[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 25, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 HONORING DEBRA MALINA, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE 
                              ANESTHETISTS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 25, 2012

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Debra 
Malina, CRNA, DNSc, MBA. Ms. Malina will soon complete her year as 
national president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists 
(AANA). I am very pleased that Ms. Malina was tapped as the 2011-2012 
President of this prestigious national organization.
  Founded in 1931, the AANA is the professional organization that 
represents more than 44,000 practicing Certified Registered Nurse 
Anesthetists (CRNAs) and Student Nurse Anesthetists who will become 
CRNAs. CRNAs are advanced practice registered nurses who administer 
approximately 32 million anesthetics to patients each year. They work 
in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered, including hospital 
surgical suites and obstetrical delivery rooms, ambulatory surgical 
centers, and the offices of dentists, podiatrists, and all types of 
specialty surgeons. They also provide acute and chronic pain management 
services to patients in need of such care. CRNAs provide anesthesia for 
all types of surgical cases and, in some states, are the sole 
anesthesia providers in 100% of rural hospitals, ensuring that these 
facilities can offer their communities obstetrical, surgical, and 
trauma stabilization services.
  The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists is headquartered in my 
district, and President Malina has served the association extremely 
well and helped to improve health care for all Americans. A CRNA for 15 
years, Ms. Malina received her doctorate in nursing science from the 
University of Tennessee in Memphis, Tennessee, and her master's degree 
in business administration from Madison University in Gulfport, 
Mississippi. Additionally, she earned her master's degree in 
anesthesiology from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida and a 
bachelor's degree in nursing from Florida International University in 
Miami.
  In addition to her current service as AANA President, Ms. Malina has 
held various leadership positions in the AANA, including President-
elect, Treasurer, Region 2 Director, and member of the Finance 
Committee. Ms. Malina has also served as the AANA Association 
Management Services director. In addition, she is a former president of 
the Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists and has served on 
numerous committees on the state and national levels. She was also an 
advanced practice nursing member of the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
  Adding to her professional accomplishments, Ms. Malina has 
effectively used her experience in education and CRNA practice to 
inform the public about the safety, value and cost-effectiveness of 
CRNA care. During her AANA Presidency, Ms. Malina has played important 
roles in advocating for the practice of nurse anesthesia and its 
patients before Medicare and other federal agencies and with members of 
the Congress of the United States. She has worked tirelessly to promote 
the facts that CRNAs help make healthcare work better and cost less.
  Let me give just two examples of her leadership. The Institute of 
Medicine reports that 100 million Americans suffer from chronic 
intractable pain, which costs more than two-thirds of a trillion 
dollars each year in medical and economic costs. Ms. Malina has 
demonstrated leadership in urging Medicare to restore direct 
reimbursement for pain management services provided by CRNAs--a move 
that will improve care for patients and reduce unnecessary costs. Ms. 
Malina and her national organization were also crucial in supporting 
provisions included in the recently-enacted Food and Drug 
Administration user fee reauthorization to combat critical shortages of 
anesthesia and other drugs.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask my colleagues to join me today in 
recognizing the outgoing President of the American Association of Nurse 
Anesthetists, Ms. Debra Malina, CRNA, DNSc, MBA, for her notable career 
and outstanding achievements.

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