The University of Florida (UF) Department of Anesthesiology is pleased to announce John Heinbockel, M.D., MSEE, assistant professor of anesthesiology, was appointed the medical director for the UF Health Ocala Neighborhood Hospital. In this role, Heinbockel will develop systems for patient flow, optimize preoperative services, ensure compliance with regulatory standards,…
The University of Florida (UF) Department of Anesthesiology’s Center for Safety, Simulation & Advanced Learning Technologies (CSSALT) moved from the Harrell Medical Education Building to room CG-15 on the ground floor of the Communicore Building, bringing the lab closer to the department and making its training, simulation, and…
Twenty-four soon-to-be CA-1 residents participated in this year’s Basic Skills Boot Camp. Faculty, staff, and residents helped prepare them for their first clinical anesthesiology year. The 2025 boot camp was held on the first week of June. One of the main purposes of this week of lectures and workshops was…
Certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAA) are crucial members of the anesthesia care team at the University of Florida (UF) Department of Anesthesiology. As part of CAA week, we’re highlighting the crucial role that these medical professionals play throughout the perioperative process. What is a certified anesthesiologist assistant? Certified anesthesiologist assistants…
Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) are vital members of the anesthesia care team in the University of Florida (UF) Department of Anesthesiology, providing support throughout the perioperative process. As part of CRNA week, we’re taking a look at these dedicated healthcare workers and their role in the operating room…
In October, UF Health Shands was honored by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) with the Gold Level ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support. This award recognizes institutions that reach the highest level of performance, innovation, and quality in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in its pediatric…
The first week in November is Patient Blood Management Awareness Week. Patient blood management (PBM) is focused on techniques that decrease blood loss during procedures and prevent anemia. Thorsten Haas, M.D., professor of anesthesiology and director of PBM, was awarded last year’s W. Martin Smith Interdisciplinary Patient…
Alberto Bursian, M.D., joined us in August as a UF Health physician in chronic pain medicine for the regional anesthesia program at UF Health Pain Medicine – Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, Florida. Dr. Bursian received his medical degree and completed his anesthesiology residency here at the University of Florida.
We’re excited to welcome three new faculty to the Department of Anesthesiology, all of whom joined us last week as assistant professors. Erika Taco Vasquez, M.D., joins us in the Division of Acute Pain Medicine, Julie-Ann Thompson, M.D., joins us in the Division of Obstetric Anesthesia, and Bharath Vasudevan, MBBS,…
UF Health Pain Medicine, in collaboration with Halifax Health – Neurosciences, proudly announces the launch of endoscopic spine surgery.
Twenty-two residents beginning their second year of anesthesiology residency participated in a week of workshops and lectures to prepare them for their first clinical anesthesiology year (the CA-1 year). The 2024 Basic Skills Boot Camp was held the first week of June and included training in a variety…
The Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia has recently published online ahead of print a new case report co-authored by UF Department of Anesthesiology faculty members Joseph AbuRahma, M.D., Chris Goldstein, M.D., and Albert Robinson III, M.D., along with colleagues from the Divisions of Cardiovascular Medicine…
A recent training event at the University of Florida College of Medicine brought together fellows and faculty from several institutions for an immersive learning experience. Coordinated by faculty and staff from the UF Department of Anesthesiology, the Southeast Pediatric Anesthesia Regional (SPEAR) Transition to Practice Bootcamp was held on…
Congratulations to Laurie Davies, M.D., and Adam Wendling, M.D., who have both been granted academic appointments with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as affiliate associate professors. Davies is an associate professor of anesthesiology, joint professor of surgery, and medical director of the Shands operating rooms. “I’m honored that…
The Department of Anesthesiology recently held its 50th in-person Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) session, continuing a series of high-quality in-person simulations that began in 2014. The sessions draw on the resources of the Center for Safety, Simulation & Advanced Learning Technologies (CSSALT), combining first-class simulation and…
Lauren Berkow, M.D., FASA, professor of anesthesiology and chief of the division of neuroanesthesiology, is the primary investigator for the University of Florida on a new multicenter, international study. The International obServational sTudy on AiRway manaGement in operAting room and non-operaTing room anesthEsia (STARGATE) study will collect data…
We’re pleased to congratulate Andrey Suprun, M.D., and David Hutchinson, M.D., on being issued a patent for their new technology, “Intravenous Tubing Venting Assembly.” The patent describes a method and intravenous tubing apparatus which provides air bubbles with a venting path that does not permit fluid passage. Suprun…
The Department of Anesthesiology has begun to integrate hands-on skill labs into Critical Care Medicine (CCM) Grand Rounds. As part of the transition from the purely virtual grand rounds sessions developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, professor of anesthesiology Felipe Urdaneta, M.D., presented the first of a new series of…
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…
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 in the journal…
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…
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…
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…
