Newswise — PARK RIDGE, ILL. - Bruce Weiner, MS, CRNA, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), and resident of Tampa, Fla., takes office as the 2016-17 president-elect of the 50,000-member American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), during the AANA Nurse Anesthesia Annual Congress, September 9-13, 2016 in Washington, D.C.

Weiner is a CRNA at Florida Hospital, Carrollwood in Tampa and guest lecturer at the University of South Florida Nurse Anesthesia Program. He has long been active in nurse anesthesia, serving in many capacities for his professional associations; boards of directors at the state and national levels. Also active in committees, Weiner has a particular passion for clinical excellence, patient safety, advocacy, and technology. He is also an active member in the Florida Nurses Association, and the Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society.

“Value-based healthcare, driven by changes in payment policy that includes bundling and alternative payment systems, provides an opportunity for our profession to promote access, quality and cost-effective care that CRNAs provide to patients every day,” said Weiner. “As the dynamics of healthcare change, it is crucial for us to form partnerships with organizations integral to effecting change that leads to greater patient access and efficiency. As president-elect, I look forward to working with our board of directors to make these goals a reality.”

A CRNA for more than 30 years, Weiner is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the University of South Florida, has a master’s degree in nurse anesthesiology from the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond and holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Delaware.

About the American Association of Nurse AnesthetistsFounded in 1931 and located in Park Ridge, Ill., and Washington, D.C., the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) is the professional organization representing more than 50,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and student registered nurse anesthetists across the United States. As advanced practice registered nurses and anesthesia specialists, CRNAs administer approximately 43 million anesthetics to patients in the United States each year and are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural America. In some states, CRNAs are the sole anesthesia professionals in nearly 100 percent of rural hospitals. For more information, visit www.aana.com and www.future-of-anesthesia-care-today.com.