CRNA Program Changes

North Memorial Health recently changed models and now employs all System Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to support the growing need for CRNA’s in our hospitals and surgery centers. Our CRNAs mainly care for patients in the operating room and in other areas where patients may need anesthesia. They are also part of the critical care teams for medical emergencies for airway support. The CRNA team includes 72 CRNAs, of which 49 are regularly scheduled and 23 are casual part-time.

The group supports North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, Maple Grove Hospital and two surgery centers: Minnetonka Ambulatory Surgery Center and the North Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center in Maple Grove. Nurse anesthetists on the North Memorial Health team must have a four-year degree plus a Master’s Degree or Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP). In addition, they must have two years of critical care experience and be board-certified by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).