Perspectives Winter/Spring 2018

Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences 21 There was a practice issue regarding whether anesthesiol- ogist assistants can or cannot perform neuraxial anesthetic procedures, such as spinal and epidural anesthesia. The root of the problem lies with the language utilized in the Florida statute regarding AA practice. The line in question stated that AAs might assist the supervising anesthesiologist with the performance of epidural anesthetic procedures and spinal anesthetic procedures. Furthermore, “assist with the performance” had been a highly controversial issue left open to interpretation until a recent, well-orchestrated petition requested a declaratory statement in regard to the definition and original intent of the term “assist” to the governing body of AAs—the Florida Board of Medicine. Fortunately, the board voted unanimously in favor of the declaratory statement, creating a precedent for AA practice of spinal and epidural anesthesia. In 2015, the FAAA attempted this same maneuver. Due to the undenounced lack of support and understanding of the profession, however, the declaratory statement had to be withdrawn. The power of knowledge and advocacy proved invaluable. This success led the NSU AA students to begin their careers valuing the importance of being an active professional citizen within their organization. As students will soon be the next generation of leaders, the class of 2019 took a jump-start and began an active role in advocacy. In the summer of 2017, the students reached out to all the members of the Florida Senate and Florida House of Representatives, informing them of the career path they had chosen and enlightening them about the AA profession. In conjunction with NSU alumni and FAAA treasurer Kaley Hisghman, M.H.Sc., CAA, the students began making headway for the 2018 inaugural AA visit to the Florida Capitol to further foster more relationships with the state’s elected congressmen and congresswomen. The college’s faculty members have not only a responsibility to educate the students in the field of anesthesia, but also to educate them on the values of professional citizenship. As leaders of the profession, we must promote advocacy and the importance of politics through organizations to our students and lead by example in hopes of creating another generation of anesthesiologist assistants who will be willing to continue the work of their predecessors. ● From left: Nastassia Baltodano, FAAA student representative from the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus, and Edward Bolaños, M.H.Sc., CAA, assistant professor and FAAA president NSU AA Fort Lauderdale class of 2018 students pose with faculty members at the Florida Board of Medicine meeting on April 7, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale.