•   The PANA fully supports the condemnation of syringe and needle reuse as described by the AANA
  Several instances have described this deplorable practice by CRNA's and MD's. Read more here.
•  Aetna Reverses Decision on Anesthesia Reimbursement
  Aetna has announced that, based on input from the AGA Institute and discussions with a number of gastroenterologists, it will not implement Clinical Policy Bulletin 0740 on April 1, 2008, as planned. This policy would have restricted the use of an anesthesia professional in standard upper or lower endoscopic procedures, including colonoscopy, for average-risk patients.

  HealthAmerica announces they will also continue reimbursements.

•   PANA President Joseph D'Amico Ph.D. responds to Aetna's plan to stop anesthesia reimbursement for endoscopies.
  Read his response in letters to Senator, Donald White, Chair, Senate Banking and Insurance Committee; Representative, Anthony DeLuca, Chair, House Insurance Committee; Mr. Joel Ario, PA Acting Insurance Commissioner.
•   Pennsylvania CRNA's share their CRNA Week Celebrations with the State!
  See what other CRNA's have done to spread the word. If you've got pictures or a stort, send them to the PANA for inclusion
• New PANA Member Forum and Message Board.
  The PANA wants to hear your ideas!
  Logon, share your thoughts. concerns, and ask the PANA Board questions.
• Anesthesia Awareness... an uncommon problem now in the spotlight.
  CRNA Standard of Care is established to prevent this problem
• The Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award
  The Cherokee Uniforms family is enormously proud of the job healthcare workers perform and the compassion and competence with which they serve every day.
  To help us acknowledge and honor the profession, the Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award was created.
  The award provides nurses, healthcare workers, their colleagues, and the public a national opportunity to recognize exceptional service, sacrifice and innovation resulting in encouraging and inspirational accounts that we share with the nation. Nominate a CRNA today!
• Anesthesia Work Value Boost of 32 Percent Spares CRNAs the 10 Percent Cuts Other Specialties Face; Further Payment Fix Requires Congress to Act
  This change by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) "boosts the value of anesthesia work as AANA had requested,” said AANA President Wanda Wilson, CRNA, PhD.
• House Bill 1256 Being Considered by the House Professional Licensing Committee
  
  • Please logon to the PANA Members Pages and send an email message to your Pennsylvania House Member today!
  • Review the Legislation of Interest to CRNA's page for more information on legislation in Pennsylvania
  • Read Joe D'Amico, PANA President's Report on the PANA's Visit to Harrisburg, and their visit with Representatives of the Professional Licensure Committee.
• 2007 PANA Awards Announced at the Fall Meeting in Philadelphia
  Every year, PANA awards special recognition to outstanding students, program directors, didactic instructors, clinical instructors, and CRNA clinicians for their outstanding professional work. Congratulations to this years recipients!
• PANA Announces Winner of New Student Award in Honor of Susan Humes Taylor, CRNA
  An additional scholarship was initiated this year by the generous donation of Mr. Tom Taylor, husband of late and still greatly missed PANA advocate and board member: Sue Humes Taylor. This annual scholarship will be awarded to the outgoing PANA student representative to commemorate Sue’s belief in CRNAs and their advocacy.
• Read Secretary Fred Ackler's White Paper on H.B 1286
  As a CRNA in Pennsylvania you MUST read this!
• Read President Michael Stefonetti's testimony before the PA House Insurance Committee (May 2nd, 2007)
  As part of Governor Rendell's "Health Care Prescription Plan for Pennsylvania" CRNA's in certain practice situations would find themselves with greater autonomy.
• Volunteer to Run for PANA Office, or Nominate a Dedicated Friend for the PANA Board of Directors
  Think seriously about giving back to the organization that has protected your practice rights. If you don't believe this is true, or are unsure, stop by a PANA Board meeting and see. Login to the Members-Only section of www.pana.org and complete the easy online form. Volunteer Today!
• OB Anesthesia Equally Safe When Provided By CRNAs Or Anesthesiologists, New Washington Study Shows
  Obstetrical anesthesia, whether provided by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) or anesthesiologists, is extremely safe, and there is no difference in safety between hospitals that use only CRNAs compared with those that use only anesthesiologists, according to the results of a new study published in a recent issue of Nursing Research (Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 9-17).
• The PANA Encourages Safety First!
  Statewide Public Service Announcement to encourage use of seatbelts, helmets, and to avoid drinking and driving. More information available through these links
• Rejuvenate Your Nursing Career in the Oldest Avanced Practice Specialty - Nurse Anesthesia
  The profession of nurse anesthesia is the oldest advanced practice specialty in the field of nursing
  Thomas Kelly, PANA Trustee
  
• New Study Shows Surgical Death Rates Not Affected by Type of Anesthesia Provider
  AANA Journal
  April 2003
  
• PANA Members: Make sure the PANA has your correct email on file so you can receive our email newsletters.
  PANA Members, check out our highly popular newsletter. See Issue 6 here, and make sure we have your email on file to receive it.

CRNAs in the News!

•   Mary Butler CRNA retired finds appreciation after retirement in her volunteer activities
  Erie Times News
  February 25, 2008
• Patricia Mullen Reilly, CRNA and PANA Member, has been selected for the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Committee on Technology
  "Ms. Reilly has had extensive experience on the COT and brings a wealth of clinical, managerial, and interpersonal experience to this position and will help COT reach out to its membership to improve communications, recruitment, and developmental strategies." If you have feedback for Patty, contact her via email.
• A Fighting Chance - Paulette Schank CRNA from Langhorne, PA shares her thoughts on saving men's lives in Iraq
  Scott Pelley On Combat Medicine And The Battle To Save Lives
  CBS News
  10/30/2006
• Defining the Roles of Advanced Practice Nursing
  BellaOnline: The Voice of Women
  Helen V. Calalang-Javier, MSN, RNC, IBCLC
  2/26/2006
• Medicine's Turf Wars
  Specialists without M.D.'s are pushing for more medical power. Are they ready--and are you?
  By Christopher J. Gearon
  1/31/2005
  This article is partially included here. For the full text, visit the USNews web site.
  
• A nursing specialty
  A nurse anesthetist may be the last person a patient sees before surgery and the first person he or she sees in the recovery room.
  Susan Shelly
  Reading Eagle
  July 13, 2004
  
• Local CRNA volunteers time to educate local high school students on nurse anesthesia.
  Aron Ostrowski CRNA
  Presbyterian/Shadyside Hospitals
  

• Scranton CRNA cautions that club drugs combined with anesthesia could further compromise a patient's health
  Dr. Frances Kramer CRNA
  WNEP TV
  Scranton, Pa.
  March 18, 2004
  

Patient and Clinical Information

• A Wake-Up Call About Anesthesia Awareness
  Striking a Balance in Public Perceptions (nearly 2hours). This webcast featured an expert panel, including AANA Past President Tom McKibban, CRNA, MS, addressing the media about anesthetic awareness. Find out what every patient should know! (If webcast has not as yet been posted, please check back at another time.)

• HGSA Release Important Update Information:
  Claims Rejected as Beneficiary Cannot be Identified
  Providers submitting claims to HGSA as well as other carriers across the country are experiencing claims rejections because the beneficiary cannot be located on the eligibility records housed by the Common Working File (CWF).

• PANA and PSA Release Joint Statement on Propofol Administration
  To insure patient safety, Propofol should be administered only by persons trained in the administration of general anesthesia and not involved in the conduct of the surgical/diagnostic procedure

• My Elderly Parent Must Undergo Surgery, Now What?
  Are you prepared to surrender your geriatric parent to surgical care?

• Surgery On The Go!
  Children off to school by seven... call garage at nine to schedule oil change... surgery at ten...
  The State of Ambulatory Surgery Today

• Pediatric Dose Calculator
  Facilitate the pediatric anesthetic! Use the PANA's World famous (no really!) calculator.
  Updated August 2004

• Preparing A Child For Surgery:
  Nurse anesthestists Give Advice On Reducing Fear Of The Unknown

• Test Your Knowledge of ACLS!
  http:www.acls.net

Get To Know Your Government

• PANA Board Members Bettina Dixon and Margie Darbut get to know Representative Gergley
• Get To Know Representative Merle Phillips
  Legislative District 108, Northumberland and Snyder Counties
• Get To Know Senator Jane Orie
  Senatorial District 40, Allegheny and Butler Counties
• Get To Know Representative Steve Barrar
  Legislative District 160, Chester and Delaware Counties
• Get To Know Senator Mary Jo White
  Senatorial District 21, Clarion, Forest, Venango Counties plus parts of Butler, Erie, and Warren Counties
• Get To Know Senator Sean Logan
  Senatorial District 45, Allegheny County
• Mike Kinslow and Tom Kelly get to know State Representative Stephen Barrar (House Sponsor of HB 1066) at a Phillies game this summer

PANA Happenings

• Pictures from the 2007 PANA Fall Meeting in Philadelphia
  Many who attended stated how great the topics and speakers were. Congratulations to this years PANA Award Winners:
  • PANA 2007 Award Winners: Clinical Instructor of the Year - Gale Jackman, BSN, CRNA
  • CRNA Clinician of the Year - Mary Altmeyer, CRNA, MSEd.
  • Didactic Instructor of the Year - James Woomer, Jr., CRNA, MSN
  • Co-Outstanding Student of the Year - Jennifer Fleegle-Vitsas
  • Co-Outstanding Student of the Year - Monica Helinski
  • Co-Outstanding Student of the Year - Raelyn Raver
  • Co-Outstanding Student of the Year - Bryan Read
  • Co-Outstanding Student of the Year - Sarah Robison
  • Co-Outstanding Student of the Year - Maria Thomas
• Pictures from the 2007 AANA Fall Meeting in Denver Colorado
  Kudos to Kathryn Doores, SRNA. Senior, Drexel University Nurse Anesthesia Program for being chosen to sing the National Anthem, as well as to the winning SRNA College Bowl team from Drexel Universities Nurse Anesthesia Program.
  Ferne Cohen, CRNA, MS, MSN, Assistant Program Director, Kathleen Peiffer, SRNA, Senior Student, and Lew Bennett, CRNA, Program Director.
• PANA Representatives Travel to Washington D.C. for the AANA 2007 MidYear Assembly
  Christine Allen-Sanders, the PANA Federal Director has done another marvelous job of organizing the PANA's visit to US Congressmen. View the pictures here
• Pictures from the PANA's conference in Gettysburg
• PANA CRNA's Pictures from the 2006 AANA Meeting in Cleveland
  PA CRNAs well represented
• Pictures from the 2006 PANA Spring Symposium in Hershey, PA
  Over 400 CRNA's come out in support of the PANA to discuss anesthesia and network.
•  Pictures from the 2006 PANA Annual Golf Outing
  63 CRNA's come out in support of the PANA and to play in the rain at Iron Valley Golf Club