Aug 8: The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine has selected Kimberlee Bayless, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, to receive the 2026 Advanced Practice and Nursing Award. She will be honored on November 7, 2026, during the 25th Annual Pain Medicine Meeting in Tampa, FL.
Presented annually, the Advanced Practice and Nursing Award recognizes a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or nurse who has demonstrated significant contributions to the field of pain medicine.
Bayless is a nurse practitioner and director of the Transitional Pain Service at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, UT. She is also an adjunct instructor in the department of anesthesiology at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
Bayless has practiced pain medicine for multiple years in the private practice setting and has been a nurse for over 22 years in the private, hospital and academic setting. She is currently serving as the co-chair for the Utah Nurse Practitioner Pharmacology Conference and on the legislative committee for the Utah Nurse Practitioner Association. She is the chair of office of nursing service the pain management APRN special interest group. She is a member of office of nursing service pain management field advisory committee.
Bayless served as co-chair from 2020-2022 and vice chair from 2022-2025 of ASRA Pain Medicine’s Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, and Nursing Special Interest Group. In 2019, she received the Secretary’s Ward Excellence in Nursing award for the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and, in 2022, she received the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Utah State Award for Excellence. In 2024, she was recognized as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
“There are few people I know of who are as involved in local, regional, and national organizations to promote, educate, and expand the specialty of chronic and acute pain management,” wrote nominator Michael “Jay” Buys, MD, associate professor at the University of Utah.
Nominator Evelyn Loose, MD, also an associate professor at the university wrote,
“She continually advances her own personal knowledge and exemplifies what it means to be a lifelong learner.” Dr. Loose added, “All members of the health care team, especially families, staff nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, therapists, pharmacists, and trainees view Kim as an interdisciplinary team player and content expert.”
Bayless earned her bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Utah, where she went on to complete her master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner and her doctorate of nursing practice with an emphasis on micro-dose intrathecal pump guidelines. She is a board-certified family nurse practitioner and licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse.
Established to recognize excellence among advanced practice providers and nurses, the Advanced Practice and Nursing Award honors ASRA Pain Medicine members who meet at least two of the following criteria: service to ASRA Pain Medicine through participation in special interest groups, committees, poster and panel presentations, and leadership roles at ASRA Pain Medicine meetings; dissemination of pain medicine specialty contributions through abstract submissions, poster/podium presentations, curriculum development, and peer-reviewed publications; evidence of political action advocating for access to care in pain management; and education in pain management. For more information about the ASRA Pain Medicine awards, visit www.asra.com.
The Excellence in ASRA Pain Medicine Awards & Recognition will be held on Saturday, November 7, from 10:45 am-12:15 pm at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street in Tampa, FL. View the full Annual Pain Medicine Meeting program and registration on the meeting site at www.asra.com/pain.