Military Health Leaders Address Critical Shortage of Nurse Anesthetists at Executive Forum
USU leaders joined a high-level forum to address the shortage of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and identify solutions for the Military Health System.
 |
Leaders from the Uniformed Services University, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Army, Navy, and Air Force Nurse Corps pose for a photo during an executive forum in Bethesda, Md. The forum was convened to address the critical shortage of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and identify solutions for the Military Health System. (Photo courtesy of the Military Health System) |
September 4, 2025 by Zachary Willis
Leaders from the Uniformed Services University (USU) recently joined top military and DoD civilian health officials at an executive forum to address a critical workforce shortage of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) across the Military Health System (MHS). The meeting, held in Bethesda, Md., convened Nurse Corps Chiefs from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as senior leaders from the Defense Health Agency (DHA), the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), and USU. The forum's main goal was to identify short- and long-term strategies for increasing the CRNA workforce.
Dr. Jonathan Woodson, USU president, and Dr. Carol Romano, dean of USU’s Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing (GSN), participated in the forum and were joined by other key GSN leaders. The forum was tasked by the acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Dr. Stephen Ferrara.
The day's discussions, co-led by Ms. Susan Orsega, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Services Policy & Oversight, a USU alumni and a family nurse practitioner, focused on several key areas. Participants discussed CRNA recruitment, training pipelines, and retention challenges. They also explored the impact of the CRNA shortage on operational readiness and shared existing initiatives and potential solutions.
“As we look across the Defense Health enterprise,” said Orsega, “we’re facing dynamic operational demands, increasing clinical complexity, and growing competition for highly skilled nurses. To meet those challenges, we must ensure that our workforce—particularly our advanced practice registered nurses, or APRNs—is ready, resilient, and supported by a system that enables their full potential. This meeting is focused specifically on Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists—a critical part of our provider teams, and an especially valuable asset in both garrison and deployed environments. The forum is about actionable immediate solutions, not just analysis. What we learn here today will inform not only CRNA workforce policy, but will help shape the foundation for discussions with Service Surgeons General, Nurse Corps Chiefs and other leaders across the DoD. “
 |
The forum brought together senior leaders from the Uniformed Services University, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Health Agency, and the Nurse Corps of the Army, Navy, and Air Force to address challenges in recruitment, training, and retention. (Photo courtesy of the Military Health System) |
A significant portion of the forum was dedicated to the role of the GSN in Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) education, specifically for nurse anesthetists. GSN leaders presented on the current status of their Nurse Anesthesia program and discussed challenges and opportunities to increase the training pipeline. The forum's collaborative approach was praised for generating actionable recommendations to address existing barriers.
“Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are the primary providers of anesthesia care in the U.S. military, serving on the front lines and in military hospitals worldwide,” said Romano. “Their ability to operate autonomously in high-stress, austere environments is critical for ensuring that life-saving surgical procedures can be performed wherever they are needed. USU provides a major education pipeline for CRNAs who are prepared for the unique demands of military medicine. The GSN at USU was honored to play a leadership role in collaborating with the DASD to plan, co-host and participate in this important forum.”
The forum underscored the importance of CRNAs as a "critical force multiplier" in both clinical and operational settings due to their cost-effective contributions to anesthesia delivery. Following the meeting, Orsega expressed her appreciation for the collaboration and the commitment shown by all attendees to enhancing workforce development, readiness, and long-term retention of CRNAs across all services.
The meeting served as the initial step in a broader effort to address all APRN roles in the coming months. Orsega added, “We fully recognize that other APRN roles—Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Nurse Midwives— also face workforce challenges that deserve focused attention.” A second meeting has been scheduled for October 22 to continue this important work.
