Karen Rae Vanaskie
SCOTTSDALE - Karen Rae (Johnson) Vanaskie DNP, MSN, RN, ACMRN, CCM, RN-BC, BCPA, CMAC Scottsdale, AZ, age 66. Passed away in her home on Friday, June 21, 2024. She was born in St. Paul, MN on September 20, 1957, to Lawrence Woodward and Jean Elaine Johnson. She earned her Registered Nursing degree from the Minnesota Board of Nursing in 1979, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1983. She developed her career working in healthcare systems from Los Angeles, CA to Biloxi, MS. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix in 1998, which provided her more opportunities to advance her career while raising four children as a single parent and allowed her to meet the love of her life, William Vanaskie. They were married on February 15, 2013, in Sedona, AZ. Her family grew from four children, Grant (Danielle), Brittiney (Randy), Austin (Erika), and Sean, to eight: Steve (Adele), Annie (David), Matt (Abby), and Chris (Barb). Karen completed her PhD at Case Western University in 2019, one of just ten selected students in her program. Her education and career culminated in her position as Chief Clinical Officer of Innovation Care Partners in Scottsdale, and Secretary/Treasurer of the American Case Management Association, where she served as an incredible leader.
Beyond her illustrious career, she was a loving grandmother to 17 grandchildren who range in age from 27 to 3 months. Karen was a unique person who found the purest joy in people, in life’s imperfections, and in bringing people together. She loved learning people’s idiosyncrasies and giving people around her something to genuinely smile about, like putting PayDay candies on her desk on payday. Knowing how life never worked as planned, she learned to find joy in the journey while laughing along the way and bringing people together (any excuse for a mimosa!). She has left a legacy of leading with kindness and empathy. Karen is survived by her husband, eight children, and 17 grandchildren.