When Seconds Count…
Physician Anesthesiologists Save Lives.®
Physician anesthesiologists are highly trained medical experts who evaluate, monitor and care for patients before, during and after surgery as well as treat chronic pain, medical emergencies and complications.
Take Action.Protect Patients.The facts:
Nurse anesthetists are trained to administer anesthesia, but do not have the medical education or clinical training to make critical medical decisions during surgery.
Safe, high-quality anesthesia care depends on a patient-centered, physician-led team. All patients deserve access to a physician regardless of their background, economic status, or location.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) strongly recommends that a physician anesthesiologist be immediately available to supervise and support care – especially during complex or overlapping procedures.
Patients everywhere, urban and rural, deserve the same standard of care. When a physician anesthesiologist is not available, a surgeon or another qualified physician should supervise anesthesia care.
Physician anesthesiologists play a critical role before surgery. Studies show they can:
- Significantly reduce unnecessary testing
- Decrease surgical cancellations
- Reduce medical consultation requests by 75%
- Reduce surgical cancellation by 88%
- Reduce the cost of laboratory tests by 59%
Allowing nurses to administer unsupervised anesthesia care does not reduce costs—most insurers pay the same regardless of who provides anesthesia. In fact, removing physician anesthesiologists may increase costs, as other physicians may be needed to manage and assess complications, pre-existing conditions, or emergencies.
A physician-led model ensures that medical expertise is immediately available, while other team members provide essential support to deliver safe, coordinated care.
When Seconds Count®…Count on physician-led care.
Every day in hospitals, medical centers, ambulatory surgery centers, and physicians’ offices, physician anesthesiologists care for patients and manage complex medical situations that can arise suddenly during surgery or other procedures.
Physician anesthesiologists are highly trained medical specialists, with 12,000 to 16,000 hours of clinical training in anesthesia, pain, and critical care medicine. Their education spans all body systems, preparing them to evaluate, diagnose, and manage a wide range of medical conditions and patient needs.
This extensive training helps ensure patients receive safe, coordinated care before, during, and after surgery – especially in moments when rapid medical decision-making is critical.
Former Nurse Anesthetist Recognizes Training Limits
“After six months practicing as a nurse anesthetist, I found myself getting frustrated that I did not know everything I wanted to know about the increasingly complex surgical procedures being performed on my patients. I also struggled to understand the details of all the patients’ medical illnesses. Yet my attending physician anesthesiologist had the benefit of that knowledge due to the additional years of medical education and residency training in anesthesiology. I decided then that I wanted to be able to provide complete, comprehensive anesthesia care for my patients. I knew that the only way to acquire this perioperative and periprocedural knowledge was to apply to medical school and complete residency training.”
– Jane C.K. Fitch, M.D., ASA Past President and Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City and Former Nurse Anesthetist.
Physician Anesthesiologist Ensures Complicated Surgery Is Safe and Successful
While planning for a patient’s gallbladder removal surgery, physician anesthesiologist Paul Yost, M.D., discovered that the typically straightforward procedure was going to be a challenging one. The patient’s gallbladder was severely infected and inflamed, and the liver—the organ that stops bleeding during surgery—was failing.
To ensure a safe and successful surgery, Dr. Yost customized an anesthesia plan to the patient’s special circumstance.
“As a physician anesthesiologist, I understand the other disease processes, the other organ systems and how they fit into the anesthetic. So we set up a whole set of different types of medications and blood products to stop the bleeding.
“A lot of what we do is preparation. It’s anticipation. It’s understanding what the surgeon is doing and how that’s going to interact with the disease processes of that patient. We’re able to get patients through a procedure safely and comfortably, back on their feet and return them to their way of life.”
– Paul Yost, M.D., Orange, Calif.
When Seconds Count®…Education, training and experience can mean the difference between life and death.
You wouldn’t board a plane without a qualified pilot, and you shouldn’t receive anesthesia during surgery without physician supervision. Physician anesthesiologists developed the techniques and protocols that have greatly improved the safety of anesthesia, and no one knows as much about delivering the highest-quality medical care and ensuring patients’ safety under anesthesia as these highly trained physicians.
Some nurses are now pursuing doctorate degrees or Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees (DNPs). The DNP is not equivalent to a Doctor of Medicine degree or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree and the DNP “will not alter the current scope of practice for APRNs (advanced practice registered nurses),” according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
When Seconds Count®…Quality care matters most of all.
An independent outcomes study published in the peer-reviewed journal Anesthesiology found that the presence of a physician anesthesiologist prevented 6.9 excess deaths per 1,000 cases in which an anesthesia or surgical complication occurred. Surveys also repeatedly show patients want physicians in charge.
Nurse anesthetists often advocate that substituting nurses for physicians cuts costs without increasing patient deaths or complications. However, there are no definitive, independent studies that confirm nurse anesthetists can ensure the same quality of care, patient safety and outcomes at less cost when working without physician supervision.
When Seconds Count®…Take action. Protect patients.
Advocate for patient-centered, physician-led anesthesia care to ensure the highest-quality and safest medical care. Patients deserve no less. Who do you want providing medical care for you, your family or a loved one?
Physician Anesthesiologist Saves an Expectant Mother and Her Baby
When a young woman experienced cardiac arrest during childbirth due to an amniotic embolism—a rare, but often deadly condition where amniotic fluid enters the mother’s bloodstream—physician anesthesiologist Patrick Allaire, M.D., saved her. He immediately placed a breathing tube, administered medication to restart her heart and instructed the care team to begin chest compressions. The mother had an emergency cesarean section, and Dr. Allaire cared for her throughout the day and night. Dr. Allaire’s quick response saved both mother and child.
“This case underscores the importance of having a physician anesthesiologist as the leader of the Anesthesia Care Team. Physicians have a unique set of skills and experience … that allows them to provide comprehensive assessment and care of their patients.”
– Patrick Allaire, M.D., Ames, Iowa.