News — ROSEMONT, Ill. (AANA)— The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) honored the Colorado Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (CoANA) with the Excellence in State Government Relations Advocacy Award at its Mid-Year Assembly, held in Washington, D.C., April 26 – April 30.
Among their significant achievements, CoANA worked passionately to educate lawmakers and health officials about the scope and training of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), also known as nurse anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists, culminating in the expansion of their partial opt-out status (waiving federal supervision of CRNAs in critical access and certain rural hospitals) in 2010 to full opt-out (waiving supervision in all hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers) in 2023, ensuring patient safety and access to patient care in Colorado.
“CoANA engaged every level of the profession—from seasoned CRNAs to student/resident nurse anesthetists in this imperative effort. With strategic planning, tireless outreach, and a strong alliance with key stakeholders, CoANA educated policymakers on the critical importance of expanding the opt-out and reinforcing high standards of anesthesia care,” said CoANA President Kellie Marie Logue, CRNA. “We are honored to be recognized by AANA for our achievements.”
“The CoANA leadership includes CRNAs with years of experience, as well as new members who are empowered to work to their full potential,” Logue said. “Thank you to the many Colorado CRNAs who continue to fight to protect CRNA practice in the future.”
The AANA Excellence in State Government Relations Advocacy Award, established in 2016, is presented annually to a state association based on the quality of its efforts in the state legislative or regulatory arena for the nurse anesthesiology profession. The recipient is vetted against specific criteria by the AANA Government Relations Committee.
As advanced practice registered nurses, CRNAs are members of one of the most trusted professions according to Gallup. CRNAs provide anesthesia care across all settings and in all patient populations and are the primary anesthesia providers in rural and underserved areas and on the battlefield in forward surgical teams.
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