CRNA News

The Cameos of Caring Program & Awards honors exceptional bedside nurses who work at acute care hospitals. 

Congratulations to Nicole Kuchta, MSN, CRNA, who was appointed Assistant CRNA Clinical Director of UPMC Passavant McCandless/Cranberry Hospitals, effective September 25, 2022. 

Jennifer Fleegle-Vistas, MSN, CRNA, has accepted the role of Assistant CRNA Clinical Director of UPMC Presbyterian/Montefiore Hospitals effective October 9, 2022.

Dale Fleck, MSN, CRNA, has accepted the role of CRNA Clinical Director of UPMC Presbyterian/Montefiore Hospitals, effective August 14, 2022.

Joseph Manilla, MSN, CRNA, who has accepted the role of CRNA Clinical Director for UPMC Passavant McCandless/Cranberry hospitals, effective July 31, 2022. 

Laura received the Daniel D. Vigness Federal Political Director Award at the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology Mid-Year Assembly in Washington, D.C. on April 2-6, 2022, and Danielle received the 2022 Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists CRNA of the Year Award on Saturday, April 30, 2022 in Hershey, PA.

Congratulations to the faculty and CRNAs who were selected as recipients of our department’s Chair’s Excellence Award. These individuals are recognized by our Chair Dr. Aman Mahajan and department leaders for going above and beyond in their service to our patients and department.

Michael W. Neft, DNP, MHA, CRNA, FNAP, FAANA, FAAN, earned his second doctoral degree - a PhD in Nursing from Duquesne University.

Clinicians at the UPMC-Magee-Womens Hospital Center for Reproduction and Tissue Transplantation, a multidisciplinary, national leader in cutting-edge fertility treatments, performed their first anesthesia procedure on February 11 for a testicular sperm extraction.

On February 5th, Rachel Bekavac, MSN, CRNA, and Rama Joshi, MBBS, MPM, provided anesthesia services with a select group of cardiac surgery specialists in a virtual transcatheter aortic valve implantation symposium co-hosted by UPMC and Cardiovascular Research Technologies.