Newswise — Park Ridge, Ill. – Don Roesler, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and resident of Sioux Falls, S.D., received the 2017 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. Roesler is the 16th 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.

Roesler is currently a staff CRNA at Avera McKennen Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D. “Receiving the award named in honor of my mentor and friend, whose guidance, leadership, and knowledge nurtured my interest in lobbying, is a very humbling experience,” said Roesler. “I have always enjoyed being involved in the South Dakota Association of Nurse Anesthetists (SDANA) and lobbying for the profession of nurse anesthesia. The work on the state and federal legislative scene is not just accomplished by one person; it’s truly a team effort. Thank you to the SDANA, the AANA Board of Directors, and my friend Daniel Vigness, who I know is watching me.”

A nurse anesthetist for more than 30 years, Roesler is well known to local, state, and federal legislators for his political involvement. His efforts have helped make the South Dakota Association of Nurse Anesthetists a well-known healthcare organization in the state capital of Pierre.

Roesler received his bachelor’s degree in nursing from Jamestown College in Jamestown, N.D., and his anesthesia diploma from the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. In addition, he received his master’s degree in anesthesia from Saint Mary’s College in Winona, Minn.

About the American Association of Nurse AnesthetistsFounded in 1931 and located in Park Ridge, Ill., and Washington, D.C., the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) is the professional organization representing more than 50,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and student registered nurse anesthetists across the United States. As advanced practice registered nurses and anesthesia specialists, CRNAs administer approximately 43 million anesthetics to patients in the United States each year and are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural America. In some states, CRNAs are the sole anesthesia professionals in nearly 100 percent of rural hospitals. For more information, visit www.aana.com and www.future-of-anesthesia-care-today.com and follow @aanawebupdates on Twitter.