Dear ACNAA Community,
As we embark on a new chapter in our journey, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the progress we have made since our humble beginnings in a living room in 2016. What started as a spark of a yearning for service and dedication to making a change within our communities in the USA and back home in Cameroon has grown into a powerful force in nurse anesthesiology.
ACNAA stands as a beacon of excellence, fostering a network of Cameroonian Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) dedicated to professional development, community outreach, and improving anesthesia practice. Our mission is clear: to save lives and enhance anesthesia outcomes through healthcare relief missions and education while nurturing a strong community of CRNAs.
Our success is built on the dedication of our members, whose commitment to mentorship has seen over 20 mentees graduate from nurse anesthesiology programs across the United States in the last 24 months. This achievement underscores our strong dedication to mentorship before, during, and after CRNA school. Our collaborations with organizations like the Diversity in Nurse Anesthesia Mentorship Program have broadened our reach and enhanced our capabilities.
Internationally, our partnership with the University of Buea in Cameroon, where we co-created and continue to support a Master’s level anesthesia training program, exemplifies our commitment to capacity-building and professional excellence. Our engagement with the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA) has also been pivotal. We secured country membership for Cameroon with representation and sent an ACNAA delegation to the inaugural Pan African Nurse Anesthetists (PANA) conference in Kenya, an IFNA organization. We sponsored close to 10 Cameroonian practitioners to attend this event, further emphasizing our dedication to global collaboration. What’s more, we encourage and support ACNAA members to participate in mission trips and seek collaborative projects with sister organizations to expand our impact.
Our work would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and donors, whose contributions ensure the continued success of our initiatives. However, our primary source of strength comes from the financial contributions of our members. Their belief in our vision and mission has been essential to our achievements.
Looking ahead, we are focused on several key objectives outlined in our strategic plan for 2023-2025. These include improving membership engagement by at least 30%, enhancing professional development opportunities, and expanding our partnerships. We also aim to strengthen membership capacities beyond anesthesia through personal and business development opportunities, networking, and community service. Our international outreach and mission trips remain a priority, as does recognizing and celebrating excellence within our community. We will continue to seek more partnerships within a strategic framework that combines shared goals and aspirations with ACNAA’s mission. To further build our operational foundation, we are excited to announce the opening of a new Executive Director position, which will be crucial in driving our initiatives forward.
Together, we have accomplished much, but there is still more to do. I call upon all our stakeholders—members, partners, sponsors, and donors—to continue this journey with us. Through our collective efforts, we can build a stronger future, not just for ACNAA, but for the communities we serve in the United States and in Cameroon.
Thank you for your ongoing dedication and support. Let us continue to work together to achieve our shared goals and make a lasting difference.
With gratitude and optimism,
Dr. Christian Tekwe, CRNA, PhD
President, ACNAA