As the shortage of anesthesia providers continues to weigh on healthcare, ASCs are finding new ways to combat the shortage.
The shortage is aggravated by supply and demand issues. The demand for anesthetized procedures is increasing in tandem with an aging population and greater prevalence of health issues. On the supply side, nearly 30% of anesthesiologists are projected to leave the practice by 2033, according to a 2023 white paper from Medicus Healthcare Solutions. Currently, the ratio of anesthesiologists to people is over 7,700-to-1 in the U.S, while over 17% of current providers are nearing retirement and over 56% are over 55.
"We cannot solve this just by throwing money at it," Rafael Cartagena, MD and CEO of North American Partners in Anesthesia said in a sponsored roundtable discussion at Becker's Hospital Review's 13th Annual Meeting in 2023.
"Professionals under 40 are looking for a different type of work-life balance than the baby boomers they're replacing," he added. "The mismatch in supply and demand means compensation is going up dramatically, but as pay increases, more professionals are choosing to just work less."
Burnout is also a major factor among providers in the industry. Over 50% of anesthesiologists said they felt burnt out or both burnt out and depressed, according to a 2024 Medscape survey.
To respond, participants at the NAPA roundtable said leaders should create clinical staffing models that have more flexibility and allow for the sort of work-life balance that newer physicians are seeking. From there, the newfound flexibility could translate into new pathways for providers –– especially in larger systems where opportunities exist to work among ambulatory, hospital and office settings.
Furthermore, creating more professional opportunities for growth within anesthesiology can both attract new providers to the specialty and encourage existing providers to stay and advance within an organization.
This could prove especially important for rural systems that rely more heavily on CRNAs for their anesthesia coverage. An estimated 30,200 new advanced practice registered nurses will need to be enrolled in master's and doctoral programs each year through 2031 to meet the increasing need for anesthesia coverage.
Utilizing staff in more creative and efficient ways could also relieve pressure on facilities feeling the stress of the shortage. During the 2023 roundtable, providers discussed creative staffing techniques like having teams of anesthesiologists and CRNAs use virtual operating rooms to manage multiple procedure rooms at once.