Our CRNAs continued their annual traditions of celebration, appreciation, and community service during National CRNA Week, an annual celebration of the nation’s nearly 57,000 nurse anesthetists, which took place from January 24-30, 2021:
- At UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP), Yvonne Shedlock purchased items from the Child Life wish list and had them sent to CHP patients for Christmas. Also, CHP CRNAs raised funds to purchase a meal for the residents of Ronald McDonald House. Yvonne purchased and delivered treats to accompany the meal.
- Our UPMC East CRNAs celebrated by collecting money to be donated to Beverly’s Birthdays, an organization providing birthday parties for disadvantaged children. They showed their team spirit by donning their “Anesthesia Dream Team” masks.
- Nurse anesthetists at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital held breakfast and lunch celebrations.
- CRNAs at UPMC Mercy “joined forces” with the Mercy anesthesiologists, who celebrated Physician Anesthesiologists Week the following week. Collectively, they organized a substantial donation to the Greater Pittsburgh Foodbank. They also enjoyed donuts for breakfast, a Bartram House pastries platter, and a pizza lunch.
- At UPMC Shadyside, Tera Thomas and Sam Baldwin organized a dinner for Shadyside Family House. Our Shadyside CRNAs donated nearly $800 for this volunteer event. Arrangements were made for Smallman Street Deli to cater and deliver 40 boxed dinners. In addition, they purchased wish list items such as Clorox wipes and toiletries.
- Our Passavant CRNAs celebrated their cooperative and productive work over the previous year with fun activities. They held a pizza lunch, transformed their conference room into the “Passavant Resort,” and enjoyed competitions like relay games, putt-putt, and puzzles, as well as activities that allowed them to learn fun facts about one another, identify baby pictures, etc. They also wrote ‘Thank You” notes to people who helped them throughout the year both locally and outside of the hospital. To “pay it forward,” several members of the Passavant anesthesiology department donated blood and plasma in honor of a family friend of one of our CRNAs whose baby needs platelets due to cancer.
- Our UPMC Presbyterian/Montefiore CRNAs sponsored their annual “Donut Day” Peer Appreciation Reception for all the staff in Surgical Services. Over 500 donuts were served in the morning.
