By nature, certified anesthesiologist assistants are team players. As a profession, this remains true as there are several professional organizations for CAAs to join and support.
The primary professional organization for CAAs is the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants. Founded in 1975, AAAA (or Quad-A) serves various educational, advocacy and national organizational needs of the CAA profession. Nearly all CWRU MSA Program alums maintain membership with AAAA and several alums have held leadership roles in the organization, including positions on the Board of Directors, committee chairs, and cabinet seats. Several graduates have also acted as president.
Another significant partner organization for CAAs is the American Society of Anesthesiologists. CAAs and CAA students as well as NAs and NA students are eligible for ASA membership as “educational members.” This level of membership entitles all participants to the educational benefits of ASA, including free registration to the organization’s annual meeting and a subscription to Anesthesiology.
Educational members are nonvoting members and cannot run for office. However, at the invitation of the President, CAAs can and do serve on committees and attend Reference Committee and House of Delegates meetings. Several CWRU MSA Program alums have been invited into such positions, including positions on the AA Education and Practice Committee; the Global Humanitarian Outreach Committee; and the Patient Safety and Education Committee.
Important CWRU Partners
CWRU MSA Program alumni and faculty are involved in the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, which is dedicated to continually improving the safety of patients during anesthesia care. The foundation conducts research, patient safety programs and campaigns, and shares key findings.
Students, alumni and faculty have also raised funds in the past for Lifebox, a non-profit organization that creates pulse oximeters and education kits for lower-resource countries worldwide and hosts training workshops for anesthesia providers in those countries.
The impact of Lifebox’s work has been witnessed on more than one occasion by faculty during mission trips abroad.
Other Related Organizations
There are several nationally-recognized organizations, societies, and committees that CWRU MSA Program students, alumni and faculty have established valuable partnerships with over the last few decades. These organizations include:
- Accreditation Review Committee for the Anesthesiologist Assistants
- American Society for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
- Anesthesia Foundation
- Anesthesia Quality Institute
- ASA Political Action Committee
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
- Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research
- Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists
- National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants
- Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia
- Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists
- Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists
- Society for Education in Anesthesia
- Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care
- Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology
- Society for Pediatric Anesthesia
- Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
Additionally, there are several state-level organizations and societies that students, alumni and faculty participate in regionally. Often, these national and local organizations are devoted not just to professional development and continued medical education, but also to advocacy at the local, state and federal level. CWRU MSA Program alums has a long history of advocacy and leadership within these organizations and beyond.