I recently sat down with Dr. Billy Tanui, CRNA (Billy) to learn more about his anesthesia journey, his vision for service, and his upcoming mission trip to Kenya. When Billy speaks about his work, two themes immediately emerge: compassion and purpose. Whether he is caring for a patient in the operating room or coordinating a 28-member surgical mission team abroad, Billy’s guiding philosophy is to deliver anesthesia from a place of compassion, grounded in his firm belief that he has been placed in this profession for a reason: to care for patients at their most vulnerable moments.

Today, Billy is known among colleagues and the broader anesthesia community for his leadership, humility, and deep commitment to service. Yet few know that his journey into anesthesia began unexpectedly.

Early Inspiration

Billy first learned about the CRNA profession in 2011 while working as an RN in a long-term acute care hospital. A physician he worked closely with recognized his work ethic and encouraged him to consider nurse anesthesia. At the time, Billy had never heard of the CRNA role.

That conversation shifted the direction of his career. Billy transitioned to the ICU in 2012, thus strengthening his clinical foundation. Supported by colleagues who urged him to apply, he entered a CRNA program in 2016 and graduated in 2019. It was a path, he reflects, built not only through personal determination but also through the community that believed in him.

Philosophy of Care

Billy spoke about the quiet truth of anesthesia—that it is both routine and sacred. One moment the operating room feels predictable; the next, a life hangs in the balance. He has carried the weight of high-acuity cases, celebrated victories, and held space during difficult outcomes.

In a career where complacency can easily creep in, Billy is intentional. He approaches each case as a new opportunity to give the very best of himself. His practice is grounded in diligence: thorough assessments, presence at the bedside, consistent postoperative follow-up, and remembering the mentor who first saw potential in him.

Although the OR can be emotionally heavy, Billy manages that weight through teamwork, faith, and perspective.

Mission to Kenya: “Charity Sometimes Begins at Home”

Billy’s commitment extends far beyond U.S. borders. Although he previously joined medical missions as a nurse in 2010 and 2011, his upcoming surgical mission to Nyamira County, Kenya will be his first as a CRNA—and his first as a coordinator.

Leading a team of 28 providers, including three Kenyan CRNAs, Billy is organizing a multidisciplinary effort aimed at delivering life-changing surgeries. He selected Nyamira through community connections and the willingness of local leadership to collaborate. A pre-visit in April 2025 confirmed that the hospital was capable of hosting a full surgical mission, and Billy views this as the beginning of a long-term partnership.

Despite strong planning, he notes that Kenya presents unique logistical hurdles, including administrative layers, credentialing delays, and airport barriers.

Still, he remains optimistic, focused, and committed.

Legacy: Expanding Access, Protecting Families, Restoring Hope

Billy’s long-term ambition is profoundly humanitarian. His mission philosophy centers on saving lives, preserving family resources, and giving vulnerable people a new future.

For him, mission work is not charity, it is justice. It is a way to prevent families from, as he describes, “selling their land… their assets to get surgery,” and a chance to offer dignity where the healthcare system falls short.

Ultimately, Billy hopes to return years later and see former patients healthy and thriving.

Advice for Aspiring CRNAs

Mentoring nurses and future anesthesia providers particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds is one of Billy’s deepest passions. His five-to-ten-year vision includes building advisory and mentorship pathways to help more African and African American nurses enter the anesthesia profession.

The numbers are small, he notes, and accurate guidance is too often lacking.

He challenges aspiring CRNAs to think beyond the paycheck. His advice includes:

1. Maintain Compassion

“Care for patients… at that vulnerable state with compassion.”

2. Respect the Journey

“People try to jump over… to the working phase without necessarily putting in the hard work of going through school.”

3. Ask Questions and Be Teachable

“I used to ask a lot of questions.”

4. Protect Your Character

“Let your character speak for you… we’ve been raised well.”

5. Use Time Wisely

“You can make more money, but you can never make more time. Time is an asset.”

A CRNA Defined by Service

Billy’s story is one of humility, perseverance, and purpose-driven leadership. Whether in a U.S. operating room or preparing for international surgical missions, he embodies the foundational values of nursing and anesthesia: compassion, service, discipline, and character.

His mission is simple yet profound. To be an element of hope.

And through his work, Billy is not only practicing anesthesia, he is shaping a legacy of restoration, opportunity, and healing across continents.

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