Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law Senate Bill 882, which authorizes certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs) licensure in the state. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2025.
Virginia joins over 20 states that allow both types of nonphysician anesthetists (CAAs and nurse anesthetists) to practice in the physician-led Anesthesia Care Team. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the Virginia Society of Anesthesiologists (VSA) applaud this action, which will make CAA services available to Virginia patients.
“We would like to thank Gov. Youngkin for signing this bill into law and Sen. Mamie E. Locke for introducing the bill,” said Donald E. Arnold, M.D., FACHE, FASA, president of ASA. “This action allows patients in Virginia to benefit from the state-of-the-art care services that CAAs provide. CAAs balance and supplement the perioperative anesthesia workforce and actively contribute to better access, improved service line expansion efforts and preserved quality in patient care. We are very pleased that Gov. Youngkin recognizes these contributions and are hopeful that all states will adopt similar legislation.”
CAAs are trained extensively in the delivery of quality anesthesia care as well as advanced patient monitoring techniques. They work exclusively under the medical direction of physician anesthesiologists to implement anesthesia care plans within the Anesthesia Care Team.
All CAAs possess a pre-medical undergraduate education and complete a comprehensive didactic and clinical graduate school program at the master’s degree level. CAAs are fully recognized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs system.
“The Virginia Society of Anesthesiologists was proud to advocate for this important step in strengthening Virginia’s health care workforce and expanding patient access to high-quality anesthesia care,” said Casey Dowling, D.O., FASA, president of VSA. “We’re thrilled to welcome these highly trained CAAs into our Anesthesia Care Team Model, enhancing the level of care available to patients across the commonwealth.”
