Can CAAs practice in Kentucky?
Yes — CAAs are licensed in Kentucky.
Kentucky authorizes CAA practice through a physician assistant license from the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure: you are licensed as a PA and practice as an 'anesthesiology assistant' under KRS 311.862 (since July 2002). Your supervising anesthesiologist must be present at induction and emergence and cannot run another anesthetic concurrently.
- Effective
- 2002
- Supervision
- The supervising physician in anesthesia must be physically present in the room during induction and emergence, must not be concurrently performing any other anesthesiology procedure, and must be available for immediate physical presence (KRS 311.862(3)); KRS 311.854(10) caps a physician at supervising 4 PAs at one time.
- Last verified
- 2026-08-12
Notes
Title/mechanism difference: Kentucky has no standalone 'AA license'; the statute regulates a physician assistant 'practicing as an anesthesiology assistant.' Created by 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 130 (eff. July 15, 2002), amended 2006 (certification converted to PA licensure). KRS 311.862(2) requires post-2002 entrants to meet PA licensure requirements (KRS 311.844/311.846) plus graduation from an accredited anesthesia training program; the statutory drafting on program length is archaic, so applicants should confirm current credentialing mechanics with KBML. 2026 SB 116 rewrote the surrounding PA framework: supervision now runs through a board-filed supervision agreement (KRS 311.854), alternate supervising physicians are authorized, and the 4-PA cap moved to KRS 311.854(10). It does not amend KRS 311.862; the induction/emergence physical-presence requirements for anesthesia practice are expressly preserved.
Active legislation
-
SB 116 (2026) Enacted
Rewrite of the physician assistant supervision framework (KRS 311.840–311.858); anesthesia requirements of KRS 311.862 expressly preserved
Last action: Signed by Governor April 10, 2026