After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, I went on to work as a registered nurse (RN) for nearly 2 years in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In 2010, I began graduate school at Texas Christian University (TCU), completing the rigorous didactic and clinical requirements to earn my Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia (MSNA) and become a board certified nurse anesthesiologist. Before moving to Alaska in 2020, I had the honor of providing anesthesia for babies and children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) and emergency surgeries at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. After moving to Alaska, I had the opportunity to continue my career providing anesthesia to all patient populations at a critical access hospital and major trauma center through Providence St Joseph Health System. Currently, I am the joint owner of Minnie Street Surgery Center in Fairbanks, AK where I take care of children requiring anesthesia for dental procedures.
I have also completed dedicated training focused on platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatments, advanced neurotoxin and dermal fillers, PDO thread lifts, Kybella, microneedling, body contouring, and ketamine infusion therapy. I love helping people look and feel their very best. I view everyone that comes into my office on Minnie Street as a beautiful, unique work of art, inside and out. My goal is to help people become their own masterpiece.
My journey in aesthetics began in college when I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. As the first member of my family to be diagnosed with this aggressive form of cancer, doctors attributed my diagnosis to the many years of tanning and poor skin protection that I had practiced. Scared and intrigued by how I could better care for my largest organ, I delved into learning and understanding the complexities of skincare. It was then that I learned about all of the time-tested and effective treatments that I now offer at Minnie Street Aesthetics.
One of my favorite aspects of being a CRNA, is the daily opportunity to perform procedures. Peripheral venous catheters (IVs), arterial lines, central lines, intubations, peripheral nerve blocks, epidural anesthesia and spinal anesthesia are all examples of procedures that practicing CRNAs utilize to safely protect surgical and obstetrical patients from the experience of pain. The safety of many of these procedures is enhanced by having an intimate knowledge of anatomy coupled with the use of ultrasound, a technique I have been using for nearly 20 years.
I first began working in the operating room environment in 2007 alongside plastic surgeons at the Mayo Clinic. From the beginning, I had to be proficient in maintaining the sterility of procedures to prevent infection. In addition to my anesthesia skill set and knowledge of anatomy, I bring over 15 years of “surgical-grade” infection prevention and control to my aesthetic practice.
I love spending time with my husband, son and Belgian shepherd doing anything outdoors. You can find us hiking, rock climbing, ice climbing, mountain biking, fishing, skiing, snow-machining, and camping in what free time we can find.
Anesthesia exercises my right brain, and I love aesthetics because it exercises my left brain as well! Since I was a child, I have loved expressing myself through art. During my undergraduate education, I had the opportunity to create original artwork under the instruction of the award-winning oil painter, Polly Hart. Later in life, I continued my artistic studies under the renowned artist Laert Aleksi. To this day, I am still passionate about painting and photography. Luckily Alaska is a truly wonderful place to be an artist! I feel that my artistic background and eye for beauty has helped me obtain that “X factor” for my clients at Minnie Street Aesthetics.
