Demand for Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants is on the rise—which means that there are more opportunities for CAAs than ever before. We spoke to Teresa Thompson, Vice President of Sales at Hayes Locums, to get an insider’s perspective on how locums can help CAAs expand their practice, while making an impact on communities that need care.
The demand for CAAs is increasing.
The increasing demand for anesthesiology services, combined with the shortage of anesthesiologists, have driven more and more hospitals to pursue team-based models of care—including CAAs.
Demand for surgeries is projected to grow by 2-3% per year over the next decade. With almost 30% of anesthesiologists expected to leave the workforce by 2033, there simply aren’t enough anesthesiologists to keep up with the demand.
That’s where CAAs come in: by expanding the capacity of anesthesiologists, CAAs help hospitals sustain their surgical case loads and avoid service delays and cutbacks. “We’re seeing the care team model approach becoming more widely adopted, and CAAs play a crucial role in that approach,” says Thompson. “They function as a right-hand person of the anesthesiologist, by taking on some of the caseloads that enable the anesthesiologist to focus on more complex cases. That makes them a huge part of the solution to the shortages we’re seeing across the country.”
The wider adoption of care team models is reflected in the increasing job opportunities out there for CAAs: market data suggests that CAA jobs could grow as much as 26.6% over the next decade.
“CAAs complete that Anesthesia Care Team model—and they are increasingly doing so in droves, in states where they can work,” says Thompson.
States are expanding CAA licensure—which means there are more opportunities out there than ever for CAAs.
More and more states are granting licensure to CAAs—so far, 22 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam have recognized CAAs.
- Washington
- Nevada
- Utah
- Colorado
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Missouri
- Wisconsin
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Florida
- Vermont
- Kansas (delegatory authority granted)
- Texas (delegatory authority granted)
- Michigan (delegatory authority granted)
- Kentucky (PA licensure also required)
There is an especially high demand for CAAs in rural communities, which tend to experience higher surgical backlogs.
That’s where locum providers can make a difference: CAAs can help hospitals reduce backlogs by expanding the capacity of the surgical team. It’s also a great opportunity for CAAs to expand their practice by taking on temporary assignments, while still getting paid at competitive rates.
“There are locums assignments available across all of the states where CAAs can practice,” says Thompson. “Many of those assignments tend to be in more rural communities, but if you’re willing to travel, there are a lot of opportunities out there.”
Those opportunities show no signs of slowing down, as more states contemplate expanding their practice laws to allow for CAAs. California is the latest state to consider legislation to authorize CAAs to practice within the ACT model.
“The hope is that as more hospitals see how care team models help address demand, more states will pass legislation giving CAAs the ability to practice,” says Thompson.
Locum tenens gives CAAs the opportunity to expand their practice—without sacrificing stability.
Locum tenens is a great way for CAAs to expand their career options by trying out different practice environments—all while earning a great income. And the increase in demand means that there are more opportunities out there than ever for CAAs.
At Hayes Locums, anesthesia is by far the highest demand specialty for APPs, because of how essential the skillset is to facilities. “One half of the APP team—which is the largest team in the company—is completely dedicated to the anesthesia specialty,” says Thompson. “More and more hospitals are recognizing that not only is the care team model necessary to meet staffing shortages—it’s also a sensible approach in general,” says Thompson.
That means more and more hospitals are looking to CAAs to help them increase their capacity by providing long-term coverage—which gives CAAs the opportunity to expand their horizons, without sacrificing the stability of a long-term position.
“Many of the assignments we’ve booked are for six months,” Thompson says. “These longer-term assignments are a great opportunity for providers who are looking for something more stable, and facilities who need long-term coverage.”
