Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Minor-Brown on behalf of all Representatives & Sen. Poore on behalf of all Senators

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 68

DESIGNATING JANUARY 19-25, 2020 AS CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETISTS' WEEK IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, Nurse Anesthetists were the first professional group to provide anesthesia in the United States and are the oldest recognized group of advanced practice registered nurses; and

WHEREAS, these registered nurses have completed a graduate-level education program in a nationally accredited program of nurse anesthesia and after graduation are qualified to take the national certifying examination; and

WHEREAS, legislation passed by Congress in 1986 made nurse anesthetists the first nursing specialty to be accorded direct reimbursement rights under the Medicare program; and

WHEREAS, CRNAs practice in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered: traditional hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms; critical access hospitals; ambulatory surgical centers; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists; and U.S. military, Public Health Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities; and

WHEREAS, each year, CRNAs working in hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, physician's offices, and the medical facilities of the U.S. Military, Veteran's Administration, and Public Health Service are the hands-on providers of more than 49 million anesthetics given to patients in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the period of January 19-25, 2020, has been designated as National CRNA Week.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 150th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the week of January 19-25, 2020, shall be known as National CRNA Week in Delaware to recognize the importance of the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and their role in providing quality healthcare for the public.