Arizonans Overwhelmingly Want Physicians to Supervise Nurse Anesthetists and Respond to Anesthesia Emergencies

• An overwhelming 80% of Arizona voters want a physician handling medical complications or anesthesia emergencies during surgery.
• When provided with the education and training associated with a physician anesthesiologist and a nurse anesthetist, 74% of voters want to have a physician anesthesiologist administer anesthesia.
• 76% noted that it is extremely or very important that a nurse administering anesthesia or responding to an emergency during surgery work under the supervision of a physician.
• Only 28% support Gov. Ducey’s opt-out decision, which was made without input from the public, medical boards, or the state’s medical community.

Gov. Ducey has refused five separate requests to meet with his physician constituents on this patient safety concern. His office neither consulted the medical community while the decision was being made, nor notified the physician community before the decision was made public.

AzSA and ASA urge Arizonans to call the governor’s office and demand that the opt-out only temporarily suspends physician supervision requirements while the state tackles the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every other governor who has authorized similar changes during this time has done so on a temporary basis. Governor Ducey is the only governor to issue such a drastic, permanent measure. To protect Arizona patients and to better align with other states and the federal government, he must clarify that this opt-out is temporary. Otherwise, this permanent change directly opposes what Arizona voters want from their health care system, lowering the standard of care and jeopardizing the lives of Arizonans.

“Physician involvement in surgical anesthesia ensures patients receive safe, high-quality care.  The people of Arizona deserve no less. More importantly, it is what the people of Arizona want for their health care,” said AzSA Immediate Past President Courtney Koshar, M.D.

“Despite advances in medicine and patient safety, surgery and anesthesia are inherently dangerous,” said ASA President Mary Dale Peterson, M.D., MSHCA, FACHE, FASA. “Physician anesthesiologists are highly skilled medical experts who have the education and training to make critical decisions in an emergency. People want a physician to administer their anesthesia or respond in an emergency.”

Physician anesthesiologists have up to 14 years of postgraduate medical education and residency training, which includes 12,000 -16,000 hours of clinical training, nearly seven times more training than nurse anesthetists.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) could not discern “whether more complex surgeries can be safely managed by CRNAs.”

Additionally, there are no cost savings for patients in Arizona to receive anesthesia care solely by a nurse anesthetist. Physician supervision of anesthesia ensures patients receive safe, high-quality care. AzSA and ASA urge the governor not to lower the standard of care in Arizona. It provides no benefit and can mean the difference between life and death.

The survey was conducted by TelOpinion Research. The individuals interviewed were randomly selected from the latest list of registered voters in Arizona and the results represent a cross-section of voters across the state. The margin of error associated with a study of this size is +-3.9%.

                                                                                                                                #  #  #