As anesthesia groups navigate workforce shortages and cost pressures, collaboration between anesthesiologists and CRNAs becomes increasingly vital.
Brian Cohen, MD, administrative chief of Miami Anesthesia Services, joined Becker’s to discuss how transparency and education are critical for alignment.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited lightly for clarity and length.
Question: Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunities for alignment between CRNAs and anesthesiologists to strengthen services across ASCs and hospitals?
Dr. Brian Cohen: The two biggest opportunities are education and transparency — both with facility partners and surgeon partners.
This conversation is easier at the ASC level, especially when surgeons have ownership stakes. The most productive way to collaborate is to help all stakeholders understand the nuances of anesthesia practice management — the costs and collections.
We love sitting with administrators and surgeon partners to explain how anesthesia is billed and how payer reimbursement drives staffing models. One of our most productive exercises is showing surgeons how many Medicare or commercial cases it takes to cover the cost of one anesthesia clinician per day. Then they can decide how many rooms they want to run.
We’re service providers, but we need to arm facilities with information so they can make informed staffing decisions. That transparency and education strengthen trust and help balance cost-benefit considerations between CRNA and anesthesiologist models.
Q: How can organizations balance cost pressures and staffing shortages while maintaining a collaborative dynamic between anesthesiologists and CRNAs?
BC: Collaboration between anesthesiologists and CRNAs is built into the core culture of an organization. This begins at the top and can not only be words — it requires follow-through and actions. It is built on trust and mutual respect and relies on the ability to push egos aside for the sake of performance.
IF and WHEN an organization creates a collaborative culture, then the cost pressures and the shortages can be solved with a full toolbox of options. These options are not limited to a one-size-fits-all solution, allowing you to drive down costs and maximize utilization by leaning on the most cost- AND care-appropriate staffing model to solve every single day.
