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A-B Tech Enka Campus, Ste. G-33
1459 Sand Hill Road
Candler, NC 28715
828.670.8810 tel
828.670.8807 fax
2012
Dr. Mark A. Kossick invited to present at the inaugural University of Tennessee Visiting Professor Series
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, has been invited to present 11 hours of lecture at the inaugural Visiting Professor Series on February 11th and 12th at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee. His lecture titles include "Implementing ECG Analysis Across the Continuum of Anesthesia Care", Principles of Cardiovascular Monitoring", and "Anesthesia for Valvular Surgery".
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/2012/02/kossick-to-present-at-ut-medical-center/
Dr. Kossick presents lectures at East Carolina University
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, presented three lectures on January 20, 2012 to graduate nurse anesthesia
students at East Carolina University in Greenville. His lectures were “Essentials of EKG Interpretation for the Anesthesia Provider,” “Critical Assessment and Interventions for Invasive Hemodynamic Data,” and “Anesthesia for Patients with Valvular Heart Disease.”
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/category/achievements/
2011
Dr. Kossick selected to serve as WCU's Anesthesia Simulation Education Coordinator
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, on July 22, 2011 was selected to serve as the Anesthesia Graduate Simulation Education Coordinator. This position has been developed in concert with the recently awarded $1.23 million HRSA Grant for the graduate Nurse Anesthesia Program. Dr. Kossick will provide oversight of simulation education which includes development of 1) an operating room high-fidelity simulation lab, 2) curriculum-staged scenarios, 3) future research, 4) mentoring faculty, 5) a control center for delivery and evaluation (debriefing) of student simulation experiences.
Professor McDowell Presents at Nurse Anesthesia State Meeting
Mason C. McDowell, assistant professor and assistant director for the WCU nurse anesthesia program, recently presented a lecture at the North Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists 2011 annual meeting in Asheville. Professor McDowell spoke on perioperative patient management - emphasizing cardiac risk analysis, application of clinical guidelines for managing patients with cardiovascular disease undergoing non-cardiac surgery, and management of patients with pacemakers, implanted defibrillators and coronary stents.
Mason also served as a judge for the student research poster presentations entered by students from five nurse anesthesia programs in North Carolina.
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/2011/11/mcdowell-presents-at-nurse-anesthesia-state-meeting/
WCU wins "Anesthesia Bowl" again
The Western Carolina University nurse anesthesia program won the Anesthesia Bowl on Saturday October 1, 2011. The Anesthesia Bowl is a "jeopardy-style" competition held each year at the annual meeting of the North Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists (NCANA). WCU graduated its first nurse anesthesia class in 2009. Despite its brief history compared to the competition, WCU nurse anesthesia has now won the bowl 3 of the last 4 years, claiming victory over Duke, Wake Forest, UNC Charlotte, Raleigh School, and East Carolina University. Each team consists of four graduate students from the six nurse anesthesia programs in the state of North Carolina. The winning team keeps the coveted trophy at its respective school for the entire year. Members of the WCU team were Katrina McDonald, Jed Godfrey, Leah Dickerson, Holly Braswell, and Bryan Haslam (alt). Nurse Anesthesia faculty and contributing faculty were Dr. Shawn Collins, Prof. Mason McDowell, Dr. Mark Kossick, Prof. Ian Hewer, and Dr. Claire DeCristofaro.
The bowl victory capped off a great weekend for the WCU nurse anesthesia program. Three nurse anesthesia faculty members were invited speakers at the NCANA annual meeting held at the Grove Park Inn Sep 30-Oct 2. Prof Mason McDowell presented recommendations for Perioperative Patient Management; Dr. Shawn Collins presented information on Evidence Based Practice; and Dr. Mark Kossick presented the Essentials of EKG interpretation and Computerized ST segment analysis. Additionally, WCU nurse anesthesia students Bryan Haslam and Jed Godfrey were selected to provide a brief presentation of their research project titled "Does clevidipine possess the clinical attributes of an ideal parental antihypertensive agent for anesthesia practice?
Click here to read the official WCU press release.
Nurse Anesthesia Program wins $1.23 million grant
CRNA Class of 2011 earn 100% overall Boards pass rate
Dr. Kossick presents continuing ed program, asked to serve as journal reviewer
August 30, 2011
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, recently presented a continuing education program for Blue Ridge Regional Hospital's critical care nurses, nurse anesthetists and emergency medical services personnel titled "Two-Day 12 Lead ECG Seminar." The program was held in Spruce Pine. Dr. Kossick also was recently notified that he had been selected to serve as an American Association of Nurse Anesthetists journal reviewer. AANA's peer-reviewed journal was established in 1933 and is the official publication of the association.
Dr. Mark Kossick presents at Mission Hospital
June 7, 2011
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, recently presented a lecture to certified registered nurse anesthetists at the Heart Center of Mission Hospital in Asheville. Dr. Kossick's lecture was titled "Current Practice Guidelines in Electrocardiography for Anesthesia Providers."
In addition, Dr. Kossick also recently presented a seven hour comprehensive EKG seminar to certified registered nurse anesthetist clinical faculty as part of the Western Carolina University 2011 Nurse Anesthesia Update continuing education conference. His lecture content included diagnosing myocardial ischemia, injury, infarction in surgical and intensive care patients scheduled for surgery, and how to diagnose supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias with current treatment strategies.
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/2011/06/mark-kossick-presents-at-mission-hospital/
Dr. Kossick presents at seminar, state conference; serves as accreditation reviewer
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, presented a seven-hour EKG seminar in Las Vegas on April 3. Attendees included physicians and nurses specializing in anesthesia.
Dr. Kossick also completed an accreditation visit at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth on April 6-9. He served as an on-site reviewer for the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
In addition, Dr. Kossick presented three lectures in January to graduate nurse anesthesia students at East Carolina University. His lectures were "Prerequisite Knowledge to Mentoring Anesthesia Providers in Electrocardiography," "Critical Assessment & Interventions for Invasive Hemodynamic Data" and "Anesthesia Concepts for Patients with Valvular Heart Disease."
Dr. Kossick also recently presented a two-hour lecture titled "Navigating ST Segment Changes During Anesthesia" at the North Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists All Districts Meeting in Greensboro.
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/2011/04/kossick-presents-at-seminar-state-conference-serves-as-accreditation-reviewer/
2010
NC State Anesthesia College Bowl Champions!
For the second time in three years, Western Carolina University nurse anesthesia students have dominated at that annual North Carolina State Anesthesia College Bowl. Five WCU anesthesia students recently competed against other North Carolina anesthesia students and practioners in the 2010 North Carolina Nurse Anesthesia College Bowl held in Wilmington, NC. The WCU Nurse Anesthesia students who competed in the 2010 College Bowl include Jennifer Greer, Annie Meyers, Zach Vorst, Matt Morris and Blair Powers. The School of Nursing is proud to announce that the Anesthesia Bowl trophy once again resides with WCU!
In 2008, a team of students from the nurse anesthetist program at Western Carolina University took first place in t North Carolina State Anesthesia College Bowl, beating teams from five other N.C. schools for the title.
The state quiz bowl, which tests students' knowledge of anesthesia topics such as physics, chemistry, physiology and pharmacology, is held annually as part of the annual meeting of the N.C. Association of Nurse Anesthetists. After claming the state crown, Western's winning student team then challenged a team of certified registered nurse anesthetists from around the state, crushing the CRNA team by a score of 7-2.
Western will retain the trophy for one year. The 2009 NC State Anesthesia College Bowl will be held in Asheville at the Grove Park Inn in October, when WCU students will defend their title.
Members of the WCU team, who all are students in the master's degree program in nurse anesthesia, are Tiffany Outar of Asheville, a graduate of Temple Baptist School who earned her undergraduate degree at WCU; K. Logan Key of High Point, a graduate of T.W. Andrews High School who earned his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Lance Greer of Hickory, a graduate of St. Stephens High School who earned his undergraduate degree at Lenoir-Rhyne College; Mya Montoya of Asheville, a graduate of West Hall High School who earned her undergraduate degree at Emory University; and Randy Parker of Asheville, a graduate of Asheville High School who earned his undergraduate degree at WCU.
Team coaches were Shawn Collins, director of WCU's nurse anesthesia program; and faculty members Cheryl Johnson and Mason McDowell.
"We are very proud of our students," said Johnson. "We are the newest nurse anesthesia program in the state, and it is unprecedented for a new school to have a winning bowl team."
Bottom Row (Left to Right):WCU Anesthesia Bowl Team members: K. Logan Key, SRNA; Mya Montoya, SRNA; Lance Greer, SRNA; Tiffany Outar, SRNA. Top Row (Left to Right): Cheryl Johnson, CRNA Team Coach; Randy Parker, SRNA, Team Alternate; Shawn Collins, CRNA, Team Coach; Mason McDowell, CRNA, Team Coach
All students are in the senior year of the Nurse Anesthesia Program (Master of Science in Nursing) at WCU.
Dr. Kossick presents EKG seminar
November 17, 2010
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, recently presented a seven-hour EKG Seminar in Key West, Fla. Attendees included physicians and nurses specializing in anesthesia.
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/2010/11/kossick-presents-ekg-seminar/
Dr. Kossick to serve on two research committees
October 13, 2010
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, has been selected to serve on two research committees. For 2010-11, Dr. Kossick will serve as a member of the North Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists research and education committee. During this same time, he has accepted an invitation to serve on the national level for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists research committee.
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/2010/10/kossick-to-serve-on-two-research-committees/
Nursing faculty, students present at state conference
Faculty and students from Western Carolina University's graduate nursing program presented posters at the annual North Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists conference during the fall 2010 semester.
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/2010/10/nursing-faculty-students-present-at-state-conference/
Dr. Mark A. Kossick presents at national nurse anesthetists meeting
September 1, 2010
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, recently presented his research titled "Evaluation of a New Modified Chest Lead in Diagnosing Ectopy of Unknown Origin" at the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists National Meeting in Seattle.
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/2010/09/mark-a-kossick-presents-at-national-nurse-anesthetists-meeting/

Nursing professor makes presentation, authors chapter in nurse anesthesiology textbook
August 18, 2010
Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing, gave a talk titled "Current Anesthesia Practice" on July 24-25 in Concord. Topics included accurate interpretation of myocardial ischemia, anesthesia segment analysis, selecting ECG leads and myocardial infarction assessment. Participants, who were eligible to receive continuing education credit, included anesthesiologists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and emergency room physicians. Dr. Kossick also contributed a chapter on antiarrhythmics in a new textbook titled "Pharmacology for Nurse Anesthesiology" from Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
http://thereporter.wcu.edu/2010/08/nursing-professor-makes-presentation-authors-chapter-in-nurse-anesthesiology-textbook/









