Rachel Zook Memorial Speakers Series presents Dr. Philip Santa-Emma on October 17

Join us for an inspiring and educational event focused on the vital role of palliative care in modern healthcare.

Friday, October 17, 2025, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital
500 South Cleveland Ave.
Westerville, OH 43081

Phil Santa-Emma, MD, FAAHPM, FAAFP, HMDC, is a nationally recognized expert in hospice and palliative care, with over three decades of experience. He serves as the Medical Director of Palliative Care Services at Mount Carmel Health and has been instrumental in shaping the program since its inception in 1997. His leadership helped Mount Carmel become one of the first CAPC Centers of Excellence, educating hundreds of hospital systems on developing palliative care programs.

This event is especially beneficial for nurses because it offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of palliative care—a critical component of holistic, patient-centered healthcare. Nurses may earn 1 CEU for attending this FREE event.

Attend in person to receive complimentary lunch and networking opportunities. If you are unable attend in person, a remote option is available. RSVP by October 10 to select your preference.

* Continuing education credit is pending approval.

MCAA Annual Meeting and Homecoming Celebration

Plan to join us at this year’s celebration. The event will be held at the Brookside Golf and Country Club, 2770 West Granville Road, Columbus, Ohio 43235.

The Springhill Suites by Marriott offers a special room rate of $199 per night for Homecoming attendees. Reserve your room at the group rate by October 3. The hotel is 2.3 miles from the event Center, in the Bridge Park area of Dublin, Ohio. Parking at the hotel and at the event venue is free.

Saturday, November 1, 2025
Evening Schedule

• 5–6 p.m. — Cocktail hour, cash bar, class photos
• 6–9 p.m. — Dinner and program, silent auction and raffles

MCAA Members and Member Guests: Register here.

MCAA Non-Members and Non-Member Guests: Register here.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program to begin in 2027

Mount Carmel College of Nursing is developing a new Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program with the goal of starting the first students in 2027

“We are excited to be developing a new CRNA program as part of our ongoing commitment to excellence in nursing education and patient care,” said Todd Ambrosia, DNP, MSN, MBA, FNP-BC, FNAP, Mount Carmel College of Nursing President. “In close collaboration with Mount Carmel and Trinity Health, we are carrying out our strategic plan to develop the next generation of nurse anesthetists to meet critical healthcare needs locally and nationally.”

The new program will be a 36-month Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program that will be facilitated online with on-site simulation labs and hands-on clinicals. It will complement our current DNP program, in which students have a choice of three tracks in clinical practice leadership, executive healthcare leadership, and executive academic leadership.

Emily Walton, a graduate of Mount Carmel College of Nursing, is currently working in the Intensive Care Unit at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s and is one of many already excited about this opportunity to continue her education.

“I believe the addition of a CRNA program at Mount Carmel College of Nursing will create more opportunities for nurses to advance their careers and to receive a quality education in an in-demand field,” said Walton. “CRNAs can largely work independently with the supervision of a physician; that autonomy, the challenge of the field, as well as the individualized care CRNAs provide to every patient are all reasons why I’m interested in the program.”

Mount Carmel College of Nursing already offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and several post-graduate certificate tracks including Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Leadership – Clinical Operations, Nursing Education, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Save the Date: Scholarship and Donor Recognition Dinner

For the 2025-2026 Academic Year, the Mount Carmel Foundation Scholarship and Donor Recognition Dinner will be held April 9, 2026, at the Grand Event Center, 820 Goodale Boulevard, Columbus, Ohio 43212.

Meet Barb Reindl ’82, ’06, MS, RN-BC

Hometown: Grove City, Ohio

When did you first feel the call to be a nurse? When I was a junior in high school.

What television show do you have to record every week? The Rainmaker

What is your favorite memory of Mount Carmel? The people I met and worked with.

What book is currently on your nightstand? My Bible.

How has your Mount Carmel network helped you in your life, personally or professionally or both? I have made lifelong friends who I trust to care for me and my family through my schooling, teaching, and working at Mount Carmel College of Nursing and Mount Carmel Health System. I see Mount Carmel graduates everywhere!

What advice would you like to share with other nurses as they move from student to alumni of Mount Carmel? Cherish each day! Be true to your calling of being a nurse. You will have really good days and really challenging days - you’re not alone. Be open to opportunities and never, ever stop learning!