Just days after announcing that Vermont had become the 26th U.S. state to opt out of physician supervision of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) has announced that Ohio has become the 27th state to do so.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine informed CMS of the state’s decision. In his letter, he wrote that he had consulted with the Ohio Board of Nursing and the State of Ohio Medical Board “about issues related to access to and the quality of anesthesia services in Ohio.” He noted changes to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4723 enacted in House Bill 52 that the “the current physician supervision requirement is no longer needed as provided for in the federal regulations, and therefore Ohio opting out of the requirement is appropriate.”
“This is a significant win for Ohio patients,” stated Ohio State Association of Nurse Anesthetists President Kim Riviello, DNP, MBA, CRNA. “By removing an outdated federal requirement, Ohio will support patient access to care and enable healthcare facilities to fully utilize highly qualified nurse anesthesiologists to meet the needs of their communities.”
This AANA fact sheet lists all of the states that have opted out of physician supervision of CRNAs to date.
