The bill would allow certified anesthesiologist assistants to practice in Tennessee, where they currently need state approval. Kelli Ray, a certified anesthesiologist assistant and president of the Tennessee Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants noted in the report that similar legislation has been passed elsewhere.
“We’re definitely a growing profession, and hope to be able to take care of patients in all 50 states one day,” Ms. Ray said. While the bill faced some opposition earlier this year, some say that it would expand access to care in the state and decrease healthcare costs.
“Health care costs would be reduced so much that an increase in full-time permanent providers in an area would decrease the dependence on locum tenens providers,” said Louis Chemin, MD, an anesthesiologist with Anesthesiology Consultants Exchange at Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga said. “These ‘locums’ providers are very costly.”
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