Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a fellow Tampanian, Bruce Weiner, on his tenure as the national president of the prestigious American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and honor his commitment to safe, quality anesthesia care for my neighbors and patients nationwide. 

Bruce received his bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Delaware, a master’s degree in Nurse Anesthesiology from the Medical College of Virginia and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of South Florida in our hometown of Tampa. He has long been an active advocate for nurse anesthetists and the patients they serve. He has shared his expertise and passion by serving on professional associations in many capacities at the state and national levels, while continuing to provide clinical anesthesia services in Tampa Bay. Bruce participated as a guest lecturer at the University of South Florida, and as a clinical instructor at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and served on AANA’s Board of Directors. 

During his AANA presidency, Bruce has been a prominent advocate for patients and the practice of nurse anesthesia before federal agencies and members of Congress. He has worked efficiently to promote anesthesia patient safety and the value of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to our health care system, especially when it comes to dealing with chronic pain and the opioid crisis. Bruce has worked to have CRNAs recognized as full practice providers in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to maintain provider non-discrimination and to achieve full scope of practice for CRNAs. 

On behalf of the citizens of Florida, my neighbors across Tampa Bay and CRNAs everywhere, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bruce Weiner for 34 years of service facilitating access to care to all patients.