A team of care providers and staff from the UF College of Medicine and UF Health is working to optimize the evaluation of patients prior to surgery as part of an initiative under the patient care pillar of the college’s five-year strategic plan.
As valued members of our anesthesia team, our certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs) are dedicated, highly educated and extensively trained in the delivery and maintenance of quality anesthesia care as well as advanced patient monitoring techniques, life support systems and patient assessment. Many thanks to these highly dependable team players who…
The department showcased its quality improvement efforts in interventional pain procedures, obstetric anesthesia, and simulation training at this year’s UF Health Patient Safety and Quality Week poster session on Wednesday, May 18. Four posters from the Department of Anesthesiology were on display during the event. Patient Safety and Quality Week,…
Yong G. Peng, M.D., Ph.D., FASE, FASA, professor of anesthesiology and chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, has become the first in the department to earn the newly updated Diagnostic POCUS Certificate from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). The educational certificate is the only program created…
Please help us congratulate our new CRNA leadership at our regional anesthesia programs! At Halifax Health, Nikki Rosace, CRNA, has been appointed chief CRNA. David Hoehn, CRNA, has been appointed vice chief CRNA. At UF Health Central Florida, Eva Berry, CRNA, has been appointed co-chief CRNA along with Karen…
A new 18-bed vascular surgery intensive care unit has opened on the fourth floor of the UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital, creating a centralized place to provide critical care for patients with the most complex and advanced vascular pathologies. The specialized vascular ICU, which opened Feb. 1, will extend…
A new quality and safety initiative led by Meghan Brennan, M.D., is seeking to reduce blood product waste in liver transplant cases. Two new strategies, a blood product refrigerator and modifications to blood product order sets, have already been implemented and shown promising results. “Blood products are an essential…
We are proud to announce that Sebastián Gatica, M.D., has earned subspecialty certification in neurocritical care, demonstrating his commitment to the care of patients suffering from complex and serious neurological conditions. The certification, which was launched in 2018, is sponsored by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology…
Two faculty in our Division of Pain Medicine and a former trainee have contributed two chapters in a new book on cancer pain management. The book, titled Fundamentals of Cancer Pain Management, was published by Springer, Cham, in September 2021 and edited by Andrew Leitner, MD, and Christine Chang,…
In 2020, UF Health acquired what is now Halifax Health | UF Health, which includes Medical Center of Daytona Beach and Medical Center of Deltona. We caught up with Nikki Rosace, chief CRNA at Halifax Health Daytona Beach. Q: Hometown: A: I am originally from Youngstown, Ohio, and moved to…
In 2020, UF Health acquired what is now UF Health Central Florida, which encompasses UF Health The Villages Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital. We caught up with Teresa Fowler-Plotkin, one of our CRNAs at UF Health Leesburg. Q: Hometown: A: Macomb, Illinois (picture: corn and soybean fields) Q: Where…
We are pleased to announce that John P. Santiago, M.D., Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in the Division of Multispecialty Anesthesiology, has been named Associate Chair for Systems Integration. In this new role, Dr. Santiago will lead our regional anesthesia programs, a key position as our department continues to take on regional anesthesia…
Largest Randomized Study The largest multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing techniques for hip fracture anesthesia, which involved patients undergoing hip fracture repair at UF Health, found that older adults have comparable rates of survival, functional recovery and postoperative delirium with general anesthesia as with spinal anesthesia. The findings add to…
We are joining the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM) in the 15th Annual SABM Patient Blood Management Awareness Week® from November 1-5. What is patient blood management? Patient blood management is the timely application of evidence-based medical and surgical concepts designed to optimize hemoglobin concentration, optimize hemostasis, and minimize…
Airway experts As the delta variant caused a surge of patients with COVID-19 to be hospitalized at UF Health this summer, the department’s anesthetists redeployed to help. CRNAs and CAAs put their specialized skills and airway expertise to use on proning and intubation teams and helped provide high-level patient care…
Basma Mohamed, MBChB Basma Mohamed, MBChB, assistant professor of anesthesiology, had the opportunity to be involved in a task force that contributed to five new sets of evidence-based clinical guidelines for preoperative care and treatment of patients undergoing spine surgery. The guidelines, which were published…
The REBOA Technique In some medical emergencies, the time it could take to transport a bleeding patient to an operating room could mean life or death. A technique called REBOA, or resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta, is used to manage internal hemorrhage mainly in the abdomen and pelvic…
Congratulations to our Center for Safety, Simulation & Advanced Learning Technologies (CSSALT) team, which will be participating in a newly funded study, titled “Improving breast radiotherapy setup and delivery using mixed reality visualization,” in collaboration with the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute at UF Health Jacksonville. The proposal…
Rishab Chimmanamada, M.H.A., joined us on May 28 as the Manager of Health Care Administration at Central Florida Health. Rishab earned his Master of Health Administration degree from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in May 2021. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from…
UF Health has been selected as one of 20 sites across the nation to participate in a trial of a new treatment for knee pain. The clinical trial is part of the ongoing NIH HEAL Initiative to identify nonopioid pain treatments. The trial, titled “A 24-week study to evaluate the…
Congratulations to anesthesiology intern Blessing Ogbemudia, M.D., who has been honored with the LEAD Resident Award presented by UF Health Shands Hospital nursing staff for his outstanding performance in promoting high-quality patient care. The award recognizes a resident who has gone above and beyond professionally and in their patient…
Congratulations to Miguel Reina, M.D., Ph.D., a courtesy clinical professor of anesthesiology, who is an editor of a new textbook titled Surgical Anatomy of the Cervical Plexus and its Branches. Reina is also a coauthor on four chapters in the book, which was published by Elsevier in April 2021.
It’s 3 a.m., and an experienced hand gently squeezes the first breath into a patient’s newly perfused lung. On lung transplant time, vigilance is the defining word for anesthesiologists. While cases can start at any time of day, preparations often begin 8 to 12 hours in advance. Myriad uncertainties from…
Around Christmas, the new pain started. Muscle spasms and cramps in Miles Murri’s right leg that felt like blasts of lightning, burning and shocking. And in his lower back, the pain was constant, the torturous kind that makes nighttime hours interminable and prevents any chance of a comfortable rest. Miles…
Injuries to the facial nerve during surgeries of the head, ear, and face lead to the undesirable cosmetic result of a facial droop, dissatisfied patients, and potential malpractice claims. Monitoring the facial nerve during surgery may help, but only if done consistently well. That lack of standard references as a…
For patients experiencing leg and back pain due to lumbar spinal stenosis, a safe, minimally invasive procedure at UF Health called the Vertiflex procedure may help. The Interspinous Spacer Procedure involves a minimally invasive titanium spacer implanted through a tiny tube via a small incision in the lower back.
The pterygopalatine fossa block simulator, built over the past year with a grant from the I. Heermann Anesthesia Foundation (IHAF), is now ready for validation with trainees. Ultimately, it could be used to train providers in several UF Health locations on as many as eight other head and neck blocks.
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to escalate, experts are warning of a dire shortage of blood as donors stay home and blood drives across the country are canceled. People should continue to donate blood while taking appropriate precautions and following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and…
A multipronged approach targeting pharmaceutical waste generated during anesthesia care has seen success by improving the efficiency of medication delivery and implementing new strategies for safely disposing of controlled substances. The Department of Anesthesiology is seeking to reduce waste from upstream to downstream,…
A patient blood management initiative significantly reduces transfusions and hospital stays for cranial vault surgery resulting in costs savings and additional revenue for UF Health.
After about nine months of extensive renovations that continued into last-minute finishing touches over the weekend, four completely upgraded and expanded North Tower operating rooms equipped with cutting-edge technology opened on Jan. 13. The four rooms are the first phase of a massive makeover to the North Tower, which will…
Through efforts to educate providers about the importance of using costly intravenous acetaminophen (IV Tylenol) only when necessary, a new stewardship committee has been able to reduce costs at UF Health by more than $60,000 per month. Arvin Trippensee, DO, FASA, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, is spearheading the effort to encourage…
The Department of Anesthesiology’s patient blood management program is pushing for federal legislation requiring hospitals that receive federal support to educate physicians about alternatives to blood transfusion and ways to reduce risk by using a patient’s own blood. Bruce D. Spiess, MD, FAHA, traveled to the…
By Adriana Barbat Diving is Kristi Bernot’s life. A few years ago, it started getting in the way of her life. Bernot manages Cave Country Dive Shop in High Springs, FL, about a 30-minute drive from Gainesville. A highly experienced cave diver and scuba instructor, she has significant training and several diving certifications.
By Adriana Barbat The UF Health Comprehensive Spine Center opened its doors to patients in August. The center provides expert, personalized solutions for both common and complex neck and back pain in one convenient location. The center houses all specialties in one place, said Rene Przkora, MD,…
By Adriana Barbat You use your smartphone to make calls, send messages, take pictures, and play games. Now you can use it to save lives. Earlier this month, UF Health announced the public launch of a potentially life-saving smartphone app throughout Alachua County. PulsePoint…
Sometimes, when you’re bleeding to death, a blood transfusion is not an option. A mother injured during an earthquake in California needs a blood transfusion — along with hundreds of other victims. A soldier in an austere environment with no ready access to a blood…
By Adriana Barbat Sixty-one new drug-labeling machines have been placed in the operating rooms at UF Health. The Codonics Safe Label System machines dispense labels by using the bar code found on drug vials. The clinician scans a badge granting authorization, then scans the drug, and…
