Welcome to AANA's 75th Anniversary Celebration!

Make plans now to attend!

On June 17, 1931, pioneer nurse anesthetist Agatha Hodgins founded the National Association of Nurse Anesthetists (NANA) in Cleveland, Ohio. Eight years later, NANA officially changed its name to the present American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

Agatha Hodgins

In August 2006, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists from all over the United States will make their way back to Cleveland, birthplace of one of the nation’s leading nursing associations now serving more than 33,000 members, to celebrate 75 years dedicated to quality anesthesia care and patient safety.

AANA is the oldest national organization of anesthesia providers in the country.

The National Association of Nurse Anesthetists was founded on
June 17, 1931

NANA became the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists on October 17, 1939

Let the Celebration Begin!

The 75th Anniversary Task Force, chaired by Paul Blakeley, CRNA, MSN, of Cleveland, has been meeting since fall 2003 to make plans for commemorating this significant event.

Festivities will actually kick off at the 2005 Fall Assembly of States, to be held in November 2005 in Chicago, and will continue at the 60th annual Assembly of School Faculty meeting in Newport Beach, Calif., in February 2006 and the Mid-Year Assembly in Washington, D.C., in April 2006. The culmination will, of course, be during the 2006 Annual Meeting in Cleveland.

Among the plans and products well into development are the following:

Celebratory events during the 2006 Annual Meeting, including tours, high-profile keynote speakers, and commemorative highlights during the Opening Ceremonies and Annual Banquet
A pictorial, coffee-table book on the history of the AANA
A black-tie reception with legislative and regulatory “friends of nurse anesthesia” during the 2006 Mid-Year Assembly
Public relations efforts to attain media coverage on the history of the Association and the profession
A “traveling timeline wall” that state associations and nurse anesthesia educational programs can borrow from the AANA for state meetings, classroom sessions, etc.
A museum of AANA history at the 2006 Annual Meeting
A Power Point presentation on the Association’s history for use in a variety of settings
A commemorative pin done (priced) in two styles, one with diamond and one without, plus other special logo merchandise
And more…

Examples of the logos, posters, pins, and other promotional materials that have been designed for the celebration of this event will be posted shortly.

In addition to Chair Blakeley, members of the 75th Anniversary Task Force are: Tracy Castleman, CRNA, MS; Robert Dahlander, CRNA; Dianna Heikkila, CRNA, MSN; Joyce Kelly, CRNA, EdD; Jack Kless, CRNA, MA, MSN; Evan Koch, CRNA, MSN; Maureen Reilly, CRNA, MSN, PhD; Wanda Wilson, CRNA, MSN, PhD; Christopher Bettin, MA, AANA Senior Director, Communications; Cindy Wood, CMP, AANA Director of Programs and Meeting Services; and Kathy Koch, MLIS, CA, AANA Archivist-Librarian.

For additional information, please contact Christopher Bettin at (847) 655-1143.