Last week, The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) sent a letter to the Texas Medical Board (TMB) seeking to correct a previous letter stating a member testified on HB 2029. While the letter corrected their previous statement noting the TMB did not testify at the HB 2029 hearing, it continues to uphold the request for the TMB to revise their FAQs to reflect the most current guidance in Opinion No. 0371-KP.
Again, members may recall AG Opinion No. 0371-KP addressed "whether chapter 157 of the Occupation Code requires a physician to provide any level of supervision to a certified registered nurse anesthetist to whom the physician has delegated authority, and the potential liability for such delegation." General Paxton's Opinion maintained the status quo, which is the best possible outcome for CRNAs operating in Texas. The full AG Opinion can be found here.
We have continued to monitor this issue closely and will continue to follow all matters impacting patient safety and the profession of anesthesia.
Please contact TxANA with any questions.