The Philanthropist of the Year Award, established in 2006 by the AANA Foundation, is presented to an individual who represents the spirit of Ms. LeBlanc and has gone beyond the call of duty as a supporter of the AANA Foundation.
The Rita L. LeBlanc Philanthropist of the Year donates time, talent, and direct financial support to the AANA Foundation, as well as other well-deserving organizations. The recipient of this award demonstrates a strong philanthropic spirit, and through his or her charitable actions motivates others to give of themselves.
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The Rita L. LeBlanc Philanthropist of the Year Award is presented to an individual who has gone beyond the call of duty as a supporter of the AANA Foundation and other philanthropic organizations. The recipient of the 2024 Rita L. LeBlanc Philanthropist of the Year Award is Jean Gamble, CRNA.
Among her career distinctions, Gamble was the first female nurse anesthetist to work in Wood County, Ohio. A representative of the Jean Gamble Estate described her as a trail blazer who “paved the way for many nurses in the field of nurse anesthesiology. She was a pioneer in her field and an advocate for patients. Her caring way and her expertise in her field has eased the stress of many a patient.”
She was recognized as a community builder who had demonstrated a long history of being concerned for the welfare of her neighbors and her patients. As a passionate champion of education, Jean Gamble’s estate recently made a $400,000 scholarship donation to the AANA Foundation as a testimony to the importance of shaping the opportunities for future generations of CRNAs.
Born in 1922, Gamble lived to be 102 years old. She graduated from Larue High School in Marion, Ohio in 1940. She later attended Riverside Whitecross School of Nursing where she earned her nursing diploma and obtained her Registered Nurse (RN) designation in 1943. Gamble was the first registered nurse student in the school of anesthesiology at Ohio State University. She was a CRNA for 40 years, retiring in 1990.
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