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What is an anesthesiology resident worth?
Marisa H Ferrera1, Shawn T Beaman, David G Metro
1Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. marisa116@yahoo.com
Journal of Clinical Anesthesia
|August 25, 2009
Summary
Replacing an anesthesiology resident with a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) for operating room (OR) work incurs significantly higher costs. CRNAs are paid substantially more per OR hour than residents.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Anesthesiology Workforce Analysis
Background:
- Anesthesiology residency programs train physicians for surgical anesthesia.
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) provide anesthesia services.
- Understanding the financial implications of workforce composition is crucial for academic departments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the cost difference between utilizing anesthesiology residents and CRNAs for operating room (OR) coverage.
- To analyze the financial impact of substituting resident physicians with CRNAs.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective financial analysis was conducted within an academic anesthesiology department.
- Costs were calculated based on operating room hours worked by CA-1 through CA-3 residents.
- Financial data was analyzed to determine the cost of replacing residents with CRNAs for equivalent OR time.
Main Results:
- The monthly cost of replacing one anesthesiology resident with a CRNA ranged from $9,940.32 to $43,300.
- Annual replacement costs varied from $106,241.68 to $432,937.50 per resident.
- Cost variations depended on CRNA pay scales and the model used for calculating OR hours (program-specific vs. maximum duty hours).
Conclusions:
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) incur substantially higher per-hour operating room costs compared to anesthesiology residents.
- This financial disparity is evident across all CRNA pay levels.
- The findings highlight significant economic considerations for academic anesthesiology departments regarding workforce composition.
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