Washington State’s Anesthesia Workforce


  • Abstract

    This report provides a summary of findings identified from the first and only funded year (FY 2025) of ESSB 6286 (originally described by the legislation as a five-year study). Aiming to meet the objectives of ESSB 6286 and to provide practice- and policy-relevant information about Washington’s anesthesia care workforce, UW CHWS: 1) described the current workforce providing anesthesia care, the current practice models, and the regulations related to this workforce; 2) used publicly available data to identify the current supply and distribution of the anesthesia workforce in Washington state, and 3) examined the literature to identify high-quality studies related to the anesthesia workforce. The report below summarizes the findings from this work as well as outlines potential future areas for research.


  • Authors:

    Kett PM, Woodward KF, Pollack SW, Oster NV, Kaplan L, Skillman SM, Frogner BK

  • Journal/Publisher:

    Center for Health Workforce Studies, University of Washington

  • Edition:

    Jun 2025.

  • Funder:

    2024 Washington State Legislature

  • Documents:

    Full Report

  • Citation:

    Kett PM, Woodward KF, Pollack SW, Oster NV, Kaplan L, Skillman SM, Frogner BK. Washington State's Anesthesia Workforce. Center for Health Workforce Studies, University of Washington. Jun 2025

  • Related Studies:

    Addressing the Anesthesia Workforce Shortage by Reducing Barriers and Expanding Educational Opportunities to Increase the Supply of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in Washington (ESSB 6286)