A Proven Solution For Anesthesia Access

In communities across mid-Michigan, access to timely, high-quality health care isn’t an abstract policy debate, it’s a daily reality for patients and providers alike. One of the most pressing challenges we face is ensuring that surgical and procedural care can continue without delay, even as demand for anesthesia services grows. However, in pockets across our state, we’ve already seen what works.

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At facilities serving select communities across our state, Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) are part of the physician-led anesthesia care team and the results speak for themselves.

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More than 31,000 anesthesia cases in 2024 were supported by anesthesiologist assistants in physician-led teams, helping ensure patients receive safe, timely care when they need it most. That’s not a pilot program. That’s proof of concept.

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Michigan is facing a real and growing shortage of anesthesia professionals and it isn’t limited to rural communities; urban hospitals are feeling the strain as well. As surgical demand increases, health systems are being pushed to do more with fewer resources.

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Without enough anesthesia providers, procedures get delayed, operating rooms sit idle, and patients are left waiting. Right now, highly qualified students are leaving our state to attend AA educational programs. More often than not, they don’t return to Michigan to seek full-time employment due to uncertainty around their chosen career path in our state. That’s not a sustainable path forward, especially when a solution exists.

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Anesthesiologist assistants are highly trained medical professionals who work exclusively under the supervision of physician anesthesiologists. This model is already widely used in neighboring Great Lake states. It has been safely integrated into patient care systems here in Michigan too, like in Grand Rapids, where it’s helping extend care capacity without compromising quality or safety.

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The 31,000+ cases supported in Michigan demonstrate that CAAs are not theoretical; they are already contributing meaningfully to patient care in our state.

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Despite this success, Michigan still lacks a formal licensure framework for CAAs. That creates unnecessary barriers. Without licensure, there is no standardized system for oversight, no consistent way to verify qualifications, and no clear regulatory structure to support broader adoption.

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It also creates uncertainty for hospitals and providers when it comes to hiring and liability, making it harder to fully utilize a workforce that is already helping patients today.

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That’s why legislation to establish licensure for anesthesiologist assistants is so important. Licensure would not expand scope of practice. It would not change the physician-led model. What it would do is formalize and standardize what is already working, ensuring high standards, consistent oversight, and a clear pathway for health systems to responsibly expand care teams. Most importantly, it would allow Michigan to build on proven success instead of limiting it.

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In communities, access to care is everything. When anesthesia teams are fully staffed, surgeries happen locally and on time. Emergency procedures move forward without delay. Patients don’t have to travel farther than necessary to get the care they need.

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Expanding the use of anesthesiologist assistants through licensure is an incremental but meaningful step toward strengthening that access statewide. We’ve already seen the benefits in pockets across the state. Now it’s time to make that same level of care possible for patients across Michigan. Leaders in Lansing don’t need to reinvent the wheel, they just need to scale what’s already working.