[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 24836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              TRIBUTE TO JOHN F. GARDE UPON HIS RETIREMENT

 Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I would like to pay tribute 
to a constituent from Illinois, John F. Garde. Mr. Garde will soon be 
retiring as the Executive Director of the American Association of Nurse 
Anesthetists, AANA, after 17 years of service. I am very pleased to 
honor the distinguished career of John F. Garde for his contributions 
to the practice of anesthesia from my state of Illinois.
  The AANA is the professional association that represents over 27,000 
practicing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). Founded in 
1931, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists is the 
professional association representing CRNAs nationwide. As you may 
know, CRNAs administer more than 65 percent of the anesthetics given to 
patients each year in the United States. CRNAs provide anesthetics for 
all types of surgical cases and are the sole anesthesia provider in 
two-thirds of all rural hospitals, affording these medical facilities 
obstetrical, surgical and trauma stablization capabilities. 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 plastic 
surgeons.
  John received his anesthesia training in 1957 from St. Francis 
Hospital School of Anesthesia in LaCrosse, WI and began practicing at 
the U.S. Public Health Hospital in Detroit, Michigan the following 
year. Having been a provider of anesthesia for numerous years he became 
an Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia at 
Wayne State University, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health in 1975. 
Using this experience, he then became the Education Director of the 
AANA in Park Ridge, IL in 1980 before taking his current role as 
Executive Director in 1983. He accolades range from propelling nurse 
anesthesia programs into a graduate framework resulting in 50 per cent 
of them moving into the College of Nursing, as well as establishing the 
International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA) during his tenure 
with the AANA. John has served the AANA as a member, board member, past 
president, and now will be retiring as a very celebrated executive 
director among his peers.
  Mr. Garde has many honors to follow his list of career 
accomplishments. John was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy 
of Nursing in 1994. In 1999 the Association of Chicagoland recognized 
him for his outstanding contributions to the Association community, 
presenting him with the John C. Thiel Distinguished Service Award.
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Mr. John F. 
Garde, CRNA, MS, FAAN, for his notable career and outstanding 
achievements.

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