AANA Honors Excellence in Nurse Anesthesiology: Janet A. Dewan to Receive Agatha Hodgins Award for Outstanding Accomplishment

Rosemont, Ill. – The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) will present Janet A. Dewan, PhD, MS, CRNA, with the Agatha Hodgins Award for Outstanding Accomplishment during its 2026 Annual Congress, August 21–25, in Boston.

The Agatha Hodgins Award for Outstanding Accomplishment was established in 1975 to recognize individuals whose foremost dedication to excellence has furthered the art and science of nurse anesthesiology. The award was established to honor Agatha Hodgins, the association’s founder and first president.

“Being named the 2026 Agatha Hodgins awardee by the AANA deepens my appreciation for the vision Agatha Hodgins had in founding our professional association. Almost a century later, her 1931 concept of member solidarity remains central to the strength of the nurse anesthesiology profession,” Dewan said.

Dewan travels to Africa several times a year to work with nurse anesthetists and students, serving as an academic and clinical educator and advising on program development. “Her strong and sustained commitment to raise education, recognition and clinical practice in Africa is truly unmatched by anyone I have known,” said one of her nominators. “Dr. Janet Dewan is a servant leader who represents the very best of our profession.”

Through her work in countries including Niger, Cameroon, Rwanda and Liberia, Dewan has helped advance evidence-based anesthesia care while supporting local providers, students and faculty. As a founding member of the Boston-Africa Anesthesia Consortium, she has built partnerships focused on education, mentorship and long-term capacity-building, making a lasting impact on the profession and on access to safe anesthesia care worldwide.

Throughout her career, Dewan has been active in anesthesia education and clinical practice. She is the Associate Program Administrator for Northeastern University’s DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program and has filled the role of faculty member, program director or administrator for the program for more than 40 years. She has served on the Massachusetts Board of Nursing and represented nurse anesthesiology on committees focused on patient care assessment and ambulatory surgery for the Massachusetts Board of Medicine.

She has received the AANA Foundation Janice Drake Humanitarian of the Year Award (2018) and AANA’s Didactic Instructor of the Year Award (2007). In 2023, the Massachusetts ANA named her a Living Legend. She is also the 2026 recipient of the AANA Foundation Philanthropist of the Year Award.

Dewan is an active member of AANA and AANA Foundation. She serves on the board of directors of Our Hearts Your Hands, Inc., an anesthesia education nonprofit. She is also a Health Volunteers Overseas Anesthesia Advisory Board member and project consultant, a Medical Advisory Board member and clinical volunteer for the International Organization for Women and Development, and a volunteer vaccinator for the Metro-East Massachusetts Reserve Corps.

Dewan earned a Bachelor of Arts from Douglass College, Rutgers University; a Master of Science in Nursing from New York Medical College, now Pace University Leinhard School of Nursing; her CRNA certificate from Tufts-New England Medical Center School of Nurse Anesthesia; and a PhD in Law and Public Policy from Northeastern University.

To learn more about AANA Member Recognition awards, visit https://www.aana.com/membership/recognition/aana-awards/.