WHAT IS A CAA?

Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) are highly-skilled medical professionals who help plan and deliver anesthesia care within the Anesthesia Care Team (ACT). The ACT builds a patient-centric team that provides each patient with the safest model of care. Within the ACT, CAAs work as physician extenders who deliver a variety of care techniques under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. CAA responsibilities include:

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• Elicit a pre-anesthesia health history and perform a physical examination

• Establish patient monitoring devices and intravenous access

• Assist in the application and interpretation of advanced monitoring techniques such as pulmonary artery catheterization or echocardiography

• Assist in the induction, maintenance, and emergence of a patient's anesthetic

• Secure the patient's airway through mask, endotracheal tube, or laryngeal mask airway

• Interpret and record the patient's physiological and pharmacological status

• Provide continuity of care into and during the post-operative period