AACN Houston Gulf Coast Chapter Annual Symposium: "Courage to Soar"

Tracee Kennon, MBA, BSN, BSB, CCRN is the CEO and founder of ECMO Heart Lung Association and Effigy Constructs, LLC, organizations dedicated to advancing critical care education and ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) training for healthcare professionals. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas-Cizik School of Nursing. She later pursued a Master’s in Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University, equipping her with the leadership and strategic expertise to drive innovation and expertise in healthcare education. With 23 years of experience in critical care nursing, Tracee has become a recognized leader in clinical education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and healthcare simulation. She has played a pivotal role in ECMO program development and professional training nationally. Her expertise extends to high-fidelity simulation, curriculum development, and strategic leadership in both academic and professional settings. She is also a sought-after speaker, known for her engaging and impactful presentations on critical care, ECMO management, and healthcare simulation. As a visionary entrepreneur and educator, Tracee continues to drive excellence in ECMO and critical care education, shaping the future of healthcare through innovation, mentorship, and leadership. In addition to her leadership roles, Tracee is deeply committed to community service as she is the AACN Houston Gulf Coast Chapter’s President-elect. Tracee also was the one of the Founding board members of Alpha Gamma Gamma Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau at the second only hospital based International Honor Society Chapter. As a visionary entrepreneur and educator, Tracee continues to drive excellence in nursing critical care education, shaping the future of healthcare through innovation, mentorship, and leadership.

Dr. Michelle McNutt is a Professor of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UT Health and Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Memorial Hermann Hospital Texas Medical Center. She is the Medical Director of the Memorial Hermann System Trauma Service Line, which is comprised of ten designated trauma centers, and prior Trauma Medical Director at Memorial Hermann Hospital Red Duke Trauma Institute for eight years. Dr. McNutt is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin and received her Doctor of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed her General Surgery residency and Surgical Critical Care fellowship at McGovern Medical School in 2009 and 2010. She obtained her Masters of Healthcare Administration from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2024. Dr. McNutt’s research interests include blunt cerebrovascular injury, blunt bowel injury, venous thromboembolic disease, and expedited hemorrhage control in trauma.

I am the Maternal Program Manager for Women’s Services at Memorial Hermann TMC/Children's. I have been a high-risk OB nurse for 14 years. I am originally from Northern California where I started in obstetrics as a new grad nurse in 2011. I became a travel nurse for a few years in 2015 to see how obstetrics was practiced in other areas and ultimately ended up permanently in Houston. Prior to my transition into this role, I served as the Clinical Nurse Coordinator for an OBED unit at a Level 4 facility seeing 1200+ patients a month. I began my journey as a program manager in March 2023 at Memorial Hermann, diving into quality and safety for our Women’s Services.