Newswise — Park Ridge, Ill. – Dwayne Self, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and resident of Canton, Miss., received the 2016 Daniel F. Vigness Federal Political Director of the Year Award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) during the AANA’s Mid-Year Assembly held in Washington, D.C. Self is the 15th recipient of the award.
The Daniel D. Vigness Federal Political Director of the Year Award was established in 2001 by the AANA Board of Directors to acknowledge the CRNA who makes the greatest strides in advancing the AANA’s federal healthcare agenda through grassroots political activities as a Federal Political Director. A CRNA for nearly 30 years, Daniel D. Vigness, MS, CRNA, was the first recipient of the Federal Political Director of the Year Award. A South Dakota native, Vigness lost his battle with cancer in 2013.
Self is currently a staff CRNA at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss.
“Being recognized for advocating the work that I do every day is indeed a distinction,” said Self. “As a CRNA, I believe it is my duty to educate the public and Mississippi legislature about the quality anesthesia care we deliver to patients in our state and across America. CRNAs are in line with the needs of today’s healthcare system and play a key role in anesthesia care to the citizens of this state who reside in both rural and urban areas.”
A nurse anesthetist for more than 30 years, Self is well known to local, state, and federal legislators for his political involvement. His efforts have helped make the Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists a well-known healthcare organization in the state capital of Jackson. Most notably, he is credited with leadership that prevented provider discrimination in reimbursement, and with passing regulations which would have critically restricted the practice of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Mississippi. Of note, two different governors appointed the Mississippi native to the Mississippi Board of Nursing in 2003, 2004, and 2007.
Self received bachelor’s degrees in both nurse anesthesiology and nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss. In addition, he graduated with an Emergency Medical Technician license from Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss., and a bachelor’s degree in science from Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss.
About the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA)Founded in 1931 and located in Park Ridge, Ill., the AANA is the professional organization for more than 49,000 nurse anesthetists across the United States. As anesthesia specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) safely provide approximately 40 million anesthetics to patients each year for surgical, obstetrical, pain management, and trauma stabilization services. CRNAs deliver essential healthcare in thousands of communities and are able to prevent gaps in access to anesthesia services, especially in rural, inner-city, and other medically underserved areas of the country. They are highly valued in today’s healthcare environment because they deliver the same safe, high-quality anesthesia care as other anesthesia professionals but at a lower cost, helping to control rising healthcare costs. Additional information about the AANA and CRNAs is available at www.aana.com and www.aana.com/future-today.
RSS