I would like to thank all physician anesthesiologists who have been working tirelessly and relentlessly, placing their own physical and mental health at risk to care for patients who are suffering from COVID-19. The dedication and ingenuity of physician anesthesiologists continue to amaze me. Our colleagues have been on the front lines of this pandemic, restructuring hospital environments, creating specialized hoods and other protective equipment, and inventing plastic boxes for safer intubation. Physician anesthesiologists are now being profiled on the cover of Time magazine and interviewed by local and national news networks. We are being hailed as heroes.
One of the unfortunate consequences of this pandemic is loosening of regulations that govern the scope of practice of nurse anesthetists, including elimination of physician supervision. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) decided to remove physician supervision of nurse anesthetists, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. VA Acting Executive in Charge Richard Stone, MD,...
