Licensing anesthesiologist assistants and creating the Council on Anesthesiologist Assistants and granting rule-making authority

Under the bill, an anesthesiologist assistant may assist an anesthesiologist in the delivery of medical care only under the supervision of an anesthesiologist who is immediately available and able to intervene if needed. The scope of an anesthesiologist assistant's practice is limited to assisting only the supervising anesthesiologist and performing only certain medical care tasks assigned by the supervising anesthesiologist. The medical care tasks are specified in the bill and include the following: 1) developing and implementing an anesthesia care plan; 2) implementing monitoring techniques; 3) pretesting and calibrating anesthesia delivery systems; 4) administering vasoactive drugs and starting and adjusting vasoactive infusions; 5) administering intermittent anesthetic, adjuvant, and accessory drugs; 6) implementing spinal, epidural, and regional anesthetic procedures; and 7) administering blood, blood products, and supportive fluids.

The bill requires an anesthesiologist assistant to be employed by one of certain health care providers specified in the bill and to enter into a supervision agreement with an anesthesiologist who represents the anesthesiologist assistant's employer.

The supervision agreement must identify the anesthesiologist assistant's supervising anesthesiologist and define the scope of the anesthesiologist assistant's practice, and may limit the anesthesiologist assistant's practice to less than the full scope of anesthesiologist assistant practice authorized by the bill.

The bill authorizes a student anesthesiologist assistant to perform only medical care tasks assigned by an anesthesiologist, who may delegate the supervision of a student to a qualified anesthesiology provider. The bill also creates a five-member Council on Anesthesiologist Assistants to advise and make recommendations to the board.