History
Anesthesia Associates (AA) of Gadsden, Alabama was originally founded as a Professional Association under the laws of the State of Alabama in 1980. The sole physician practice covered what is now Riverview Regional Medical Center. In 1983, what is now Gadsden Regional Medical Center asked for assistance and became the second AA covered location. In 1984, AA participated in the planning and opening of the Gadsden Surgery Center and a member served as its first medical director. In 1986, what is now Marshal Medical Center South was added. In 1988, Stringfellow Memorial Hospital became the fifth facility that AA serves. Over the ensuing years several locations experienced internal growth and required further physician staffing. The Gadsden Endoscopy Center (2009), Floyd Cherokee Medical Center (2016), and partial coverage at Marshal Medical Center North (2018). The latest addition to the practice is the addition of Northeast Regional Medical Center in Anniston (2019). AA has grown to employ 20 physicians, most of whom have become equity shareholders. Despite changes in hospital ownership, economic conditions and changing governmental regulations, Anesthesia Associates continues to provide superior anesthesia services in every working location it has ever served. In 39 years of service AA has never failed to staff its locations for even a single day. Further underscoring its stability, the most common cause for a physician or office staff to leave AA is due to retirement or disability.
Throughout AA’s history we have participated in a variety of practice models involving CRNAs including leased, hospital employed, and direct employment. Currently AA employs over 60 CRNAs and continues to supervise hospital employed CRNAs in some locations. Our employed CRNAs have had a high retention rate due to our collaborative and inclusive approach to service management. Fair treatment of our employees is integral to our practice’s focus on long term relationships.
Fairness extends into contracts as well. When a decades-long relationship is planned there is no need to exploit a market inefficiency. By working together, a longstanding, mutually beneficial scenario is more likely to be achieved. To date, AA has never failed to fulfill the terms of a contract or been forced to exercise early contract terminations due to overpromising revenue, staffing shortfalls, or errant forecasting of expenses.
All members of AA are active members of the medical communities in which we serve. Activities commonly performed include medical direction of the Anesthesia department, assistance with all Joint Commission and regulatory compliance programs, physician and patient education, Medical Staff and committee duties (including serving as Chief of Staff), and participation in task forces and measurable quality outcome studies. Board certification in Anesthesiology is a requirement prior to becoming a partner at AA. Additionally, AA physicians have served as expert witnesses in malpractice defense cases and instructors in multiple regional anesthesia nerve block seminars. AA members are involved in teaching courses for medical students as well as nursing student education at several of our client facilities.
