Meet Alanna and Chentel

As Nurse Practitioners in the Stollery’s pediatric cardiology program, Alanna Ash and Chentel Cunningham assist in planning care for their cardiac patients, including prescribing medications and ordering diagnostics to work towards getting them home safely.

Alanna has worked at the Stollery for seven years with the majority of her patients having congenital heart defects requiring surgery. She is currently working on her PhD in Public Health at the University of Alberta. She loves to travel, especially with her children, and she has a goal to visit every Disney park on the planet. She also loves to read.

Chentel has been with the Stollery since 2002, first as a Registered Nurse and as a Nurse Practitioner since 2012. She earned her PhD from the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta in 2024. Her role includes seeing patients in clinic who have heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy) and/or heart failure. Chentel loves spending time with her husband, kids and extended family at their lake lot, as well as watching her kids play hockey. Her family has two Frenchton dogs, named Bauer and Luna.

Let’s find out more about Chentel and Alanna:

What’s your favourite part about your job?

A: I absolutely love that I have the opportunity to see little ones grow from tiny babies to big kids. Some of our patients require multiple admissions and/or surgeries during their childhood. When they are initially admitted, they are often underweight, with an unrepaired cardiac defect. After their surgery, I may not see them for a while. When I do, they are chubby babies, then later busy toddlers. While they don’t remember me on subsequent admissions, I remember how tiny they once were and know how far they have come.

C: There are a few aspects I love about my job. It has lots of practice variation (clinic, inpatient, outpatient or consults). No day or cases is ever the same! I am constantly seeing interesting patient scenarios and continuously learning, which keeps me on my toes. I also have a small research portfolio that I am able to continue with since finishing my doctoral training.

Do you have a personal connection to the Stollery?

A: As a mother of four, I have spent a fair amount of time in the Stollery Emergency Department, and one of my children was admitted when they were little. I’ve always been grateful to live in a city with such excellent pediatric health care.

C: Lucky for my family, my two children have only required the Stollery in a very limited capacity for simple health concerns like a broken bone.

Do you have a standout Stollery memory?

C: I have so many memories that standout that I can’t keep track. From transporting patients (some with cardiomyopathy) during my ICU transport days, to being alongside families in some of their upsetting or most exciting moments in my current role. I have many emotional and vivid memories of families describing their lived experiences while doing my qualitative research during my PhD studies that I will never forget. All of these memories have shaped and influenced the practitioner I am today.

Do you have a favourite Stollery event?

A: One of the highlights of my year is Halloween at the Stollery. I absolutely love seeing the kids trick-or-treating through the units, all dressed up. No matter what brought them into hospital, they can put hospital life aside for a day and have a day of fun instead. I’ve seen parents come up with some really funny costumes! My favorites: a baby dressed as Russell (from the movie Up), and a three-year-old dressed as a Zamboni.

C: I always love hearing the Corus Radiothon stories driving home. The stories told by families always motivate me to provide the highest standard of care and make me so proud to work at the Stollery.

Have donor funds directly impacted the area you work in?

A: Donor funds have directly impacted my work in pediatric cardiology. In 2021, the Foundation generously supported my application for a Point of Care Ultrasound machine (and the associated training for three Nurse Practitioners). This machine provided us a non-invasive modality to assess children for postoperative effusions. We were proudly the first pediatric cardiology ward in Canada to offer this bedside imaging.

C: Yes, the funds provided to our program by generous donors have allowed our program to engage in research and quality improvement projects to improve care and outcomes. These endeavors would have never been possible without the donors. We can’t thank them enough for their kindness!

Are you a Foundation donor or volunteer?

A: I am very active with Virtual Heart Connection Educational Society. This is an affiliate charity which has grown out of the Stollery cardiac program with support from the Foundation.

What is your favourite kids’ book?

A: The Velveteen Rabbit is my all-time favorite. It’s a bit of a tear-jerker, but a beautiful story.

C: Go Dogs Go by P. D. Eastman — it’s a classic, easy read for toddler-aged children with tons of colours and comparisons with the end goal of arriving at a dog party. What could be better than arriving at a dog party?

Do you have a favourite Disney Princess or superhero?

A: Mulan. My children and I love the cartoon version. Outside of the inspiring tale, it also has a fantastic soundtrack.