PANA Visits Pennsylvania Legislators during 2011 AANA Mid-Year Assembly

On Sunday (April 10th), the 2011 AANA Mid-Year Assembly (MYA) kicked off in the Nation's Capitol. The four-day event brought over 750 CRNAs and student nurse anesthetists to Washington to lobby Members of Congress on issues critical to the patients, practice and profession of nurse anesthesia.

Members of the AANA took three main messages to the Hill:

  • Rural Anesthesia access to restore Medicare rural hospital payment for nurse anesthetist on call services (HR 3151, S 1585);
  • Payment sufficient to support access to care, including reversing the 21.2% Medicare cuts slated for March 1, 2010;
  • Promote the development of the anesthesia professional workforce, by ensuring the Medicare anesthesia payment teaching rules (MIPPA Sec. 139) are implemented fairly and effectively, and by securing full funding of the Title 8 nurse workforce development program in FY 2011 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations including $4 million for Nurse Anesthesia Education.
The PANA Group stops to relax after a long day walking the capitol building.
From left to right: PANA Federal Advisor: Christine Allen-Sanders, Michael Lord, Jessica Kitchen, PANA President: Kelly Wiltse Nicely, Ashley Sullivan, Jason Ambrose, Joe Rodriquez
PANA Members visit Representative Jason Altmire's office. From Left to Right: Arlene Loeffler, Rep Jason Altimire, Janice Kitchen, Ashley Sullivan, Jason Ambrose, Christine Allen-Sanders
PANA Members visit Representative Tim Murphy: Left to Right: Arlene Loeffler, Christine Allen-Sanders, Representative Tim Murphy, Ashley Sullivan, Jessica Kitchen
From Left to Right: Arlene Loeffler, Marcy Barty, Representative Tim Holden, Jessica Kitchen, Christine Allen-Sanders
From Left to Right: Marcy Barty, Jessica Kitchen, Representative Mike Doyle, Arlene Loeffler and Christine Allen-Sanders
Meeting with Representative Lou Barlettas Staff; Joe Rodriquez and Michael Lord
Meeting with Representative Joe Pitts Staff; Marcy Barty and Tonya Via