John Francis Garde, who had served as executive director of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists for 18 years, and was leading the group again on an interim basis, died July 21 from pancreatic cancer, his association announced. He was 73. The death was sudden, as Garde had been diagnosed with the disease only a week before he died, according to AANA representatives. He lived in Park Ridge, Ill. Garde spent more than 50 years in health care, starting as staff anesthetist at the U.S. Public Health Hospital in Detroit in 1958. In 1972, he became the first male president of AANA, the suburban Chicago group that represents more than 40,000 certified registered nurse… Read More