As surgical volumes increase amid an aging population and higher demand for outpatient services, anesthesia providers have found themselves in a sellers market as ASCs and other facilities vie for a limited supply of providers.
This has shifted the ways that ASC leaders recruit and retain anesthesia talent, and how anesthesia providers evaluate potential job opportunities.
Adam Kuz, CRNA, and executive board member at Dearborn, Mich.-based Specialty Medical Center in recently joined Becker’s to discuss the ways that anesthesia recruitment, retainment and development have changed in recent years.
Editor’s note: This response has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: As an anesthesia professional, what are the things you look for most in a possible employer?
Mr. Adam Kuz: As an executive board member and CRNA at Specialty Medical Center in Michigan this is a very fluid and dynamic question. Ten years ago, one of the most important aspects I would look for in a possible employer would be the priority of wages. These days it is a very different landscape.
In 2025 the culture of an employer would be the most important aspect. Collegiality, not competition between different anesthesia providers is key to streamlining efficiency, cost and productivity these days. Gone are the days of high physician anesthesia stipends and physician heavy ratios. Now, more than ever, the ability to modernize healthcare by practicing to my fullest training and licensure is a priority when looking for employment.
Also, more and more ASCs are seeing the benefits of having an anesthesia provider at the decision-making table. Often, we are the rate limiting factor in terms of boarding surgical volume due to an anesthesia provider shortage. It is essential that communication takes place from the anesthesia department to the rest of the surgery center to prevent this as much as possible.