With another semester well under way, I’m proud to share the incredible momentum within VCU’s Department of Nurse Anesthesia. This issue, our stories reflect both the depth of our tradition and the bold ways we are advancing the future of anesthesia care and education.

We begin with a look at our admissions and student success, where record-breaking interest in our Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program is paired with equally strong outcomes. Our graduates continue to raise the bar, with a 98% first-time pass rate on the National Certification Examination and expanded opportunities at our Richmond, Roanoke and Abingdon sites. 

As we build the future of the program, we’re also growing our leadership team to position our future success. Rebekah “Becky” Carmel, Ph.D., and a VCU CRNA graduate, is stepping up to serve as our DNAP program director, and we’ll be hiring a new faculty member to serve as director of clinical education. This realignment will allow me, as chair, to focus more on strategic initiatives both within the College of Health Professions and Nurse Anesthesia.

Those efforts include the launch of Virginia’s first academic program in Cardiovascular Perfusion, led by Keith Pelletier, which marks an exciting new chapter for our department. We’re already starting to recruit our inaugural class.

In recent months, we’ve drawn growing attention to our distance learning program. To start, Crystal Hunnicutt, DNAP,  CRNA, a Russell County native has returned to VCU as director of Southwest Operations, linking her local roots and firsthand understanding of distance education with strategic leadership and community impact. Crystal, who also serves as assistant DNAP program director, spoke about why our presence is so important – starting with the fact that 90% of our graduates who train in Southwest Virginia remain to practice there – in a commentary published by Cardinal News. 

What she shared is that our impact is more than education. It’s about transformation, with leadership rooted in community.

However, the environment in which we practice is changing. In this issue, you’ll find an important conversation with alum Meredith Joyner, CRNA, government relations director for the Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, who guides us through Virginia’s new law licensing anesthesia assistants. Her insights bring clarity to what this legislation means for CRNAs, patients and health systems, and why it matters for the future of anesthesia care in our state.

Alongside these program highlights, you’ll meet the people who make our community so extraordinary. You’ll read about simulation coordinator Nick Darragh, who turns medical emergencies into lifelike scenarios that challenge and prepare our students for both the expected and the unexpected, allowing them to master skills in a safe setting before they advance into operating rooms. And you’ll see the generosity of our alums, who are honoring the personal impact of retired long-time program administrator Marjorie T. Goodwin through a scholarship fund.

Our students are equally inspired. Casey Zhao shares her journey from pandemic bedside nursing in New York City to pursuing CRNA practice here at VCU. And Joseph Osborne, another Russell County native, built his clinical expertise through ICU and flight nursing before coming home to train at our Abingdon distance site.

Each of these stories points to one truth: The work we do here matters. It matters to our students, to our profession and, most importantly, to the patients and communities we serve, especially those in rural and underserved regions where access to care is most fragile.

I invite you to read, reflect and share in our pride as we continue to grow not just in size. Every shift we are making is another step in elevating excellence. I’m excited to be part of this next chapter.

Nickie Damico, Ph.D., CRNA, CHSE, FAANA
Herbert T. Watson Endowed Professor and Chair, Nurse Anesthesia