About

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.

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.

Tyler Kuhk

Tyler Kuhk is an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner at Overlake Medical Center & Clinics - Pulmonary Medicine in Bellevue, Washington. He attended Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree in 2010. During his undergraduate studies he was the President of the Lakehead University Nursing Association (LUNA) and later became heavily involved in the Canadian Nursing Students' Association (CNSA) where he served as Ontario Regional Director (2007-2008) and as President (2008-2009). As President he was also a board member of both the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU). Tyler began his career at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) as a Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse, specializing in orthopedics and cardiac-telemetry. He also worked casually in a long-term care facility where he continued to foster an appreciation for gerontology. When the opportunity presented itself to relocate to the Pacific Northwest, Tyler transitioned into the critical care environment for the next six years, practicing in Tacoma, Everett and Bellevue, mainly in the cardiovascular ICU setting. In 2013 he decided to embark on a new journey within nursing and started his Master of Nursing Degree at the University of Toronto in the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner stream. During his studies he trained in a variety of settings including inpatient cardiology, inpatient internal medicine and outpatient pulmonology. He graduated in November 2015 and began practicing in outpatient pulmonology in April 2016. His main areas of clinical interest include chronic cough, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. In his spare time, Tyler loves to travel, hike and stand-up paddle board.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lora Lonidier

Lora Jenkins-Lonidier, DNP, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN

Lora Jenkins-Lonidier has served in numerous roles throughout her career.  Since 2007, she has worked with Jackson Pulmonary Associates (JPA) located in Jackson, MS. The group consist of 13 physicians and 21 advanced practice providers.  Lora works as an Acute Care Nurse practitioner (ACNP) within several hospitals for which the practice is affiliated with providing care to the Acute/Critical care/Pulmonary patients, she also works part-time as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) with Sleep Solutions a company within the JPA umbrella caring for patient with disorders of sleep while serving as the Administrative NP for Jackson Pulmonary Associates.

Born and raised in Alabama but moved to its twin state of Mississippi while in high school.  Lora started her nursing career in 1985 as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) before returning to Meridian Community College and completing her Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN-RN) in 1988.  In 2000 a Master of Science in Adult Nursing (MSN) was completed from University of Southern Mississippi.  Wanting to continue her growth in nursing and knowledge base, she obtained a post master’s degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2003 then completed a post master’s degree as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in 2004 from the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  The University of Tennessee Health Science Center provided a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2009.  In 2014, a Health Care Nursing Administration post masters was completed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

She maintains and seeks avenues to be involved in the career path of professional affiliations important to her.  Currently she is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (ACCN), American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American Nurses Association (ANA) and its state affiliate the Mississippi Nurses Association (MNA) for which she is an active member and serves on the Advanced Practice Providers Committee, Health Policy Committee, and Provider Unit Committee.  She also serves as a member of the Thrive Patient and Family committee, member of the Nursing, Surgery and Emergency sections with the Society of Critical Care Medicine.  She now seeks to become more involved in the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers where she begins March 1, 2022 as part of the Executive Committee as the role of Secretary.

Jim Toler