Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill authorizing licensure for certified anesthesiologist assistants.
Signed into law May 21, House Bill 979 allows CAAs to practice in physician-led anesthesia care teams, according to a May 22 news release shared with Becker’s.
Tennessee is the 23rd state, in addition to the District of Columbia, that gives practice authority to CAAs. The legislation was supported by both the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Tennessee Society of Anesthesiologists.
“We would like to thank Gov. Lee for signing this bill into law,” Donald Arnold, MD, president of ASA, said in the release. “This new law allows patients in Tennessee to benefit from the state-of-the-art care that CAAs provide. … We are very pleased that Gov. Lee recognizes the benefit of adding CAAs to the team and are hopeful all states will adopt similar legislation.”
