Autumn in Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park Encore Symposium 2026

Jon Lowrance, MSN, CRNA

Website: https://anesthesiaguidebook.com/

Jon Lowrance, MSN, CRNA, is the Director supporting the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Maine Medical Center, Maine’s only level one trauma center. He also produces the podcast Anesthesia Guidebook… the go-to guide for anesthesia providers who want to master their craft.

Jon’s professional background has roots in experiential education and wilderness medicine, having served as faculty with Landmark Learning and NOLS Wilderness Medicine. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Adventure Leadership at Southeast Missouri State University prior to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Saint Louis University and a Master of Science in anesthesiology at Western Carolina University.

He has served as clinical & simulation faculty with the University of New England’s nurse anesthesia program, as SRNA Clinical Coordinator at Maine Medical Center (MMC), on MMC’s Medical Executive Committee and as a board member with the Maine Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. Jon is currently completing a PhD in Leadership with a focus on organizational development. His research is focused on how leadership, human factors and systems engineering can improve outcomes in emergencies. His passion is helping healthcare providers thrive on the path towards mastering their craft.

Jonathan Pabalate, DNP, CRNA

Dr. Jonathan Pabalate is an international expert in the areas of technology application in the perioperative health care environment, health care quality analytics, health care outcomes, and measurements through the application of best practice evidence. He teaches as an instructor at the University of North Florida's Nurse Anesthetist Program in the areas of Anesthesia Technology, Advanced BioScience, and Regional Anesthesia. He has lectured at National and State Anesthesia meetings, and at grand rounds at Hospitals in The Netherlands and Belgium.

As president of JPC Anesthesia Informatics, he leads an innovative team to find solutions to challenging problems amongst health care organizations and anesthesia groups struggling with overcoming technology challenges inpatient care and business practice.

Currently, he is leading a team to create innovative mobile solutions for anesthesia documentation, and assists organizations in the efforts to move their documentation practices to electronic formats.

In his spare time, he dabbles in HDR photography, audio engineering, endurance sports, adventure races, and cooking really tasty foods!

Ryan Shores, DNP, CRNA

Ryan Shores, CRNA, DNP is a certified registered nurse anesthetist with 15 years of experience. Ryan is an Assistant Professor and Director of the University of North Florida Anesthesiology Nursing Program. He currently serves as a staff CRNA at multiple clinical sites in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 2002, he received his ASN from Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida, and after two years of RN ICU work, he attended Florida International University for which he earned his MSN in 2006. He received his DNP from the University of North Florida in 2015. He has held a faculty position at UNF for 14 years.

Dr. Shores’s DNP project focused on cost reduction utilizing low flow inhalational anesthesia. His primary topic for publications is in the area of pharmacology. He has chaired and participated in over 35 student oral and poster presentations at the AANA annual congress. He has been lecturing at state, national, and international conferences for the past twelve years.

Dr. Shores is a dynamic speaker who believes that conference attendees bring experience and knowledge to the event. His teaching style includes an emphasis on audience participation and input. His areas of focus include pharmacology, chemistry and physics, regional anesthesia, neuromuscular monitoring, and trauma.

Amy Suralis, DNP, CRNA, APRN

Amy Suralis, DNP, CRNA, APRN is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Nurse Anesthesiology Program at the University of North Florida and a practicing independent anesthetist with broad experience across academic, community, and rural practice settings. She is the founder and CEO of ABP Life Solutions, LLC, where she provides advanced anesthesia services spanning critical access hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, office-based practices, and tertiary care facilities.

Dr. Suralis brings a strong physiologic and pharmacologic foundation to both her clinical and academic roles. Her teaching portfolio includes advanced instruction in coagulation and anticoagulation management, renal, hepatic, endocrine, and neurologic pathophysiology, fluid and blood management, and anesthesia care for complex neurosurgical and obstetric patients. She is widely recognized for translating complex physiology into practical, clinically actionable decision-making for anesthesia providers.

Her scholarly work includes peer-reviewed publications addressing airway management during the COVID-19 pandemic and foundational considerations in anesthetic practice. She has presented nationally on early preoperative patient education and opioid-free anesthesia strategies and remains actively engaged in doctoral-level research mentorship. Dr. Suralis has served as faculty chair or committee member on numerous doctoral projects focused on perioperative optimization, including PONV prevention, regional anesthesia adjuvants, bariatric anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia safety, GLP-1 receptor agonists and gastric emptying, goal-directed fluid therapy, and patient warming initiatives.

Prior to becoming a CRNA, Dr. Suralis practiced as a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, specializing in ECMO, ventricular assist devices, cardiac transplantation, and complex cardiothoracic critical care. Her combined background in high-acuity critical care, anesthesia education, and independent clinical practice informs a pragmatic, evidence-driven approach to modern anesthesia care.

Kimberly Westra, DNP, MSN, APRN, MBA, CRNA

Dr. Kimberly Westra has been a practicing nurse anesthetist for over 20 years in settings ranging from a level one trauma center to a rural regional medical center. Kimberly practices in diverse settings, including as a solo practitioner, team care model, and as an academic adjunct faculty at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Mrs. Westra is the Chief Nurse Anesthetist at Bayhealth Medical Center on the Delmarva Peninsula. Kimberly is the sole proprietor of Atlantic Specialty Services, serving Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania in ambulatory settings.

Mrs. Westra is the Chairperson for the Maryland Association of Nurse Anesthetists PAC and has been an active AANA member since 1999. Kimberly enjoys working to advance the future of nurse anesthesia through education as part of the University of Pennsylvania academic team.

Kimberly Westra has worked in education and mentorship programs, working with rising stars from high school students to medical providers in training to support the future of healthcare.

The Encore Faculty Team