CRNAs and SRNAs take center stage in this new section of the TANA website. Do you have an interesting story to share? TANA wants to help you tell it! Please click here to submit inquiries and ideas today.

Jordan Hollinshead, DNAP, CRNA, APN: Charging Ahead in Her Career and TANA Leadership

October 18, 2024

If member engagement in professional associations is truly in decline as the ASAE* suggests, then somebody forgot to let TANA’s Jordan Hollinshead, DNAP, CRNA, APN, in on the secret. Just four and a half years after graduating with her doctorate from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, the 32-year-old cardiac anesthesia specialist recently […]

Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet Christhian De Ochoa, DNP, CRNA, APRN

September 15, 2024

TANA member Christhian De Ochoa, DNP, CRNA, APRN, is a proud Mexican American with deep roots in Memphis. “I was raised in Memphis and earned my Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesiology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2023,” she says. “I currently work for North American Partners of Anesthesia at […]

Congratulations to Patricia Juoza-Clark and Jim Alberding—TANA’s Newest Fellows of the AANA!

August 7, 2024

      The Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists congratulates Patricia Juoza-Clark, EdD, CRNA, and Jim Alberding, DNP, CRNA, on being inducted as Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists during the AANA Annual Congress in San Diego. AANA Fellows are recognized in their field for being outstanding practitioners, educators, researchers, and advocates. Acceptance […]

Maisen Conley Honored as 2024 Recipient of the Patty Cornwell Scholarship

August 5, 2024

TANA congratulates Maisen Conley, BSN, CCRN, RN, SRNA, for being chosen as the 2024 recipient of the Patty Cornwell Stewardship and Advocacy Scholarship! Maisen is in her second year at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Option and expects to graduate in 2026. The fourth recipient of the […]

Lisa Lucas, DNP, CRNA: AANA’s 2024 Alice Magaw Outstanding Clinical Anesthesia Practitioner Award Winner for Her Work with Military Veterans

August 5, 2024

Dr. Lisa Lucas, the Chief Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist (CRNA) at the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MVAMC), has devoted her career to providing compassionate, high-quality anesthesia care to military veterans. On Aug. 3, during the Annual Congress of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists (AANA), Lisa’s exceptional dedication, leadership, and caregiving earned her the […]

Crystal Aycocke, MSN, CRNA: Discovering Why Medical Missions are Life-Changing for Patients and Providers Alike

July 30, 2024

              During her inaugural medical mission this past April, Crystal Aycocke learned first-hand that there’s nothing comfortable, routine, or easy about providing healthcare in austere conditions like those found in the mountainous, jungle terrain of Chiriquí Province, Panama. She also knew it was one of the most amazing experiences […]

Mick Ellis, SRNA: Family, Faith, and Fostering the Next Generation of CRNAs

July 5, 2024

  When the youth leaders at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Knoxville asked if anyone in the congregation would be willing to share information about their jobs at a career day for boys and girls ages 11-18, Mick Ellis, SRNA, seized upon the opportunity. “The youths had about 10 minutes at […]

AANHPI Heritage Month 2024: Meet Asian American CRNA and TANA Member Malasy Vichathep

May 30, 2024

Malasy Vichathep, DNP, CRNA, works at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, a long way from her parents’ homeland of Laos, a landlocked country in Southwest Asia bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Burma. “My parents immigrated from Laos and stayed in refugee camps on their way to America,” Malasy explains. “Their journey to this […]

John Shields, DNP, CRNA: How “Milligram Per Kilogram” Learned to Embrace the Art and Science of Anesthesia Equally

May 10, 2024

Giving anesthesia is described as both an art and a science. The best CRNAs embrace both aspects fully and equally; but truth be told, it doesn’t always occur simultaneously. John Shields, DNP, CRNA, who became a CRNA nearly 40 years ago and currently specializes in cardiovascular anesthesia, understands the concept well. Reflecting on his long […]

AANHPI Heritage Month 2024: Meet TANA Member Leilani Herbert—Clinician, Clinical Education Coordinator, Native Hawaiian

May 3, 2024

Leilani Herbert, a CRNA who works for U.S. Anesthesia Partners (USAP) at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee, says she gets ribbed for the Hawaiian pattern on the radiation safety gear she wears at work. “But everyone knows whose lead it is, so they better not be caught wearing it!” she laughs. The current chair […]

TANA’s Wellness Spotlight: Nature’s Retreat with Family

March 27, 2024

Meet Kristina Heering, CRNA (TANA Wellness Committee member), and her family, who have found the perfect recipe for wellness—time spent together in the great outdoors! At their cabin retreat, they embrace the beauty of nature to unplug, reset, and reconnect with what truly matters. We asked Kristina how she makes wellness a priority, and she […]

Davis, Davis, & Harbin: Conquering the Risks and Savoring the Rewards of Anesthesia Business Ownership

February 22, 2024

Starting up an anesthesia business can be equal parts daunting and rewarding. Just ask Ashley Davis, DNAP, NP, CRNA, her husband Nate Davis, DNAP, CRNA, and Steve Harbin, MSN, CRNA, partners in the rapidly growing anesthesia practice Advanced Anesthesia Solutions, Inc. (AAS) headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee. With AAS now in its 12th year, the three […]

Fred Reed, III: Sage Advice for Young People of Color Pursuing a Career in Nurse Anesthesiology

February 13, 2024

Celebrating Black History Month 2024 My name is Fred Reed, III, DNP, MBA(c), CRNA, APRN. I was inspired to go into nurse anesthesiology after being introduced to a CRNA at Louisiana State University – E.A. Conway Medical Center during the “A-HEC of a Summer” Program* in 2004. I was 13 years old. Rosalind Loyd-Chisley, the […]

Melissa Hayden, MSN, CRNA: Embracing the Challenges of Moving from the Head of the Table to Head of the Department

January 4, 2024

Melissa Hayden, MSN, CRNA, Executive Director of Surgical Services at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, has a unique perspective on moving from her previous role as Director of Nurse Anesthesia/Chief CRNA to Executive Director this past June. “I chose to practice anesthesia as it is truly an honor and a privilege to care […]

Jacob Geldrich, MS, CRNA: Give Him Five Minutes of Free Time and a Good Night’s Sleep, and See What Happens

October 24, 2023

As the saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life.” For some it means traveling to exotic locations, for others it’s the adrenaline rush of extreme sports…the list goes on. But for Jacob Geldrich, MS, CRNA, the newest partner in a thriving all-CRNA group in East Tennessee, it’s the lure of entrepreneurship that has led […]

Ikey DeVasher: Faith-Motivated Educator and Advocate

July 24, 2023

From finding her calling as a nurse anesthetist more than 50 years ago, to guiding a lifetime of SRNAs on their own journeys to becoming CRNAs, long-time nurse anesthesia educator and TANA member Mary Elizabeth “Ikey” DeVasher credits everything she’s accomplished to one thing: her faith in God. Recollecting her days as a student at […]

Anna McCleskey Honored as 2023 Recipient of the Patty Cornwell Steward & Advocacy Scholarship

June 16, 2023

TANA congratulates Anna McCleskey, DNP, CRNA, for being chosen as the 2023 recipient of the Patty Cornwell Stewardship and Advocacy Scholarship! A May 2023 graduate from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Option, Anna is the third recipient of the scholarship. She will be honored on August 21 […]

Rachel Nall and Bethany Seale: Making Busy Look Easy

April 21, 2023

What do you call a person who works full time in a complex healthcare specialty, pursues their doctorate degree, raises small children, and volunteers to serve on a board or committee for their professional association…all at the same time? A CRNA, of course! Or you could call them Rachel and Bethany, two good friends and […]

LCDR Hope Ferguson, DNP, MBA, CRNA: Honored to be the First

February 23, 2023

Being the “first” is always an honor, but there are times when being the first is simply more important than at other times. This October, Lieutenant Commander Hope Ferguson, DNP, MBA, CRNA, president-elect of TANA, will become TANA’s first African American president. It is a significant moment in TANA history and a reason to celebrate! […]

Leaning Toward the Fun Side in Good Times and Bad

January 26, 2023

Brian Reid, CRNA, has always charted his own course with a smile on his face. At 70, after providing anesthesia for nearly 50 years, biking across the country, and surviving treatment for a rare form of cancer, he’s only now considering retirement. “My philosophy is we can make each day as fun or as miserable […]

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