Being a CRNA is extremely rewarding, but can also be incredibly stressful and even traumatic at times. This past year was especially trying. Now more than ever it is time to check your mental health or reach out to a colleague who may be showing signs that they are struggling. Psychologist Dr. Drew Anderson points out things to look for in someone who may be in crisis or on the verge and how you can help.

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We cannot be complacent and watch from the sidelines. If we want to make a difference, if we wish to move this association forward, than we have to advocate and let our voices be heard. “Our future as a CRNA depends on you.” That is the message from NYSANA President, Yana Krmic. 

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Welcome Molly Metzger, NYSANA’s new executive director. Molly’s objective is to alleviate any operational and administrative duties so that you, the NYSANA member and leaders, can continue to move the association forward. 

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NYSANA Lobbyist Amy Kellogg encourages members to contact your local lawmakers and educate them on our important legislative priorities because no one can tell our story better than we can.

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Watch NYSANA President Yana Krmic on News12 Westchester's Power & Politics with Scott McGee. Yana explains how CRNA's stepped up to meet the challenges of the pandemic by practicing independently and to the full extent of their education, as authorized by Governor Andrew Cuomo’sexecutive order. The value of CRNAs at this critical time cannot be underestimated. NYSANA is continuing to advocate for legislation in New York state to make these emergency changes permanent.

https://westchester.news12.com/power-and-politics-full-show-for-may-9-2021

Responses from a Member Survey Revealed the Countless Ways CRNAs Across New York Stepped Up During COVID-19 When Governor Cuomo Removed Unnecessary Practice Barriers

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The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that government licensing of health professionals blocks access to care. Licensing gives state politicians the final word on allowable categories of clinicians, the education and training requirements for each category, and the range of services each category of clinician may perform. It reduces access to health services by increasing prices and reducing the supply of clinicians who can provide those services. It harms health professionals by preventing them from providing services they are competent to provide and by preventing capable individuals from entering or rising within health professions. By suspending such rules to improve access to care for COVID-19 patients, states have acknowledged that licensing prevents clinicians from providing services they are competent to provide.

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When Jeremy Carlisle, CRNA, from Springfield, Ore., to New York City, he was struck by how few people were on his flight. “Maybe there were 15 of us on a 200-seat airplane.” Carlisle, a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), was on his way to serve on the COVID-19 frontlines of care.

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After Katherine “Katy” Dean was furloughed in March and could not find a job in her field, she found herself applying for a position in New York City at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

“There were a lot of CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) that were in the same kind of predicament I was in,” she said. “They were part-time people who weren’t working but also kind of felt called to do something.”

The Williamsburg mother of four previously worked as a nurse anesthetist for North American Partners in Anesthesia, or NAPA, part-time at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News before she signed a month-long contract with LocumTenens to work at Mount Sinai Hospital in April.

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U.S. Army Major Timothy Yourk, DNP, CRNA, was given 24-hour notice to gather gear and equipment before his deployment with the 11 Field Hospital (1 Medical Brigade) from Fort Hood, Texas, to New York City in March.

“At the time, very little was known. I didn’t know what equipment or supplies I would be falling in on,” said Yourk who, during his 15-year tenure in the Army, has been deployed to Iraq, Kuwait, and Yemen. Upon his arrival in New York, however, it was apparent to Yourk and his team of CRNAs that they were embarking on a “completely unprecedented” mission—one that would require “flexibility and adaptability in a rapidly changing environment,” while safely and effectively caring for COVID-19 patients, he said.

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Michael Greco’s team focused on treating patients in operating rooms or outpatient surgery suites. “Our days have changed significantly,” said Greco, Ph.D., DMP, CRNA. As Assistant Vice President for the Nurse Anesthesia Practice at Northwell Hospital--New York’s largest healthcare system serving New York City, Long Island, and Westchester—all of Greco’s facilities have CRNA teams managing COVID-19 patients—in an innovative way.  

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Like other healthcare providers across the country, Laura Ardizzone, DNP, CRNA, ACNP, DCC, has not had a typical day for several weeks. As director of nurse anesthesia services overseeing more than 130 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in a cancer-only facility, her first priority is to care for cancer patients at the New York City-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

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