WHAT IS A CAA?

Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) are highly skilled medical professionals who help plan and deliver anesthesia care as part of the Anesthesia Care Team (ACT), a patient-centered model designed to provide the safest possible care for every patient. Within the ACT, CAAs work as physician extenders, delivering a range of anesthesia care techniques under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. CAA responsibilities include:

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• Eliciting the patient's pre-anesthesia health history and performing a physical examination

• Establishing the patient's monitoring devices and intravenous access

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

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

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

• Interpreting and recording the patient's physiological and pharmacological status

• Providing continuity of care into and during the postoperative period