RIDGEWAY – Ridgeway resident Marcia Iszard, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), has been named the 2024-25 president of the 1,600-member South Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists (S.C.A.N.A.).
Iszard is an assistant professor in the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program at the University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine in Columbia and also provides concierge aesthetic services for Skin Clique in Charleston.
“It’s a great honor to serve the dedicated, hard-working nurse anesthetists of South Carolina on behalf of more than 1 million patients who rely on us for their anesthesia care each year,” said Iszard, who has been a CRNA for 15 years.
CRNAs are anesthesia experts who practice in every type of healthcare setting where anesthesia is required for surgical, obstetrical, trauma stabilization, and pain management procedures.
Iszard envisions a bright future for the nurse anesthesia profession, as reflected by her future goals for the coming year and beyond. Key among them are building relationships with other healthcare professional organizations, increasing the public’s knowledge about the role and value of CRNAs in the South Carolina healthcare system, and decreasing barriers to nurse anesthesia practice across the state.
“Nurse anesthetists have been providing anesthesia care to patients for more than 150 years,” Iszard said. “With our longevity and expertise, I see CRNAs as the champions for keeping operating rooms open and running efficiently because of the safe, cost-effective anesthesia services we enable hospitals and other healthcare facilities to provide to their patients.”
Iszard became a Licensed Practical Nurse in 2001 before going on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2006), Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia (2009), and Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (2017), all from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
“With our state and country’s aging population, there is a growing demand for essential healthcare services that require anesthesia,” Iszard said. “When it comes to quality, hands-on anesthesia care, CRNAs are by far the most prolific providers. I look forward to working with my fellow S.C.A.N.A. colleagues to make sure our message gets heard.”
Iszard and her husband, Nick, have two children, Nicholas, 13, and Nora, 10.