Paul Santoro, CRNA, MS
Hello AANA members, and welcome to Boston! This New England city provides us with a beautiful and historic backdrop for our 78th AANA Annual Meeting. Boston has helped define Americana and is full of fun and exciting things to do and see. While in town, be sure to tour the historic sites and, of course, try some of the famous fresh seafood this city has to offer.
This year’s meeting provides numerous educational and networking opportunities. I urge you to consider attending the Council on Accreditation Doctorate Workshop beginning Thursday, Aug. 4. This two-day workshop offers a wealth of information on the move toward doctoral education for nurse anesthetists.
On Saturday, make your voice heard at the Annual Business Meeting. In addition to presenting a review of the past year’s efforts, a number of resolutions and bylaws will be up for consideration. This meeting enables members to better understand the inner workings of the AANA and how they can play a role in influencing the direction of their professional Association.
Other highlights
Everyone is encouraged to attend the CRNA-PAC fundraiser, Cocktails and Camelot, on Saturday evening at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. I urge you to support the CRNA-PAC, a very important part of our advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C.
At this year’s meeting, I am especially looking forward to Sunday’s keynote speaker, Lieutenant Colonel John Nance, a decorated Air Force pilot involved in the National Patient Safety Foundation. You won’t want to miss his talk, “Why Hospitals Should Fly: The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care.”
Other highlights of the meeting include educational sessions on pain management and the business of anesthesia, difficult airway workshops, and the AANA Blood Drive on Monday, Aug. 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hynes Convention Center.
Reflecting on the past, thinking about the future
In the last year, a number of landmark studies and reports were released, including the publication of “Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Anesthesia Providers” in Nursing Economic$ and “No Harm Found When Nurse Anesthetists Work Without Supervision by Physicians,” an opt-out study published in Health Affairs. Another major event of this past year was the Institute of Medicine’s report “The Future of Nursing: Leading the Change, Advancing Health,” which reinforced the findings in the previously mentioned studies. These milestones were significant and influential in the eyes of public policy officials, and CRNAs in the profession of nurse anesthesia were portrayed in a positive light.
I think the AANA and nurse anesthesia is positioned very well for the future. The quality of care delivered by nurse anesthetists is well documented, as is the cost-effectiveness of nurse anesthesia care. Considering the challenges we face in our country with delivering safe, cost-effective healthcare to all of our citizens, CRNAs are sure to play a prominent role going forward.
As an Association we need to actively engage in public policy as well as in the educational arena to ensure that we continue to provide the quality anesthesia professionals our country needs.
I look forward to seeing you all at the meeting.
See you in Boston!
Paul Santoro, CRNA, MS
AANA President