The shortage of anesthesia providers has put pressure on Wshington's hospitals, the Journal of Business reported Feb. 29.
"It really came to a head immediately after the height of COVID, where we found ourselves in a situation where we had a lack of anesthesia personnel," Erik Condon, MD, chief of surgery at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Providence Holy Family Hospital, both located in Spokane, Wash., told the Journal of Business.
The health system has had to rely on traveling anesthesia providers, and some anesthesia staff must work longer hours, Dr. Condon told the Journal.
However, Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System has been able to mitigate some of the effects of the crisis.
"In the Inland Northwest, we have a close working relationship with our anesthesia group, and while staffing shortages have affected us, we have not had to stop or delay any services due to anesthesia staffing shortages," Dan Springer, chief operating officer for MultiCare Deaconess Hospital in Spokane and MultiCare Valley Hospital in Spokane Valley, told the Journal.
There are two bills currently going through Washington's legislature that aim to address the anesthesia workforce shortage. One would make anesthesiologist assistants a new health profession, and the other would expand educational opportunities for CRNAs, according to the Journal.