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Community Corner

No on SB 491

I, along with 4,000 of members of the California Society of Anesthesiologists, strongly encourage Assemblymember Richard Gordon (D-Menlo Park) to support patient safety by voting “NO” on SB 491 next week in the Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee.  This legislation would inappropriately expand nurse practitioner scope of practice without physician oversight.

In the interests of patient safety and quality of care, I believe that expanding advanced practice nurses' scope of practice and removing physician involvement is not in California's best interest.  As physician anesthesiologists, we believe that our participation in each patient's anesthesia care before, during, and after surgery leads to optimal patient care.  Expanding nurse practitioner scope of practice and eliminating any requirement for physician oversight will jeopardize patient safety and diminish the quality of care that Californians deserve. Patients are best served when the mid-level healthcare practitioners including nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and certified anesthesiologist assistants work together with physicians in a physician-led patient care team model.  I hope Assemblymember Gordon will put patients first by voting “NO” on SB 491.

 

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Edward R. Mariano, MD, MAS (Clinical Research)
Chief, Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care Service
VA Palo Alto Health Care System
3801 Miranda Avenue (112A)
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Tel: 650-493-5000 x64762
Fax: 650-852-3423

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