The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) group in the Washington University School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine is a dynamic, talented, and diverse team of board-certified acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) and physician assistants (PAs) dedicated to providing high quality, person-centered, compassionate care.
Our APPs work in collaboration with Goldfarb School of Nursing’s Adult Gerontology ACNP Program to provide clinical education and real-world experiences for students in surgical critical care.
Our Team
Comprised of more than 80 APPs, our team provides comprehensive critical care in collaboration with Washington University School of Medicine intensivists within diverse, skilled, multidisciplinary critical care teams. Our team of APPs staff in the surgical/burn/trauma, surgical-oncology, and cardiothoracic ICUs at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, ICUs in our affiliated community hospitals, and our telemedicine ICU.
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Latest Happenings
Community outreach is a priority for our APP team. Our services have focused on planting trees, trash pick up with Trash Bash & Great Rivers Greenway. We have also served hot lunch for a local church, participated in a winter clothing drive, and collected money for Heat Up STL and Stray Rescue.
Fun on the golf course with fellow APPs! 
Serving hot lunch at Trinity Episcopal Church in the Central West End 
Serving hot lunch at Trinity Episcopal Church in the Central West End 
Serving hot lunch at Trinity Episcopal Church in the Central West End 
Planting trees with Great Rivers Greenway 
Planting trees with Great Rivers Greenway 
Planting trees with Great Rivers Greenway 
Community service outing for Wreaths Across America on 12/17/2022 
Goldfarb School of Nursing AG-ACNP 2023 Graduates
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Our program and department strive to reflect the rich diversity of the world around us and recognize the need for continuous growth. We are proactive in creating a welcoming environment inclusive of individual views, gender identity, ethnicity, and racial background.
We recognize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in fostering a thriving community. Our aim is to create and foster an environment that values and recognizes everyone’s unique attributes, and one in which all members of our department and institution feel welcomed, included, and treated with respect.
As part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we continuously work toward expanding our efforts. We encourage you to learn more about our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and how we are putting them into action to build a stronger and more equitable community for everyone involved.
Surgical Critical Care APPs
At a Glance, 2023
APP of the Quarter
The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) group is a dynamic, talented, and diverse team of board-certified acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) and physician assistants (PAs) dedicated to providing high-quality, person-centered, compassionate care.
Each quarter, we recognize one of our APPs who has gone above and beyond for their team and patients.
Congratulations to our APP of the Quarter, Emily Mandernach!
Nurse Practitioner
Emily Ferrara Mandernach is an acute care nurse practitioner who joined the Department of Anesthesiology in July 2022. She graduated from Saint Louis University with her Master of Science in Nursing in December of 2021 where she was awarded the Leadership in Nursing award and Summa Cum Laude for her academic achievements. Prior to starting at Washington University, Emily worked as a critical care nurse in the Surgical, Trauma, and Burn ICU at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Her clinical time in the ICU has fueled her passion for critical care and continues to mold her into a strong and compassionate advanced practice provider. Working for Washington University has provided her with the opportunity to engage in various learning environments, participate in high-intensity interventions, and make vigilant decisions that impact a patient’s hospital journey.
Emily’s contribution to the profession extends beyond the ICU. She is also a clinical instructor at Saint Louis University and teaches nursing students hands-on training and provides real-world guidance. Additionally, Emily works as a contributing author and editor of various nursing exam review books and materials for Springer Publishing Company. She continues to write on topics related to her current cardiovascular expertise. Her dissemination of knowledge to others will continue to impact evidence-based care for cardiovascular patients and exemplifies the role of the nurse practitioner as an expert clinician and educator.
Outside of the hospital, Emily enjoys hiking adventures and traveling with her husband, Josh, visiting her family on the East Coast, cooking, and spending time with her dog, Louie, a Yorkshire Terrier mix.
Emily was named Q2 2024 APP of the Quarter!
Her nominator says, “Emily consistently demonstrates exceptional qualities that make her a standout member of the team. Her kindness, helpfulness, and extensive knowledge base have significantly energized and uplifted our group. She approaches every interaction with genuine warmth and empathy, creating a positive and welcoming environment for both colleagues and patients. Her ability to make everyone feel valued and heard is a testament to her compassionate nature.”
View previous awardees
Nicole Cassell, ANCP
Nurse Practitioner
Nicole joined the department in 2013 after graduating from Goldfarb School of Nursing as an Acute Care Nurse practitioner. Nicole is currently the lead APP at Christian Hospital Northeast ICU. Outside of work, she enjoys home improvement projects, gardening, hiking, and spending time with her son, Blake, and daughter, Taylor.
Nicole was named the Q3 2021 APP of the Quarter for her dedication, resourcefulness, and support of her fellow colleagues. Congratulations, Nicole!
Melissa Prewitt, AGACNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Melissa graduated with a BSN from the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith, in 2011 and obtained her MSN, Adult Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) from the University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, in 2020. She has practiced as an RN in the SICU at Northwest Medical Center, Springdale, Arkansas, from 2011-2013 and the CVICU at Washington Regional Medical Center, Fayetteville, from 2013-2020. While at Washington Regional, Melissa served as Nurse Residency Facilitator and Critical Care Coordinator. Melissa joined the APP group in September 2020 and staff in the CTICUs.
Melissa was named the Q2 2021 APP of the Quarter! Her nominator says, “She is highly motivated and took initiative by looking up patients before her shifts and studying at home with any procedures or devices she wasn’t familiar with. You can tell she cares about her patients and is always advocating for them. She also is a great team player, and I know I can always count on her if I need help.”
Teresa Hammann, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Teresa was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and joined the department in 2016 after graduating from the ACNP program at Saint Louis University. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, she was a bedside nurse in the emergency department and cardiothoracic ICU at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Outside of work, Teresa enjoys spending time with her husband Brett and their boxer, Shirley. She also enjoys travelling, cooking, SCUBA diving, reading, and spending time outdoors running, hiking, kayaking, camping, and gardening
“I feel blessed to have been chosen to be part of the SICU APP group as my first job out of school. I enjoy the fast paced environment and have an amazing group of co-workers that have helped me learn and grow in my profession!”
Teresa was named the Q1 2021 APP of the Quarter! She is always attentive to the staff and patient needs and is a great resource to have on our care team! Congratulations, Teresa!
Becki Loveless, PA
Physician Assistant
Becki Loveless, PA-C graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2000. She has worked in a variety of fields including orthopedics, emergency medicine, CT surgery, and most recently made the transition to critical care in July 2019. She currently works in the CTICU at BJH and in the ED at Missouri Baptist.
Becki has been active in both state and national PA organizations, currently serving as the HOD representative for MoAPA at the national AAPA conference. In addition, she has traveled throughout the country as a lecturer for the AAPA on responsible prescribing of opioids as well as the opioid epidemic. Becki was honored with the designation of Distinguished Fellow of the AAPA for outstanding dedication and achievement in the PA profession in 2015. In her free time, she spends time being a sports mom for her two boys and traveling the world when there isn’t a pandemic going on.
Becki was named the Q4 2020 APP of the Quarter! She has been in the COVID-19 unit working nights for many months without a break. She has been a wonderful resource to her colleagues regarding caring for ECMO patients, and she consistently recognizes and helps out her team when others are overwhelmed with their workloads.
Kathleen Carlsen, PA
Physician Assistant
Kathleen has been a Physician Assistant in the Surgical ICU at Barnes/Washington University since 2017. Originally from Sacramento, California, Kathleen lived in the Bay Area of California for six years to complete her undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University and then worked as an EMT. She then moved to St. Louis in 2014 to start her Physician Assistant program at Saint Louis University. She quickly fell in love with St. Louis and it’s Midwest feel (without the up-North winters) and began working at Washington University soon after gaining her Physician Assistant Master of Medical Science degree.
The Surgical ICU has been the perfect job for Kathleen as she loves to stay busy and work in a fast paced environment. Her co-workers are amazingly supportive and have truly become close friends. She appreciates the challenges that her patients’ present and has enjoyed occasionally working at Christian Hospital Northeast whenever needed, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kathleen, her boyfriend (Jeremy) and Jack Russell (Maggie) live in the Central West End and love eating, drinking and playing through the city. She especially loves to spend her free time biking (road and mountain biking), golfing (poorly), going to concerts and having get-togethers with friends and family. She’s never met a party she didn’t want to host! Fun fact: even though she grew up in California, she only cheers for Michigan sports since her parents are both Michiganders. Go Blue!!
Kathleen was named the Q3 2020 APP of the Quarter because she is an excellent team player and a creative problem-solver who is dedicated to delivering high-quality patient care.
Patricia Wilkinson, ACNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Trish graduated from the ACNP program at Saint Louis University and joined the department in 2012 and is one of the Leadership APP’s for 44ICU and 78ICU. In addition to her work in the Department of Anesthesiology, she serves in the Air Force Reserve at Scott Air Force Base. Her dog, Lexi, is certified as a therapy dog and Trish enjoys patient and staff visits with her. For fun, Trish enjoys traveling and hiking and is looking forward to an upcoming vacation to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos.
Trish was named the Q2 2020 APP of the Quarter! She is an involved leader with excellent clinical skills. Trish is a very dependable, dedicated, and valued member of our group. Congratulations, Trish!