September 2022 President’s Report
Dear IANA Members,
As fall approaches, several of your IANA board members have recently returned from the AANA Annual Congress in Chicago. It was great to meet up with old friends and make new friends with CRNAs from around the country. It is also the time for instillation of the new 2023 AANA Board of Directors. As Mike Anderson steps down from his role as AANA Vice President, we have yet another Iowan representing on the AANA BOD with Randy Cornelius as a Region Director. We also have IANA board members Beth Westermann and Sarah Tweedy serving on the AANA PAC Committee with Sarah serving as the chair. Congratulations to you all for your commitment to our profession and for representing Iowa at the national level!
As President, I am happy to report that things have been uneventful in Iowa so far in 2022. There were no AA bills introduced this session and we continued to monitor any ARNP/PA issues. Our colleagues in Nebraska are preparing for an AA battle as we speak, and we will let you know how that progresses. Around the country many states had significant wins this year including the opt out, removal of supervision, and defeating AA bills. I always feel so fortunate to be in Iowa when I hear about the scope of practice in other states. While Iowa may be in the lead nationally when it comes to scope of practice, our work is not done. There will always be new threats and tactics to restrict our practice, so we must be ready and remain vigilant.
The association remains financially strong including long-term investments. Our PAC fund remains strong as well, but we could always use further donations. Sincere thanks to all of you who have donated to the PAC as that is our ticket to gain access to legislators. Fundraising season is upon us so we will be meeting with many legislators this fall. If you are interested in being involved, feel free to contact any board member. Our Fall IANA Educational Meeting will be October 7-9, 2022, at The Graduate Hotel in Iowa City. Watch your email and our social media accounts for reminders and more information. This will again be a hybrid meeting of virtual and in-person attendees, so make plans now to attend!
I am both humbled and honored to have served as your IANA President over the last two years. We have faced some very unique challenges as an association and as a profession, and I hope that I helped to guide the association through these difficult times. I have appreciated the guidance, wisdom, and intelligence of former and current board members during my time serving IANA, and I leave knowing the association is in good hands. Thank you all for your membership and dedication to the CRNA profession. The IANA Board of Directors will continue to represent, advocate, and protect the best interests of the amazing CRNA practice that we have in Iowa.
Sincerely,
Susan Pair, MSN, CRNA, ARNP
President, Iowa Association of Nurse Anesthetists