[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 98 (Monday, July 24, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1504]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING BRIAN D. THORSON, CRNA, MA PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN 
                   ASSOCIATION OF NURSE ANESTHETISTS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 24, 2006

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Brian 
Thorson, CRNA, MA. Mr. Thorson will soon complete his year as National 
President of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). I 
am very pleased that Mr. Thorson was tapped as the 2005-2006 President 
of this prestigious national organization, which I am proud to say is 
headquartered in Park Ridge, Illinois, in the Congressional district 
that I represent.
  Celebrating its 75th Anniversary, the AANA is the professional 
organization that represents more than 36,000 practicing Certified 
Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) across the country. Founded in 
1931, the AANA has ably served the interests of CRNAs and the patients 
who rely on them for quality care. CRNAs are anesthesia professionals 
who administer approximately 65 percent of all anesthetics given to 
patients each year in the United States. They work in every setting in 
which anesthesia is delivered, including hospital surgical suites and 
obstetrical delivery rooms, ambulatory surgical centers, and the 
offices of dentists, podiatrists, and plastic surgeons.
  CRNAs provide anesthesia for all types of surgical cases and, in some 
states, are the sole anesthesia providers in approximately 75 percent 
of all rural hospitals, affording these medical facilities obstetrical, 
surgical and trauma stabilization services.
  Brian Thorson has done a remarkable job as National President of the 
AANA, bringing his training, skills and hands-on experience to the job. 
He was educated in the art and science of Nurse Anesthesia at the St. 
Paul-Ramsey School of Nurse Anesthesiology in St. Paul, Minnesota, and 
earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Winona University 
in Winona, Minnesota. In addition, Mr. Thorson also holds a Master of 
Arts (MA) degree in Curriculum Development and Instruction from the 
College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an additional 
Bachelors of Science from the College of Health Sciences at the 
University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, where he graduated summa cum 
laude. Currently, he is a Staff Anesthetist within the Department of 
Anesthesia at Hennepin County Medical Center, which provides anesthesia 
services in and around the Minneapolis area. In an effort to make 
certain that those citizens in the Minneapolis area are ensured access 
to needed care, Brian Thorson continues to shape the future of nurse 
anesthesia by serving as a Clinical Instructor and didactic faculty 
member at the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia in St. Louis Park, 
Minnesota and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
  Mr. Thorson held various leadership positions in the AANA as 
President-Elect, Treasurer, and Regional Director before becoming the 
National President of the AANA in 2005. In addition, Brian has served 
terms as President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Federal Political 
Director, and as a Member of the Board of Directors for the Minnesota 
Association of Nurse Anesthetists (MANA). He has also served as the 
anesthesia representative to both the Council of Minnesota Nursing 
Organizations and the Minnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing.
  Adding to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Thorson has been 
recognized for speaking on anesthesia-related topics over the years. He 
has taken his experience and knowledge from the workplace and AANA 
leadership roles to lecture on political and academic anesthesia-
related topics before different professional groups. During his AANA 
presidency, Mr. Thorson has played important roles in advocating for 
the practice of nurse anesthesia and its patients before Medicare and 
other federal agencies. He has worked tirelessly to help ensure that 
CRNAs have a seat at the table in the development of a pay-for-
performance reimbursement model, increased communication among AANA 
members, promoted anesthesia patient safety through vigorous 
participation in the interdisciplinary National Quality Forum (NQF), 
and advanced principles of wellness among practitioners in this high-
stress profession. In addition, under Mr. Thorson's leadership and 
direction, AANA testified before three House subcommittees about the 
importance of nurse anesthesia education, the roles and contributions 
of CRNAs in the Veterans Affairs health system, and the dedication with 
which CRNAs have provided safe anesthesia care to members of the U.S. 
Armed Forces at home and abroad. Finally, Brian Thorson has fought hard 
to maintain equality in teaching and instruction so that all anesthesia 
professionals have the opportunity to provide the care patients need, 
without the system harmfully favoring one provider over another.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me today in recognizing 
the outgoing President of the American Association of Nurse 
Anesthetists, Mr. Brian Thorson, CRNA, MA, for his notable career and 
outstanding achievements.

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