Meet Our Board Members

Ann Cartwright

Ann Cartwright is a Physician Assistant (PA) in the Sleep Clinic at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center. She treats adult patients with all sleep disorders but has a special focus on obstructive sleep apnea and Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) adherence. She enjoys the technology and nuances of PAP machines and is regarded as a “CPAP Guru.” Working in a high-elevation environment presents unique challenges and opportunities, especially related to sleep-disordered breathing and central sleep apnea. She is passionate about patient education. She has created many patient educational programs and resources to increase awareness of sleep disorders and sleep apnea, including a large CPAP support group in the Denver area. As a PA, she is interested in the role of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in the field of sleep medicine.  She served on a task force commissioned by the AASM to investigate APPs working in sleep.  As part of this task force, she helped to create several live educational courses and online on-demand education for clinical providers entering the field of sleep medicine.  Locally she has served in APP leadership roles and she enjoys serving a preceptor for APP students.

Interested in joining a committee? Email us to learn more!

Barb Chamness

Barb is a certified Nurse Practitioner graduating with her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She has been working in the realm of pulmonary/sleep/critical as an NP for a private practice in Colorado Springs, CO since 2017. She is currently working in the outpatient setting. She has been involved in promoting ongoing education in various ways. She provides lectures on asthma and COPD yearly for local community NPs and PAs. She began her nursing career on medical/surgical unit with focus on cardiac/stroke. While going back to school herself, she worked as a clinical instructor with undergraduate medical/surgical nursing students. She has been involved with APAPP unofficially in recruiting members, brainstorming educational topics, and advocating for the association. She was one of the first members to join the association and helped manage the booth at CHEST. She is excited to be part of the Faculty at the First annual APAPP national conference in 2024.

Interested in joining a committee? Email us to learn more!

Alanna Kavanaugh

Alanna Kavanaugh, a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, stands at the intersection of exceptional patient care, education, and leadership. With a Master's degree from the College of Mount Saint Vincent and an ongoing pursuit of a Doctorate of Nursing Education at Columbia University, Teachers College, Alanna embodies a commitment to academic and clinical excellence.

As the Assistant Dean of Graduate Nursing and Chair of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at her alma mater, Alanna has spearheaded transformative changes. Under her guidance, curriculum restructuring has yielded outstanding results, notably elevating board certification scores from 44% to an impressive 97% for first-time test-takers. Her innovative initiatives include a transition-to-practice boot camp, targeted remediation programs, 1:1 faculty-student coaching, and peer mentorship programs, facilitating seamless practice transitions for students.

Alanna's influence extends beyond academia. With over 17 years of clinical experience, she has significantly contributed to the Pulmonary Division at Weill Cornell Medical College where she served as the sole Nurse Practitioner in the department. Her initiatives in oxygen therapy, patient education, and support group work have positively impacted patient care. Actively engaged with the American Lung Association and COPD Advisory Board, Alanna continues to shape the landscape of pulmonary care.

Her dedication to advancing nursing knowledge is evident in an extensive list of presentations, podcasts, and publications. Notably, her research on "Preferences for Asthma Decision-Making" has been accepted by the European Respiratory Society. Recognized as a trailblazer in healthcare, Alanna has secured notable grants, including two consecutive $25,000 Stonywold Grants and a $1,500 Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation grant. Her impactful work is featured in magazines and online platforms, including the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation's Breathe Bulletin and Weill Cornell Medicine.

Serving as the Secretary on the Board of the Nurse Practitioner Association of New York and as the President of her local Sigma Theta Tau chapter, Eta Sigma, Alanna Kavanaugh's multifaceted contributions underscore her dedication to elevating healthcare, education, and professional organizations alike. Her journey exemplifies excellence and innovation in the dynamic field of nursing.

Interested in joining a committee? Email us to learn more!

Sarah Tomashefski

Sarah Tomashefski is the Lead Outpatient Pulmonary Advanced Practice Provider for Prisma Health in Greenville, SC and the Director of the Pulmonary APP Fellowship program.  She is a Boston College graduate of the Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP program and has worked as a Pulmonary NP since 2017.  She is passionate about training new APPs in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine and is currently running the only outpatient Pulmonary APP Fellowship in the country.  She is a leader in the Prisma Health Lung Cancer Screening Program, aiming to increase patient access for these important health screenings.  She is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the School of Health Research at Clemson University, and previously received funding to complete research regarding Lung Cancer Screening awareness in Primary Care.  She also has a clinical appointment as an Instructor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and is a volunteer at the Greenville Free Medical Clinic.  In 2023, she presented at CHEST conference on behalf of APAPP (Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers) regarding starting APP Fellowship programs in Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine as well as published on the same topic in CHEST physician in 2024.

John “Kenny” Larson

John “Kenny” Larsen acquired an interest in respiratory disorders watching his sister cope with asthma. His medical pursuits began as an EMT through his community fire department, which motivated him to join the Weber State University Respiratory Therapy Program as a precursor to Physician Assistant studies. Shortly after graduating with a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Eastern Virginia Medical School, he began working at Riverside Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine in Newport News Virginia. In the summer of 2018, he began employment at Carson Tahoe Health in Carson City, NV where he developed the Carson Tahoe COPD Clinic and the Carson Tahoe Health Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program with a focus on reducing hospital readmission for patients discharged for acute exacerbation of COPD and pneumonia. He continues to serve northern Nevada as part of the Renown Pulmonary and Critical Care service in Reno, NV. He is passionate about preserving lung function in chronic lung disease and believes in giving patients the tools to confidently manage their pulmonary disease to a standard that fits their quality of life.

Vincent DeRienzo

Vincent DeRienzo is a Senior Physician Assistant (PA) in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Co-Director for the Critical Care Medicine (CCM) Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Fellowship program at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in Rochester, NY. He is a graduate of the University of Rochester, Daemen University, and the CCM APP Fellowship program at URMC before joining the Medical ICU.

He is passionate about post graduate APP training and has been invited to give national talks and publications on the subject. He is a leader at the regional and national level, holding elected positions in the Rochester Regional PA Association and the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST).

He holds several adjunct and associate faculty positions in the Daemen University, Nazareth University, and Clarkson University PA programs.

Prior to earning his clinical degree, he worked in clinical research at URMC with extensive knowledge in NIH funded grants and the FDA approval process. He has represented the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers at several CHEST annual conferences, has written for the CHEST Physician mailer, and is the founder of the APAPP Critical Care Committee Journal Club.

Corinne Young

Founder/ President, MSN, FNP-C, FCCP

Corinne is a Nurse Practitioner who began working in pulmonary disease in California in 2005, and since 2011, she has worked in a private pulmonary practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Corinne is currently one of 10 NPs nationwide to become a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Involvement and the representation of advanced practice providers in the pulmonary world has been one of her priorities, so that Corinne founded and is the President of the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers (APAPP). She also works closely with the American College of Chest Physicians’ CHEST programs and serves on the Interprofessional Team Network, Clinical Research Network, and on the Executive Programing Committee. Additionally, Corinne serves on the American Board of Internal Medicine Pulmonary Disease Board.

Interested in joining a committee? Email us to learn more!

Kimberly Grant

MSN, NP-C, CCRN, FCCS

Kimberly is trained in pulmonary and critical care medicine working currently in the ICU setting. Her passions include treating and caring for patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Pulmonary Hypertension, and Autism. Her practice experience includes critical care medicine, pulmonary medicine, and hospitalist medicine in a variety of settings to include the intensive care unit, pulmonary clinic, long term acute care, long term vent unit, and skilled nursing facilities.

Kimberly began her career in 2002 in bedside nursing, leadership, education and administration including chief operating officer and as a hospital administrator. After 5 years in administration she transitioned back to clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner in pulmonary and critical care medicine in 2012.

Professional growth and empowering patients to take control of their health has been a priority to Kimberly over the years. She has sat on the board of the Allied Health Committee at Florida Hospital Orlando since 2015, Served on the advisory board for the Chicago IPF foundation in 2015, was responsible for development of the first 24-hour magnesium pump in 2004 to combat renal wasting syndrome, partnered in the development of medical software for patient population health management, and also helped develop a black box warning app for both patients and providers.

Interested in joining a committee? Email us to learn more!

Donna Kizziar

Donna Kizziar is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) currently serving as a Nurse Practitioner in the Pulmonary/Critical Care and Emergency department at BSA Health System. Donna holds a Master of Science in Nursing with a specialization as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Texas A&M University and a Post Master's certificate in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Rhea Votipka

Rhea Votipka is an Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner who graduated from East Carolina University with her MSN in 2013 and the University of Maryland for a post-Master’s certificate in 2014.

She currently works in the MICU at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts where she is heavily involved in POCUS education of APPs and medical residents.  Additionally, she is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, where she teaches POCUS to medical students.

She is a national speaker on POCUS and critical care topics, has published in CHEST and other professional venues, and is actively involved with the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American College of Chest Physicians.

Rhea was a founding board member of APAPP and since rotating off the board, has transitioned into being the Chair of the Critical Care Committee.  She is looking forward to being the next President of APAPP and continuing to advance the APP profession.

Annlise Calypso

Annlise, DNP, FNP-C, is a nurse practitioner at Johns Hopkins Medicine, where she has dedicated nearly 10 years to the care of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary fibrosis. She practices in the ILD and Pulmonary Fibrosis Program and the Breathlessness Clinic, where she specializes in the complex symptom burden and quality of life challenges faced by patients with progressive lung disease. Her clinical focus spans autoimmune-mediated ILD, including myositis-associated ILD, with an emphasis on integrating timely palliative care and supportive interventions including oxygen therapy access, symptom management, and breathlessness care throughout the disease journey.

Annlise is passionate about ensuring that patients with ILD receive not only expert disease-focused care but also the supportive care resources they need from the time of diagnosis. She has been a dedicated advocate for early palliative care access and oxygen equity, bringing both a clinical and policy lens to her work. In addition to her clinical role, she serves on the Johns Hopkins APP Advisory Council, where she champions the advancement and recognition of advanced practice providers within the health system.

Annlise is proud to serve as Secretary of APAPP and is committed to supporting the organization’s mission to elevate the role of APPs across pulmonary medicine.