The Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists is proud to announce that two of its members, Dr. Jampierre Mato, DNP, CRNA, APRN, and Dr. Karla Maldonado, DrAP, CRNA, APRN have been recognized by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and have received two distinguished national awards for their service as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs).
Dr. Mato was named as the 2020 Annual Clinical Instructor of the Year and Dr. Maldonado received the 2020 Janice Drake CRNA Humanitarian Award.
Dr. Mato has made immeasurable contributions to the education of over 500 nurse anesthetists during his tenure in his position. He is a generalist CRNA, but he excels in the specialties of orthopedic and neurosurgical anesthesia. Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists assigned to work with him know right away that the “very bare minimum” will not suffice.
In his words, “Excelling as a nurse anesthetist is much more than simply knowing the mechanics of anesthesia. I make it very clear to my students that, in order to be the very best, you must have broad anesthesia knowledge, a grasp of emerging trends and evidence-based practice changes, and a basic understanding of surgical principles. Becoming a CRNA entails a lifelong commitment to learning, including conveying knowledge to others. I feel it is a privilege to contribute even a small amount to the education of future generations of nurse anesthetists.”
Dr. Mato, a CRNA for over 13 years, serves as Executive CRNA Director of Miami Beach Anesthesiology Associates in Miami Beach, Florida. In addition, Dr. Mato is the nurse anesthesia student coordinator at Mount Sinai Medical Center of Greater Miami, responsible for oversight of SRNAs rotating from Barry University, Florida International University, and the University of Miami.
Dr. Maldonado, DrAP, CRNA, APRN, is the assistant director of the University of South Florida’s Nurse Anesthesia Program. For the past nine years, she has traveled to San Lucas, Guatemala, to provide life-changing humanitarian surgery and anesthesia care to local residents. Through the San Lucas Foundation, she has transformed the lives of hundreds of patients in the rural town where the local clinic lacks surgical or anesthesia care.
“It’s an amazing and incredibly humbling experience to be recognized by my peers,” she said. “All the other award winners are very well-known for their humanitarian efforts, so I’m quite honored.”
Dr. Maldonado said her commitment to organizing surgical mission trips to indigent areas began more than a decade ago when she was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor and had it successfully removed after finding a top surgeon. Since her husband grew up in San Lucas, the mission trips have a very personal connection.
“It’s like giving back to your hometown,” she said. “Whenever we walk down the street, we run into either someone who is a relative, somebody we did surgery on, or somebody who needs care. That’s what brings us back year after year, and that’s why we’re so committed to improving the health of the community there.”
The Clinical Instructor of the Year Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the teaching of nurse anesthesia students in the clinical area. The award also recognizes the commitment of individuals to the profession of nurse anesthesia and to the advancement of educational standards that further the art and science of anesthesiology and result in high quality patient care.
The Janice Drake CRNA Humanitarian Award is presented to a CRNA who volunteers and provides anesthesia, education, and training in needy areas of the United States and overseas.
“FANA congratulates both Dr. Mato and Dr. Maldonado for being recognized by our national organization for their commitment to training, educating and helping those in need,” said FANA President Jose D. Castillo III, PhD, MS, CRNA, APRN. “As health care professionals, there never has been a more challenging time than the one we are currently facing. And this is why making sure that we mentor, train and graduate the next generation of CRNAs has never been more important. My two colleagues embody all that these awards stand for.”
CRNAs are specialty trained and educated professionals who have been providing surgical anesthesia and pain management services in a variety of clinical settings for more than 150 years. CRNAs provide comprehensive anesthesia care to patients before, during, and after surgical and obstetrical procedures and are the primary anesthesia professionals in rural and medically underserved areas. In recent months, CRNAs have played an integral role across the across the country in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In May, FANA celebrated National Nurses Month. The hardworking CRNAs of the state of Florida were recognized for strategically responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, working in uniquely collaborative ways with colleagues in their communities. Today, we are proud to again celebrate our profession and, more specifically, our friends and colleagues, Dr. Mato and Dr. Maldonado.
We salute all CRNAs for their unwavering commitment and unyielding resolve to care for the people of Florida.
Dr. Mato earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, and post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from Florida International University in Miami, Florida.
Dr. Maldonado received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Oakland University, her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesiology from the University of Detroit Mercy, and her Doctor of Anesthesia Practice from the University of Michigan.
Every Breath, Every Beat, Every Second, We Are There.
About the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Founded in 1936, The Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists (FANA) represents more than 3,800 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in Florida. FANA advocates for our patients and members in legislative and governmental affairs and serves as a resource for CRNAs, the nursing and medical professions, hospitals, health care facilities, and others interested in anesthesia care. There are more than 5400 registered CRNAs in Florida. For more information visit www.fana.org.
