Park Ridge, Ill. (AANA)—With COVID-19 infections surging in rural America, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) joined several other healthcare organizations to bring equitable access to care in rural America and bridge the rural divide. The Rural Health Action Alliance (RHAA), a coalition of healthcare providers and facilities who provide high-quality, evidence-based care to millions of Americans, will seek to advance federal policies to improve rural health outcomes.
The RHAA will initially focus on improving access to COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, continued expansion of telehealth technologies, and ensuring rural providers receive equitable resources compared to their urban counterparts.
“Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural settings and have been instrumental in delivering care during this public health crisis,” said AANA President Steven M. Sertich, CRNA, MAE, JD, Esquire. “The pandemic has illustrated the disparities that exist in our healthcare system and now is time to take steps to ensure that rural Americans are equipped with the resources needed not just to endure this pandemic, but to allow healthcare to remain a viable industry in rural areas.”
In the past decade, 120 rural health facilities have closed. With nearly 1 out of 5 Americans living in rural communities, access to healthcare can be a daily struggle that impacts preventative and emergency care.
“Providing care to patients where they live, without long car rides, helps keep communities healthy. CRNAs can play an important role in providing this life-saving care management,” said President Sertich.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurse anesthetists across the country have, in addition to providing top-of-the-line anesthesia care, been essential in addressing the deadliest part of this disease. They have served as experts in airway management, hemodynamic monitoring, management of patients on ventilators, and overall management of critically ill patients.
The RHAA is committed to continuing its collaboration and support of rural health and healthcare. The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists joins National Rural Health Association, American Academy of Physician Assistants, American Optometric Association, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, American Nurses Association, American Pharmacists Association, American Podiatric Medical Association, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Chiropractic Association, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National League for Nursing, American Psychological Association, American College of Nurse-Midwives, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, and American Physical Therapy Association in the formation of RHAA.
