Kristine Faust: Nurse anesthetists committed to safety [MI]
Posted almost 10 years ago by Nicholas M Perrino
"Nurse anesthetists have been the main providers of anesthesia care to U.S. military personnel on the front lines since World War I, including the current conflicts in the Middle East. According to a 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine, anesthesia care is nearly 50 times safer than in the 1980s.
CRNAs are perfectly suited to meet today's health care challenge of delivering safe, quality care to more people without burdening the health care system. CRNAs deliver the most cost-effective anesthesia care in all settings where anesthesia is delivered. They also ensure that patients in medically underserved communities have access to quality anesthesia care close to home.
Landmark studies published within the last five years confirm that anesthesia care is equally safe regardless of whether it is provided by a CRNA working alone, an anesthesiologist working alone or a CRNA working with an anesthesiologist.
These studies also confirm that CRNAs achieve the same level of safety and quality as their physician counterparts."