A CRNA organization for safe obstetric anesthesia in every labor and delivery unit
SONAR exists to advance safe, high-quality obstetric anesthesia care in every labor and delivery setting, regardless of practice size, location, or model. Through education, research, leadership, and advocacy, we empower CRNAs with the knowledge, resources, and community to improve care for mothers and babies.
Who our CRNA association works with
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CRNAs & Obstetric Anesthesia Providers
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Nurse Anesthesia Residents
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Labor & Delivery Nurses
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Hospital Leaders
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Researchers
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Residents & Students
Does this sound like you?
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You provide obstetric anesthesia and sometimes feel that the national conversation doesn’t reflect what is happening in your labor and delivery unit.
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You teach future CRNAs and want high-quality obstetric anesthesia content that goes beyond a lecture, with didactic and simulation experiences that can be incorporated into your curriculum.
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You have questions about CRNA obstetric practice that haven’t been adequately studied, or you want to participate in research that reflects what is happening in hospitals and communities across the country.
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You want to grow as a leader, contribute your expertise, participate in research, teach, mentor, volunteer, or simply become more connected to the obstetric anesthesia community.
We are creating a place where the people doing the work can learn from one another, study our own practice, develop the next generation, and have a meaningful voice in the future of obstetric anesthesia.
Our story: Why CRNAs built an association for community OB anesthesia
Have you ever sat at a conference listening to someone speak about obstetric anesthesia and thought:
“That may work there, but that's not what practice looks like where I work.”
Maybe the topic was substance use disorder, sedation during neuraxial placement, adjunct medications, staffing, emergency response, or one of the countless clinical challenges that obstetric anesthesia providers navigate every day. Too often, the conversation reflects the resources and practice environment of large academic centers rather than the realities of the community hospitals where so much obstetric care actually happens.
That is where the conversation that became SONAR started.
We believed there needed to be a place for the people actually doing this work. A place where evidence matters, but so does the reality of putting that evidence into practice. Where research asks questions that matter to clinicians. Where education recognizes that resources, staffing, and patient populations look different from one community to the next.
Because excellent care cannot depend on having the resources of a major academic medical center.
We have to find ways to provide safe, evidence-based obstetric anesthesia where care is actually needed, in ways that are realistic for the communities we serve.
That is the work of SONAR.
Suzie Newell
DNP, CRNA, FAANA
Co-President and Co-Founder
Suzie is an obstetric CRNA, educator, and researcher committed to bringing the realities of community practice into the national conversation about maternal care.
Jonathan Alvarado
DNP, MBA, CRNA
Co-President and Co-Founder
Jonathan helped establish SONAR and leads alongside Suzie to advance its work in obstetric anesthesia education, research, and professional collaboration.
Sheena Warner
MS, CRNA
Director
Sheena is an obstetric CRNA pursuing her PhD at Emory University, with research interests in maternal health, outcomes, AI, and obstetric anesthesia.
Sarah Reynolds
DNAP, CRNA
Director
Sarah is an assistant professor and the Simulation and Lab Director for Georgetown University’s Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Program.
Michelle Smith
CRNA
Director and G4 Alliance Liaison
Michelle represents SONAR within the G4 Alliance, connecting our work in obstetric nurse anesthesiology with global advocacy for access to care.
Meet the CRNAs leading SONAR
SONAR began with a shared concern: the CRNAs caring for mothers in community hospitals needed a stronger voice in the recommendations shaping obstetric care. Suzie Newell and Jonathan Alvarado brought colleagues together to build that voice. Today, our board of CRNAs carries that work forward through research, education, and advocacy, with a commitment to strengthening care in every labor and delivery setting.
SONAR Board of Directors
Our connection to the G4 Alliance
SONAR is a member of the G4 Alliance, a global coalition working to expand access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical, obstetric, trauma, and anesthesia care. This membership connects our commitment to community obstetric care with a broader effort to improve access for patients around the world.
SONAR at a glance:
Facts about our national CRNA nonprofit
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National nonprofit, 501(c)(3)
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Built by CRNAs
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OB anesthesia is our focus
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Research driven
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Education focused
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Collaboration first
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26+ states represented
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Hundreds of L&D units represented
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Every practice size matters
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Advancing care, one L&D unit at a time