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    Re: How employable are AA's? Archived Message

    Posted by DC on March 25, 2008, 6:03 pm, in reply to "Re: How employable are AA's?"

    Hi Zora yes your right AA-Cs can work in Colorado I assure you when Hospitals in Colorado say they never heard of Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant(AA-C-"Anesthetist").It's because of "politics" the majority of CRN(Not all CRNAs)are trying to block AA-Cs from practicing in that state, as well as other states too.

    My suggesting to you is either #1.Call the AAAA head quarters and ask to speak to a recruiter who can actually give you a list of Hospitals in Colorado who do use AA-Cs at there facility, or who will welcome AA-Cs onto there staff. Or #2.Call the ASA headquarter and ask to speak to a recruiter who use AA-Cs at there facility In Colorado. I would go as far as talking to a doctor(MDA/DOA) that actually works in the state of Colorado that can give you some tips on which hospitals have AA-Cs on staff or are willing to welcome them onto there staff with CRNAs. The MDAs/DOAs makes the decision on who they want to hire in the Act model not CRNAs, they may voice there opinon(and dislike)or play a part in the interview process of other CRNAs and/or AA-Cs being hired on staff, but the "Doctors"(MDA/DOA)has the last say so.

    If Colorado is where you want to make your home and career then I would move there with out any hesitation. AA-Cs can work in Colorado there for if you wish to work at a particular hospital that has a MDA/DOA on staff they would have to hire you other wise that would be discriminating against you because your a AA-C which is wrong which could result into a law suit. In reality your doing the same exact job as a CRNA in the ACT model you are a Anesthetist(AA-C) period.

    This is why It's so important for AA-Cs to branch out to other states that have very few AA-Cs practicing in stead of migrating to "only" Georgia and Florida after AA school. Texas is another state that "needs AA-Cs badly" especially Houston, TX and Dallas, TX two very large cities Houston being #1 and Dallas #2.

    In closing you have to set the tone of who you are and what is your purpose of being a Anesthetist(AA-C)It is also important not to never give up(perseverance)you have to sometime break down the barriers that are in front of you. Prime example FACT! Shane was the first and only AA-C to work in a all CRNA practice group. At first yes a lot of CRNAs threaten to leave if he was hired, guess what none of them resigned and till this day the CRNAs give him the up most "RESPECT". "The deepest irony of his job is he now teaching CRNA students as an AA-C FACT! the point I'm trying to make is if Shane did it so can you Zora it starts with you first!. Good luck to you in your AA-C career

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