TANA congratulates Katy Chmelicek, DNP, JD, CRNA, for being chosen as the 2025 recipient of the Patty Cornwell Stewardship and Advocacy Scholarship! Katy graduated in May from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Memphis and passed the National Certification Exam this summer to become a CRNA. The fifth recipient of the scholarship, Katy was honored on August 12 during the 2025 AANA Annual Congress in Nashville.
The $3,000 scholarship was established jointly by TANA and the AANA Foundation in recognition of legendary TANA member Patty Cornwell, CRNA, who devoted a lifetime of service to her profession, TANA, and the AANA. Patty passed away in 2021.
Like most SRNAs just getting started in their nurse anesthesiology programs, Katy Chmelicek had little knowledge about the important advocacy work being done year-round by her CRNA and SRNA colleagues to protect and advance the profession.
“I entered CRNA school not knowing what I know now,” she admits. “But I have thrown myself into advocacy whole-heartedly to work for my patients and fellow CRNAs. Winning this honor just motivates me to keep doing this important work!”
When Katy first got the news in June that she had been chosen to receive this year’s Patty Cornwell Scholarship for her efforts, she says she was “incredibly grateful and excited” for the recognition. But with the National Certification Exam looming large, the full impact of the honor didn’t truly sink in until she was feted on Aug. 12 during her first AANA Annual Congress.
“I never got to meet Patty Cornwell, but I wish I had,” Katy says. “Everyone talks about her so fondly, telling stories about her passion and how TANA would not be what it is today if not for her incredible work in establishing this organization. She set the standards we all strive for!”
It took Katy a long time to realize nursing was the right path for her. She says she went to school for other degrees (a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2011 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi in 2014), worked other jobs, and took time to learn about herself and the world, until one day she told her family if “I could start again, I would be a nurse.” So, she started again!
“The cross of science, continuing education (for my nerd brain), and interpersonal relationships that come from your co-workers and patients made nursing seem like the right choice for me,” she explains. As for taking the next step and pursuing her CRNA certification, she says, “I honestly didn’t know much about anesthesia when I started nursing. But I met a CRNA pretty early on and we had an amazing conversation about controlling hemodynamics of a patient in a way that had never made sense before. From then on, I had to know more!”
Katy credits Will Freeman, the CRNA who got her started on her way to becoming a CRNA, for his impactful mentorship. “I even got to work with him during some clinical rotations,” she says. “I wouldn’t be a CRNA without him!”
Her family also played a tremendous role in helping her achieve her career aspirations. “My mom constantly pushes me to strive for more and find what makes me happy,” Katy says, adding that her dad’s experience as a family medicine doctor leads to her calling him all the time to ask questions or pick his brain about some new thing she’s learned.
“I love to understand how things work—the why of what we do,” she says. “That’s such a huge part of being a CRNA and the initial motivating factor that drove me to this profession. To have the opportunity to gain such understanding in order to provide the best patient care is really the best part of this path.”
Besides throwing herself into her studies and clinical experiences, Katy grew her interest in advocacy work and leadership as the FY2024-25 president of the Tennessee Association of Student Nurse Anesthetists (TASNA). “My proudest accomplishment as TASNA president was working to unite SRNAs across the state to better share resources, knowledge, and experience,” she says. “I also worked to reinvigorate the TASNA newsletter and establish new messaging systems to keep TASNA representatives updated on whatever news I received.”
Katy says she also enjoyed serving on the TANA Government Relations Committee for two years and the TANA Bylaws Committee for one as she advanced toward becoming a CRNA. Looking ahead, she aspires to serving on the TANA Board of Directors eventually and applying for an AANA committee down the road.
“The work TANA and the AANA do is critically important,” she says. “It’s easy to think someone else will put in the time and effort to do the things these organizations do, but it’s truly up to us! If we don’t step up, these organizations die. It’s just SO important to get involved and stay involved!”
For the time being, Katy is settling into her first position as a CRNA. She works for NAPA Anesthesia at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. She is intrigued by the possibility of working in cardiovascular anesthesia someday and perhaps getting involved in providing expert legal testimony as well.
A native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Katy spends her spare time camping and hiking, chilling out with a good book or crochet project, and playing cards or games. She currently resides in Memphis.