Title: Retired Physician’s Assistant and Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse
Location: Seymour, Tennessee, United States
Karen “Howie” Hauenstein, Retired Physician Assistant and Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Healthcare Professionals for dedication, achievements and leadership in Emergency Medicine.
Ms. Hauenstein, a retired physician assistant and intensive care unit nurse, dedicated more than four decades to advancing emergency medicine and pediatrics before concluding her remarkable career in the field. Her professional journey has been marked by a steadfast commitment to patient care, education and community service.
In 2007, Ms. Hauenstein joined the school of medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where she served as an emergency physician assistant and clinical educator until her medical retirement in 2009. At the university hospital and medical school, she specialized in teaching first-year medical students and was working toward an associate professorship. During this time, Ms. Hauenstein also received Bureau of Rural Health Scholarships, a testament to her hard work and dedication to emergency medicine.
Ms. Hauenstein’s foundational years were spent in Ogden, Utah, from 1983 to 1989, as a staff nurse at McKay-Dee Hospital. During this time, she also lent her expertise as a staff nurse to an ecclesiastical mission in Bolivia. Ms. Hauenstein then became a critical care registered nurse at the Latter-day Saints Hospital in Salt Lake City until 1995.
Over the next decade, Ms. Hauenstein held various progressive roles. She pivoted from a nursing position to a physician assistant with Dr. William T. Graff in Saint George, Utah, and subsequently served in a similar capacity with the Utah Department of Juvenile Corrections, Red Cliffs Family Medicine in Saint George, Valley View Pediatrics, and Southern Utah University in Cedar City, until 2001.
Among other notable positions, Ms. Hauenstein spent a year delivering urgent and emergency care in Frederick, Maryland, after completing a fellowship in emergency medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She also contributed her skills at the Community Health Center, where she provided essential care to underprivileged populations.
Ms. Hauenstein’s academic background included a degree in nursing from Weber State University in Ogden in 1983, where she was recognized as an academy scholar and Sterling Scholar by the Deseret News-Salt Lake City. She is a licensed registered nurse by the State of Utah and holds certification as a physician assistant in family practice, surgery and emergency medicine from the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
A respected expert in emergency medicine and pediatrics, Ms. Hauenstein is a fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and a member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. She is also affiliated with Business and Professional Women.
Beyond her professional achievements, Ms. Hauenstein has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to civic engagement. She has volunteered with the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. Other volunteer work includes serving as an equestrian therapy assistant, kindergarten tutor, Guardian ad Litem representing children in court proceedings, and a member of the Hearts of Gold Therapy Team, teaching children in nursing homes. Ms. Hauenstein has also served on four health commissions as part of the medical advisory council for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is active with the Return Missionary Support Services medical team, providing medical assistance to returning missionaries, and is a certified handler with her service dog, where she advocates for Americans with disabilities through community outreach efforts Furthermore, she is active with Daughters of the American Revolution.
Ms. Hauenstein’s contributions were recognized with an award from the Utah Bureau of Rural Health in 1993. She was also named Young Career Woman by Business and Professional Women in 1997 and Volunteer of the Year in 2019. Ms. Hauenstein credits her success to perseverance, dedication, faith and an innate compassion for others. She also notes the inspiration gained from witnessing her brother’s recovery after being wounded during military service. Ms. Hauenstein’s legacy is defined by compassion for others and an unwavering resolve to persevere regardless of adversity or circumstance.
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