Sustained Value of Implementation of a Flexibility-Based Compensation Structure for Nurse Anesthetists in a Large Multihospital Healthcare System.

Nurse anesthetists can use their creative problem-solving abilities to benefit both their employers and themselves. In an era when healthcare dollars are in short supply and patients who require anesthesia care are living longer (and requiring more procedures with anesthesia), innovative strategies are needed to achieve value and access to anesthesiology services. Leveraging the professional interests of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), the implementation of a flexibility-based compensation structure can optimize overall staffing requirements to meet patient care demands, particularly in the face of recruitment challenges. This unique program, proposed and implemented by CRNAs, is presented as an exemplar that accomplishes multiple professional and financial goals.