dina Velocci, DNP, CRNA, APRN, is president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. Velocci has long been active in nurse anesthesiology, spanning 18 years as a CRNA and 14 years as a clinical and didactic instructor for nurse anesthetists, and success as a healthcare business leader.

    Sponsored by

    aana

    Founded in 1931, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) is a professional association representing 60,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and student registered nurse anesthetists nationwide. CRNAs are prolific anesthesia professionals who safely administer anesthetics to patients. As advanced practice registered nurses, CRNAs are among the nation's most trusted professionals.

    Most Popular
    1
    More healthcare organizations at risk of credit default, Moody's says
    2
    Centene fills out senior executive team with new president, COO
    3
    SCAN, CareOregon plan to merge into the HealthRight Group
    4
    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan unveils big push that lets physicians take on risk, reap rewards
    5
    Bright Health weighs reverse stock split as delisting looms
    Sponsored Content
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Digital Health
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Unwell in America
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Supply Chain
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing