Awards

Sophie Winton Award

The Sophie Winton award was established in 1990 to honor a CRNA, or group of CRNAs who have advanced the practice and profession of nurse anesthetists. The award honors Sophie Jevne Winton who assisted in organizing the first meeting of California anesthetists in 1931. Winton devoted her career to the support and establishment of a legal place for nurse anesthetists in the professional practice of anesthesia in California. In 1933 Mrs. Winton lent her financial support in a test case in California that was to have far reaching effects on the practice of nurse anesthetists—the case of Dagmar Nelson vs. Chalmers-Frances. She established a dental outpatient clinic in California and was later awarded honors by the Mexican Dental Society in conjunction with the International Dental Association for her advancement in the delivery of dental anesthesia. At the request of a group of plastic surgeons seeking quality anesthesia, she opened an outpatient plastic surgery clinic, numbering among her patients the likes of Judy Garland, Tyrone Power, Ronald Coleman, and Deanna Durbin. Mrs. Winton was the epitome of the independent practitioner who forged new ground for nurse anesthetists.

1990     Joyce Kelly
2001     Tim Wolf
2002     Camille Ranker
2003     Ruth Ann Terry
2005     Debbie Dach
2006     Deborah Haight
2008     Sandra Erickson
2009     Nancy Boyajian
2010     Fred Cardinal, James Carey, Karyn Karp, Chris Stein, Gayle Ulshafer, Tim Wolf
2011     Elizabeth Wong
2012     Gayle Ulshafer
2019     Dawn Clark, Karen Huff

Timothy Wolf Award

The Timothy Wolf Guardian of the Practice Award (a.k.a. “The Wolfie”) was first awarded to its namesake, Timothy Wolf, CRNA, in 2005. The second recipient of the award was Sandra Erickson, CRNA, in 2008. The purpose of the award is to honor an individual or group of individuals who have guarded or defended the professional practice of nurse anesthetists in California’s politico-legal system.

2005     Tim Wolf
2008     Sandra Erickson
2010     Dr. Mark Berman
2011     Dr. Andrew Ordon
2012     Phil Rhect
2014     Political Solutions
2016     Louis Bailey
2020    Gideon Baum

Life Achievement Award

2016     Tim Wolf
2018     Lois Swearingen, Gayle Ulshafer

Joyce Kelly Education Award

Established in 2013, the Joyce Kelly Education Award honors and recognizes a nurse anesthesia educator who displays exceptional academic and/or clinical teaching ability. The award is given in the name of Joyce Kelly, CRNA, EdD, a visionary California educator. Dr. Kelly founded the Kaiser Permanente School of Nurse Anesthesia, the first program in the United States to award a master’s degree in the specialty of nurse anesthesia. Dr. Kelly is known for many other achievements in the areas of policy, practice, and research. She was honored many times by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, most recently, and prior to her death in 2013, as a Living Legend. Dr. Kelly also served as an active member of the California Association of Nurse Anesthetists on multiple committees and in numerous positions over her storied career. This award is well deserved in recognition of the hundreds of outstanding nurse anesthetists that were educated by Dr. Kelly. Eligibility: Didactic and/or clinical educators affiliated with accredited civilian or military nurse anesthesia programs in California, inclusive of nurse anesthesia program directors; CRNA candidates must be active members of the AANA and CANA.

2013     Joyce Kelly

Medal of Commendation

2016     Greg Crawford, Rommel Uniza, Karyn Karp, Maricel Isidro-Reighard, Julia Harris, James Blodgett

Emeritus State Honorary Membership

Found in Bylaws, Article III, Section 6. State Honorary Membership may be conferred on a member by the AANA Board of Directors after a majority vote of the membership based upon recommendation of the Board of Directors of this Association. Honorary status implies that dues are waived.

2012     Linda Bailey, Sandy Sticco, Nancy Boyajian
2018     Tim Wolf, Wynne Waugaman