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Black History Month reminds us there is a lot of history within the nurse anesthesia profession. This month, we pause to celebrate the achievements of amazing, inspirational woman like Goldie Brangman, CRNA, MEd, MBA.


Brangman was an accomplished CRNA and an exceptional mentor for CRNAs all over the world. She served as the first and only African American President of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), and she was the founder and director of the Harlem Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia.


Mentoring numerous CRNAs and specifically CRNAs of color, she was instrumental in the treatment of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after a near-fatal assassination attempt in 1958. A letter opener had been jammed deep into his chest. He was rushed to Harlem Hospital where Brangman was a member of his surgery team.

Brangman was president of the New York Association of Nurse Anesthetists from 1960-1961, and won numerous awards and honors, including:


· Ann Magnussen Award (1996)

· Agatha Hodgins Award (1995)

· Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award (1983)


Brangman was an active participant at AANA meetings throughout the years, as well as Mid-Year Assembly.


She retired in 1985, living in Hawaii since 1987 and continuing to volunteer eight hours a day with the Red Cross long into her retirement. Brangman died in February 2020 at the age of 102.


Black History is everyone’s history --- and Goldie Brangman was a force to be reckoned with. We appreciate her expertise and trailblazing for young Black CRNAs. This month and every month, we celebrate you, Goldie!





Department of State opposes licensing CAAs in Pa.

Members of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA) testified today before the House Professional Licensure Committee to oppose legislation (H.B. 1956) that would license Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) for the first time in Pennsylvania.

Testifying were Jessica Poole DNAP, CRNA, director of State Government Affairs for PANA and lead Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) at BPW Medical Associates, P.C.; Matthew McCoy DNP, CRNA, past president of PANA and assistant director of the Crozer Chester Medical Center/Villanova University Nurse Anesthesia Program; and Christopher A. Heiss, MSN, CRNA, a PANA trustee and a CRNA practicing everywhere from large tertiary care facilities to rural critical access hospitals throughout Pennsylvania.

Testifying were Jessica Poole DNAP, CRNA, director of State Government Affairs for PANA and lead Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) at BPW Medical Associates, P.C.; Matthew McCoy DNP, CRNA, past president of PANA and assistant director of the Crozer Chester Medical Center/Villanova University Nurse Anesthesia Program; and Christopher A. Heiss, MSN, CRNA, a PANA trustee and a CRNA practicing everywhere from large tertiary care facilities to rural critical access hospitals throughout Pennsylvania.


VIEWING OPTIONS:


VIEW THE HEARING IN ITS ENTIRETY:


VIEW ON PA HOUSE GOP'S LIVESTREAM SITE:


PANA’s testifiers urged the committee to oppose the legislation. House Bill 1956 will not improve patient safety or enhance care. It will not reduce health-care costs, but instead, contribute to costlier care models. And it will not improve access to anesthesia services or address critical care shortages in underserved areas.

There is no meaningful research data concerning CAA anesthesia safety. Because CAAs must be directly supervised by an anesthesiologist, the provider redundancy of the CAA/anesthesiologist team is one of the costliest anesthesia delivery models. That also greatly limits their utilization in rural and underserved communities where anesthesiologists don’t practice.


The Pennsylvania Department of State also testified and opposed the licensing standards, noting that the agency “views creating another licensure class for professionals who are already nationally credentialed as repetitive and unnecessary.” The department also made clear that “CAAs would appear to fall within the definition of technician. While the practice acts and board regulations do not prohibit CAAs from practicing in the Commonwealth, the Department of State and the State Board of Medicine do not have the authority to regulate hospitals and other health care facilities. That authority falls under the Department of Health, in the Health Care Facilities Act.


A representative from the Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) also testified. Although HAP did not oppose the legislation, the organization did call for allowing CRNAs to practice to the fullest extent of their education and training to increase the number of qualified anesthesia providers in Pennsylvania.

Out-of-state CAAs also testified with Pennsylvania-based anesthesiologists.

VIEW ALL TESTIMONY

JESS POOLE



MATT MCCOY



CHRISTOPHER HEISS



PA DEPARTMENT OF STATE




This is only the first step in a long legislative process. The hearing was informational only and the committee did not vote on the measure, which means under consideration. (Legislation must be approved by the committee before it goes to the full House for consideration.) No legislation has been introduced in the state Senate.

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  • Writer: Lew Bennett, DNP, CRNA
    Lew Bennett, DNP, CRNA
  • Jan 24, 2022


It’s hard to believe, but CRNA Week in Pennsylvania this year is starting to look and feel a lot like CRNA Week last year.


We may not be locked down in 2022 like we were in 2021, but hospitals and health-care facilities once again are facing critical staffing shortages, with some areas setting COVID-19 case records.


Clearly, the pandemic is not finished. The dizzying speed of omicron’s spread has left everyone scratching their heads and questioning what they know about COVID-19.


Through it all, certified registered nurse anesthetists have remained on the frontline, putting their advanced education and training to work to care for critically ill patients.


This year, CRNA Week in Pennsylvania is a tribute to every nurse anesthetist who courageously has stepped forward to serve during this pandemic and who works daily to save lives and provide the best possible care in a variety of settings.


Thank you for all you do to serve our profession so honorably and your patients so faithfully.


All of us are under enormous pressure. To be the most effective we can be, however, we need to ensure we take care of ourselves, so we are able to care for others.


One of my top priorities as PANA president is promoting health and wellness.


Health and wellness have always been important in our profession, but they take on a new meaning during this prolonged pandemic, as health-care providers, including CRNAs and SRNAs, confront a disproportionate share of physical and emotional strain.


Self-care in the workplace and at home is essential. Health and wellness issues span a wide spectrum --- from finding ways to reduce risks and limit stress on the job to making positive choices and managing lifestyles to improve health and fitness.


We are best for others when we are at our own personal best.


PANA values the importance of pillars, which is why you will see more health and wellness activities incorporated into regular meeting, lectures, and spring and fall meetings. Now more than ever, we need to support each other.


I hope CRNA Week in Pennsylvania offers you a time to reflect and celebrate the work we do.


Please share your stories with PANA and your peers, and tag #CRNAinPA on Facebook and Twitter so we can add them to our collections. While you’re at it, visit our new Instagram page, @PANACRNA, which launched this week. Tag us here, too, and show us what you’re doing.


Thank you for stepping forward to serve during this pandemic, for proving yourselves as battle-tested providers on the frontlines at home and in combat, and for fighting to ensure access to safe, cost-effective anesthesia care each and every day.


Lew Bennett, DNP, CRNA

President

Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists

Copyright © 2025 Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists

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