The Department of Anesthesiology is proud to announce that six of its Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) have been named finalists for the March of Dimes Heroes in Action 2025 awards.
The Heroes in Action program celebrates nurses who go above and beyond in serving patients and their communities. Finalists are selected across multiple categories, with an awards event in November recognizing their exceptional contributions to nursing and healthcare.
“These finalists represent the very best of what it means to serve—clinicians who lead with skill, empathy, and integrity,” said Michael S. Avidan, MBBCh, FCA SA, Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor and head of the Department of Anesthesiology. “Their recognition by the March of Dimes is a testament to the remarkable care our department provides every day.”
Please join us in congratulating our finalists:
Advanced Practice – Adult
Abby Bisch, DNP, CRNA
Nurse Anesthetist
Abby earned a bachelor’s degree in food science and industry with a focus on nonprofit leadership from Kansas State University, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Saint Mary in Kansas City and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Baylor University. She has been a nurse anesthetist in the department since 2021 and became co-director of the CRNA Mentorship Program in 2023. In 2025, she expanded her role in education by joining the faculty of the Barnes-Jewish College Nurse Anesthesia Program.
Advanced Practice – Critical Care
Sarah Jaber, DNP, AGACNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Sarah has served as a critical care nurse practitioner at WashU Medicine for nearly a decade, bringing extensive clinical expertise to her role. She began her nursing career in 2006 after earning her Associate of Science in Nursing from Goldfarb School of Nursing, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2008. Sarah completed her Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP) in 2015 and joined WashU Medicine as a nurse practitioner in surgical critical care the same year. In 2022, she earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), further advancing her leadership and clinical impact.
Education
Brian Torres, DNP, CRNA
Director, Nurse Anesthesia Program
Brian earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Missouri–Columbia and began his nursing career in the High-Risk Cardiology Unit at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 2002. He earned his master’s degree in nurse anesthesia from Goldfarb School of Nursing in 2012, joined the department as a nurse anesthetist in 2013, and completed a Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 2019. Currently he serves at the Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Barnes-Jewish College while maintaining his clinical anesthesia practice with the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine
Bernadette Henrichs, PhD, CRNA, CCRN, CHSE, FAANA
Dean, Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing
Bernadette earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, followed by a Master of Science in Nursing and a PhD in educational studies from Saint Louis University. She joined the department in 1994 and founded the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Goldfarb School of Nursing, which has successfully recruited more than 50 graduates to work as CRNAs at WashU Medicine. Recently, Bernadette was appointed Dean of Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing after serving as the Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program for over 20 years.
Sarah Perez, DNP, CRNA
Assistant Program Director, Nurse Anesthesia Program
Sarah began her academic career at WashU, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Nursing from Barnes-Jewish College and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Chatham University. She has held faculty and coordinator roles with the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine and Goldfarb’s Nurse Anesthesia Program for 14 years. Currently she serves as the Assistant Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Barnes-Jewish College.
Student Nurse
Annie DePendaloz, RN
Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Annie earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2019 and joined its CTICU shortly after graduating. In 2023, she moved to St. Louis to pursue her Doctor of Nursing Practice in the nurse anesthesia concentration from Barnes-Jewish College and is set to graduate in December 2025. Annie will be joining the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine full-time after graduation.