Anesthesiologist assistants.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of specified healing arts licensees, including, among others, physicians and surgeons, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse anesthetists. This bill would enact the Anesthesiologist Assistant Practice Act, which would make it unlawful for any person to hold himself or herself out as an anesthesiologist assistant unless he or she meets specified requirements. The bill would make it an unfair business practice to violate these provisions. The bill would require an anesthesiologist assistant to work under the direction and supervision of an anesthesiologist, and would require the anesthesiologist to be physically present on the premises and immediately available to the anesthesiologist assistant when medical services are being rendered and to oversee the activities of, and accept responsibility for, the medical services being rendered by the anesthesiologist assistant. The bill would authorize an anesthesiologist assistant under the supervision of an anesthesiologist to assist the supervising anesthesiologist in developing and implementing an anesthesia care plan for a patient.