Ep 181: The evolving anesthesia care team and keeping track of credentialing documents with Sarah Bellenger, MBA, MSN, CRNA

Summary Dr. Amy Vertrees hosts a discussion with Sarah Bellenger, a CRNA with extensive military and civilian healthcare experience. Sarah discusses her journey from military service to civilian practice, and the development of her app 'ManageYou'. Sarah Bellenger shares her 25-year nursing career experience, including service at the White House, military deployments, and transition to civilian practice. She emphasizes the importance of team-based care and the evolving role of CRNAs, particularly in rural healthcare settings. The discussion explores the challenges in anesthesia care team models, with Sarah explaining how CRNAs work independently in rural settings while collaborating with anesthesiologists in urban areas. She notes that the industry faces a significant staffing shortage, with a need for various provider types to ensure adequate coverage. Sarah introduces her app 'ManageYou', developed to address the widespread challenge of managing healthcare credentials. The app, available in both app stores, helps healthcare providers track and manage their professional documents, certifications, and licenses. She mentions that credential management is a $39 billion industry, and document mismanagement can cost facilities approximately $9,000 per day in lost billables. The discussion concludes with Sarah outlining future developments for ManageYou, including enhanced security features and potential integration with national credentialing systems. She emphasizes the importance of making credential management more efficient and accessible for healthcare providers. Chapters Introduction and Background Dr. Amy Vertrees introduces Sarah Bellenger, a CRNA with extensive military experience who developed an app for credential management. Sarah shares her 25-year nursing career journey, including service at the White House and multiple deployments. Evolution of CRNA Practice Sarah discusses the differences between military and civilian CRNA practice, emphasizing the importance of independent practice capabilities, especially in rural healthcare settings. She explains how military training prepares CRNAs for autonomous practice. Anesthesia Care Team Models Sarah explains the various anesthesia care team models, discussing the collaboration between CRNAs and anesthesiologists, particularly in urban versus rural settings. She addresses the industry-wide staffing challenges and potential solutions. ManageYou App Development Sarah describes the development of ManageYou, inspired by personal experiences with credential management challenges. She explains how the app helps healthcare providers organize and track their professional documents and certifications. Security and Future Development Sarah outlines the security measures implemented in ManageYou and discusses future developments, including enhanced features and potential integration with national credentialing systems. Action Items Sarah Bellenger mentioned the launch of ManageYou app in both Google Play and App Store for healthcare providers to manage their credentials Sarah Bellenger indicated plans to implement new security features for the app that exceed current standards Sarah Bellenger proposed integration with NCQA and other national credentialing systems for streamlined verification processes Sarah Bellenger recommended starting credential documentation with high-priority items like diplomas and frequently renewed certifications like CPRLinktree: http://linktr.ee/manageyouWebsite: www.manageyouapp.comLinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/company/manage-you/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/manageyou_app Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Manageyouapp1