Thursday, September 17, 2026

Nurse Anesthetist Program Fires Back Up at UMMC

 The University of Mississippi Medical Centered issued the following press release on August 16.  We know.  This one fell through the cracks. 

A chance to train with Mississippi’s best and brightest in the nursing profession brought 16 registered nurses back to the classroom this semester in the first nurse anesthetist program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

For the inaugural group, it felt like quite an honor to have a seat in class following a months-long application and accreditation process.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to train here at UMMC,” said Joya Johnson, 34, a Meridian native who earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Mississippi College. “You get the best, most rigorous training to prepare you for the real world. It feels like it’s a real privilege to be part of this first class here.”

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, or CRNA, program is Mississippi’s second such academic program of study for the specialization and was accredited in July by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. The degree itself is the post-baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice, nurse anesthesia track, a 36-month program based on COA standards and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. The state’s only other program is at the University of Southern Mississippi. 

“We are elated to start the program here at the state’s only academic medical center,” said Dr. Tina Martin, dean of the School of Nursing. “Nurse anesthetists fill an important role in health care as they are highly educated and board-certified anesthesia experts who deliver specialized care to all patients – from infants to seniors – for every type of procedure in any location where anesthesia services are delivered.” 

CRNAs are advanced practice registered nurses that are in high demand, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency tracks CRNAs along with nurse midwives and nurse practitioners; collectively, those jobs are estimated to grow 35% by 2034.

“UMMC is very focused on developing and expanding academic programs that match our workforce needs in Mississippi, and the CRNA program is an excellent example of how we are accomplishing that,” said Dr. Scott Rodgers, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Our School of Nursing, with its superb faculty and leadership team in place, is perfectly positioned to create an outstanding CRNA program that will attract top students and prepare them well for practice.” 

Eligibility for the advanced program comes after myriad other prerequisites are satisfied, including a BSN or Master of Science in nursing and experience in critical care, to name a few. 

Matt Burnham, 25, of Brandon, was accepted to the program after having worked in the pediatric emergency room at Children’s of Mississippi and in the cardiac intensive care unit in the Medical Center.

“UMMC has been home for my career thus far,” Burnham said. “I went to school here and both my parents have worked here. Being part of this first cohort will give me that higher level of nursing practice on my record.” 

Applications for the next cohort must be received by Oct. 1. For more details, visit here. For any questions on a submitted application, contact the Office of Enrollment Management at 601-984-1080.

 

 

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Any associated UAB requirements? (didn't see it mentioned)

Anonymous said...

How did the anesthesiologist mafia allow this?

Anonymous said...

The anesthesia mafia gets to bill them out like associates and make money off their work so that’s how. Problem is becoming that CRNAs now have their own space and soon could well cut the mafia out. Fights coming soon

Anonymous said...

The third leading cause of death in the USA is medical error. Look it up. You are a dollar sign - not a person. The bottom line $$ is more important than your name. They killed people for money during covid -- you are worth about 165k - more if they sell your organs.

Anonymous said...

Have you had your noggin checked lately @ 2:32?

Anonymous said...

@ 2:32 And your point is...?

Anonymous said...

This post makes me sleepy.

Anonymous said...

@12:09 They've ended association with UAB as a clinical site

Anonymous said...

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Not sure how your comment relates to this article 2:32, but the methodology of the study that produced that statistic has been heavily criticized.

Anonymous said...

Which is why you're seeing CAA or AA's (anesthesiologist assistant) expanding to new states each year. Mississippi doesn't currently allow them but the CAA's cannot work independently like the CRNA can, so that mafia is pushing the CAA in every state. These certified assistants must have an anesthesiologist on site, so that means job security for the mafia. Only thing stopping them from getting licensure laws passed here is the nurse lobby. But they'll eventually lose that fight because doctors have more money than nurses.

Glad UMMC is expanding its programs to include well paying jobs in healthcare. How can we get them to open up a PA program in Oxford? That's a job with an absurd growth forecast and we have zero PA schools in north Mississippi.

JimAtTheRez said...

Follow the money. A nurse anesthesiologist told me before a procedure that I think Medicare paid them 60% of what they paid an MD anesthesiologist. May have been all insurance, but I think he said Medicare.

Anonymous said...

Completely wrong. Feel free to look it up but Medicaid and Medicare reimburse a nurse anesthetist and an anesthesiologist the same. For private insurance it’s more like 85%.

Also, what’s a nurse anesthesiologist?

Anonymous said...

Mississippi is one of the states that is dummying down their healthcare to fill positions. I researched to pick where I want to retire. MDs are a luxury not a standard. You will see NPs and DOs become the standard. Concierge medicine is unheard of in this state. If COVID taught anything, it is: warm bodies in healthcare does not help the patient. When a true professional arrives, he is usually the bottom of the barrel. No one is promoted and sent to this backward state. That is why cancer protocols are 5-10 years behind, why visits are constantly rescheduled and diagnosis of diseases are a pot shot here. There is a pervert in Hattiesburg that does inappropriate things in the OR so I am sure they are everywhere else. Doctors have become as trustworthy as attorneys and politicians. It is a jungle in this state. I will never seek advice from a Mississippi medical professional again. They are truly backwards.

Anonymous said...

Anybody who uses 'cohort' and 'thus far' in a sentence has got to be a full-out goober.

Anonymous said...

CRNA’s are paid a ton of money and what Medicare pays is irrelevant. The hospitals pay for their services handsomely and they leave after 8 hours, making well over 200,000$/year plus benefits and 8 weeks off per year. Why ? There’s a shortage of CRNA’s, which is why UMC established a school. Oh, and ou say mafia? I wish I was a mafia victim making $150-250/hour while I was generating $75/hour from Medicare.

mrain240 said...

The above comments are almost 100% garbage. Nothing related to fact. If you think CRNA's work 8 hrs a day, you are an idiot. Your Medicare/Medicaid numbers are inaccurate. If you counted on their reimbursement, you would starve to death. If you people want to go to 4 yrs nursing school, work two yrs in ICU or ER, then go to 36 months of Anesthesia School -then have at it. But get some facts. Oh yea, one more thing- when your called in for a 3am bleeding Mother that needs a stat C-Section, it makes this whole discussion look very different.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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