Congratulations to fourth-year resident Milu Thakkar, MD, who has been selected to participate in the 2020 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Resident Component House of Delegates as a Florida Resident Delegate. As a member of the governing council, the ASA Resident Component House of Delegates will provide Dr. Thakkar with exposure to…
John Santiago, MD, joined us as Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in the Division of Multispecialty Anesthesiology on Sept. 15. Dr. Santiago joins us from Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group in Virginia, where he served as an Anesthesiologist at Tysons Corner Ambulatory Surgery Center, Virginia Hospital Center, and Reston Hospital…
Lauren Smajdor, MD, earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida before attending UF’s College of Medicine. Now a fourth-year resident, Dr. Smajdor received the CA2 Division of Acute Pain Award at our 2020 graduation ceremony. She also…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in August! Annals of Thoracic Surgery Tinica G, Tarus A, Bacusca A, Furnica C, Chistol RO, Robicsek SA. “Carpe diem” professor – in memoriam of Francis Robicsek (1925-2020). Ann Thorac Surg. 2020 Aug 3:S0003-4975(20)31285-6. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.05.173. Online ahead…
September is Pain Awareness Month, and the 2020 theme is #MyPainPlan, which focuses on the importance of an individualized, multidisciplinary, multimodal approach to pain care. At UF Health, we are committed to preventing and treating acute and chronic pain through various techniques. If you have pain that’s interfering…
Matthew Meroney, MD, joined us as Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in the Division of Pain Medicine on Sept. 1 after completing his Pain Medicine Fellowship in our department. Dr. Meroney earned his medical degree at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, where he also completed an intern…
Trina Emerson joined the Department of Anesthesiology as Practice Manager of UF Health Pain Medicine Springhill in March. She came to us with a strong background in healthcare administration, having most recently served as Senior Clinical Financial Manager at Florida Cancer Specialists. Below, we caught up with her about…
Originally from Miami, Lida Esfandiary, MD, earned her undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Florida in 2014 before attending UF’s College of Medicine. In her final year of medical school, she earned the prestigious J.S. Gravenstein Award…
Lauren Berkow, MD, is the author of a new topic, “Complications of airway management in adults,” published in the database UpToDate® in July. The topic discusses potential complications during or…
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.
The Pain Medicine Division has been awarded a grant from Medtronic to support fellows in attending cadaver courses required during their training. The funds will be used by the six Pain Medicine fellows throughout the year to attend various educational courses. With the support from Medtronic,…
Pablo Pizarro Rosario, MD, joined us on Aug. 17, 2020, as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in the Division of Critical Care Medicine. He has more than 30 years of military service and joins us from the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Virginia, where he has served as a staff…
Congratulations to Alicia McLeod, MD, for being elected to the University of Florida College of Medicine Housestaff Council Executive Committee! The Housestaff Council provides input to the Graduate Medical Education office on many issues and the Executive Committee guides some of the financial decisions for money used for housestaff. Dr.
Sixteen fellows from the Departments of Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, Neurology, and Surgery had the opportunity to practice core critical care skills on simulation equipment during a multidisciplinary 3-day boot camp August 12-14. The 3 didactic days included lectures, interactive problem-based learning discussions, task training, team training, and simulation. Scheduling…
Andrea Macias Mendoza, MD, joined us on Aug. 3, 2020, as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Multispecialty Anesthesiology. She earned her medical degree from New York Medical College; she completed her Anesthesiology Residency this year at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. She is a member…
Three Department of Anesthesiology faculty members have received Faculty Enhancement Opportunity (FEO) awards to attend an intensive 2-week undersea and hyperbaric medicine diving course in California, with the goal of expanding treatment for a range of diving- and aviation-related conditions at UF Health. Assistant Professor Derek Covington, MD, Professor…
Please join us in congratulating our residents of the month for May and June! These residents were nominated by their fellow residents and faculty for their hard work, motivation, and going above and beyond in their duties. The resident of the month for May is fourth-year resident Dominik Ochocinski, DO.
As of July 10, UF Health CRNAs are now eligible to receive continuing education credits (CEUs) by attending Friday morning CME lectures, providing a convenient and flexible option to obtain required credits. Among other requirements, CRNAs need 100 CEUs every 4 years to maintain certification. They can obtain these credits…
Six anesthesiologists began their Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Fellowship with us this summer. Please help us welcome them to the team! Justin Alfonso, MD Residency Specialty: Anesthesiology Residency Institution: University of Florida Jacksonville Medical Education: American University of Antigua In his free time, Dr. Alfonso enjoys playing a variety of sports…
Adrian J. Maurer, MD, joined us on Aug. 1, 2020, as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Acute Pain Medicine. Dr. Maurer joins us from our Acute & Perioperative Pain Medicine Fellowship, which he completed over the past year. He earned his medical degree at…
UF Health will become a study site of an NIH-funded research initiative aimed at comparing non-opioid treatments for managing knee pain associated with osteoarthritis. The multicenter randomized controlled trial, called “A sequenced strategy for improving outcomes in persons with knee osteoarthritis pain (SKOAP),” will seek to optimize evidence-based approaches to managing pain associated with knee osteoarthritis and identify phenotypes that…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in July! Addiction Zhou L, Bhattacharjee S, Kwoh K, Tighe PJ, Reisfield GM, Malone DC, Slack M, Wilson DL, Chang CY, Lo-Ciganic WH. Dual-trajectories of opioid and gabapentinoid use and risk of subsequent drug overdose among medicare beneficiaries in the united…
Welcome to our new Combined Cardiothoracic Critical Care Medicine Fellow and Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellow! Combined Cardiothoracic Critical Care Medicine Ahmad Parniani, MD Residency Specialty: Anesthesiology Residency Institution: Penn State Medical Education: University of Louisville In his free time, Dr. Parniani likes to travel. He enjoys bowling and billiards and…
Basma Mohamed, MBChB, has received a Faculty Enhancement Opportunity (FEO) grant to complete a yearlong Perioperative Medicine Fellowship at Duke University. Dr. Mohamed, an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, will complete the fellowship remotely while at UF. The FEO award will cover the…
Rene Przkora, MD, PhD, is a coauthor on a new paper in the journal Pain Medicine describing innovative solutions to help maintain the quality of pain fellowship programs during the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors convened a panel of pain program directors who…
Five anesthesiologists and two emergency medicine physicians began their Critical Care Medicine Fellowship with us this summer. Please help us welcome them to the team! Jacqueline Boehme, MD Residency Specialty: Anesthesiology Residency Institution: Brigham & Women’s Hospital Medical Education: Harvard Medical School Dr. Boehme has a passion for the…
The Department of Anesthesiology awarded four research grants to support anesthesiology faculty research. Fifteen applications were submitted and four proposals were selected and approved by leadership. The winners are Prodip Bose, PhD, Penny Reynolds, PhD, Richa Wardhan, MD, Anthony Cometa, MD, Brandon Lopez, MD, and Adam Wendling, MD.
Albert Robinson, III, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, has taken the helm as President of the College of Medicine Faculty Council after serving as President-Elect this past year. Sonia Deshmukh Mehta, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, is embarking on the second year of her…
After four years of extensive work by an international panel of experts that included Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology Penny S. Reynolds, PhD, the updated and revised ARRIVE 2.0 (Animal Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments) guidelines have been published on…
Four anesthesiologists began their Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Fellowship with us this summer. Please help us welcome them to the team! Jordan Brewer, MD Residency Specialty: Anesthesiology Residency Institution: University of Florida Medical Education: University of Texas When Dr. Brewer is not working, he enjoys getting outdoors either to run…
Sandra Victor, MD, joined our department as Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in the Division of Pain Medicine on July 1 after completing her Pain Medicine Fellowship with us. Dr. Victor earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and she completed her Anesthesiology…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in June! American Journal of Transplantation Wallen TJ, Arnaoutakis GJ, Beaver T, Pelaez A, Chandrashekaran S, Shahmohammadi A, Emtiazjoo AM, Spiess B, Pipkin M, Machuca TN. Successful Bridge to Lung Transplantation with Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. Am J Transplant. 2020 Jun 7.
Five anesthesiologists began their Acute and Perioperative Pain Medicine Fellowship with us this summer. Please help us welcome them to the team! Andrey Bilko, MD Residency Specialty: AnesthesiologyResidency Institution: Penn StateMedical Education: Penn State In his free time, Dr. Bilko enjoys being outside, especially near the water, where he…
Twenty-five physicians began their Anesthesiology Residency with us this summer, including six graduates of the University of Florida College of Medicine. Please help us welcome them to the team! Interested in joining our residency program? Find out how to apply here. First-Year Residents (PGY-1/Intern) Affan Ahmad, MD…
UF Health Pain Medicine specialists are ready to provide services that meet the needs and preferences of all patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, whether they would like to be seen for an in-person visit following CDC guidelines or via telehealth. Our specialists use teams of experts to diagnose and treat…
Congratulations to Amanda Frantz, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, who has been awarded a $42,110 grant from the I. Heermann Anesthesia Foundation, or IHAF. The yearlong grant titled “Exploration of Biomarkers and Clinical Assessment of Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement Surgery and Their Perioperative Outcomes” will begin Sept. 20.
Emeritus professor Charles Parker Gibbs, MD, passed away on June 25, surrounded by his loving family under the care of Haven Hospice in Gainesville, FL. He was 84. Dr. Gibbs’ influence as a physician and educator left an indelible mark on the University of Florida College of Medicine and beyond…
Congratulations to our 24 graduating residents of the Class of 2020, who were honored during two virtual celebrations this year, and our 16 graduating fellows, who received sendoffs in small groups.
Congratulations to Nelson “Nic” Algarra, MD, and David Corda, MD, who have been promoted to Associate Professor effective July 1. Dr. Algarra, who is also Assistant Program Director for Clinical Operations, joined UF in 2014 from the University of Kansas. Dr. Corda, who is also Chief of the Division of…
Two members of our department’s Statistics in Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Core have published new research in the journal Military Medicine showing poor methodological quality in animal research studies, pointing to problems in clinical research translation and ethical issues for animal use. Penny Reynolds, PhD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, and…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in May! Annals of Work Exposures and Health Schirmer A, Sessions R, Gravenstein N, Rand K, Oli M, Cooper LA, Sappenfield JW. Isolation gowns as a potential work hazard. Ann Work Expo Health. 2020 May 6. pii: wxaa047. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxaa047. [Epub ahead…
A pilot study led by Assistant Professor Richa Wardhan, MD, describing a simple way to modify respirator masks for healthcare providers who fail fit tests has been published in A&A Practice. The study, titled “Does a Modified Adhesive Respirator Improve the Face Seal for Health Care Workers…
Updated Dec. 2024 Email our CRNA & CAA chiefs to join our team…
Professor of Anesthesiology Bruce Spiess, MD, FAHA, has received a $15,000 grant from the University of Florida Research Foundation Commercialization Fund to commercially develop point-of-care blood tests to detect a protein that plays an important role in anticoagulation.
As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated across the United States in early April, supplies of personal protective equipment, or PPE, were becoming increasingly scarce in many hospitals. China, however, where the pandemic began earlier in the year, was beginning to see the downside of the curve. This spurred Yong G.
Updated December 2024 Opportunities to Join our Team…
Dianne M. Fontanez-Nieves, MD, joined us on June 1, 2020, as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in the Division of Multispecialty Anesthesiology. Dr. Fontanez-Nieves was most recently an Associate Consultant in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She earned her medical degree from the Universidad Central…
Congratulations to Stephanie Gore MSN, RN, CCRN, our Patient Safety and Quality Officer, for being selected as the winner of the fourth annual Rebecca Y. Lovely Outstanding Service Award! Stephanie had several nominations for this award expressing the energy and positivity that she brings to the department. Below are a…
The UF Department of Anesthesiology is joining healthcare providers nationwide in recognizing the unique skills of Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) during National CAA Week. As members of our anesthesia team, our CAAs play a vital role. They provide specialized knowledge, skillful expertise, and high-quality patient care techniques to ensure the…
Professor of Anesthesiology and Statistician Cynthia Garvan, PhD, has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the University of Florida Research Foundation Commercialization Fund to develop the “Strategies to Orient, Learn, and Achieve in Research – (SOLAR)” project. The award will be used to develop a web application…
Please join us in congratulating our residents of the month for March and April. These residents were nominated by their fellow residents and faculty for their hard work, motivation, and going above and beyond in their duties. The resident of the month for March is fourth-year resident Matt Gunst, MD.
Please join us in welcoming Joni Brown, APRN-C, back to our department as she re-joins our Pain Medicine Division in the Springhill pain clinic. Joni holds a dual Bachelor of Science in Nursing/Master of Science in Nursing as a family practice Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner from the University of Florida…
Lauren Berkow, MD, FASA, has been elected to the University of Florida Faculty Senate as a representative for the College of Medicine. Dr. Berkow’s term will begin in August and last for three years. In addition to Dr. Berkow, four other faculty members were elected this year to represent…
Second-year resident Holden Brown, MD, and a group of his medical school colleagues recently obtained a patent for a simple arm support device designed to improve image quality, patient safety and comfort during imaging procedures. Patients undergoing procedures that involve medical imaging such as CAT scans…
Two initiatives created by our department over the past two months in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have garnered significant media attention, including mentions in national outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, and Fox News.
Revered Professor Nikolaus Gravenstein, MD, has been selected for the 2020 University of Florida College of Medicine Faculty Council Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his more than three decades of contributions to our department, specialty, and institution. The award recognizes the most outstanding members of…
Rene Przkora, MD, PhD, has been appointed as a new member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA). Membership appointments to the board are for a 3-year term, after which time members can reapply for membership.
The week of May 6 – May 12 is National Nurses Week. This week commemorates Florence Nightingale’s birthday, the founder of modern nursing, and this year we are especially grateful for all of our amazing nurses at UF Health who are on the frontlines, risking their lives, during the COVID-19…
In this unwelcome season of troubled times, we regret to share the sad news that we have lost a member of our College of Medicine family. Today, Maria Irwin, M.D., unexpectedly passed away. She was 48. Maria joined UF Health in 2006 as an anesthesiology resident after completing her medical…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in April! Anesthesia & Analgesia Berkow L, Kanowitz A. COVID-19 putting patients at risk of unplanned extubation and airway providers at increased risk of contamination. Anesth Analg. 2020 Apr 16. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004890. [Epub ahead of print] Huffmyer JL, Fahy BG.
Rene Przkora, MD, PhD, and the Pain Medicine Fellowship have been awarded grants from the Abbott Medical Device Grant Committee and Medtronic to support education in pain medicine. The funding will help our fellowship train the next generation of leaders in…
University of Florida anesthesiology and engineering experts have teamed up to create a face shield for health care workers that can be easily and rapidly produced. “We got creative at a time when the availability of personal protective equipment was unknown to make sure all of the people on the frontlines are safe,” said Stephanie Gore, M.S.N., R.N., CCRN, department of anesthesiology’s patient safety and quality officer .
The Department of Anesthesiology was honored with the Golden Apple Award for Clinical Science for the second year in a row during the College of Medicine’s virtual Senior Student and Faculty Awards ceremony on May 7, 2020. The Golden Apple Award is voted on by the graduating class as the…
The UF Department of Anesthesiology joins the International Association of Administrative Professionals to recognize the unique skills of our administrative professionals during National Administrative Professionals’ Day on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. We know this year has brought unprecedented changes in how we work as well as personal challenges for many.
Sylvain DorĂ©, PhD, recently served as the guest speaker at a medical science scholarship banquet for high school seniors given by a nonprofit foundation that raises awareness of adverse brain conditions. The Sia Brain Awareness Scholarship Foundation began in 2011 in memory of Sia Christine Yorker, who died at age…
Rene Przkora, MD, PhD, president of the Association of Pain Program Directors, recently took advantage of an online platform to address the needs and opportunities for pain medicine training programs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis has presented numerous challenges, but also…
University of Florida-led international project to rapidly design and build a low-cost, DIY ventilator using hardware store parts is meeting preliminary milestones toward being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Emergency Use Authorization in case it is needed in the battle against COVID-19
Jerome H. Modell, M.D., D.Sc. (Hon.), whose remarkable influence as a physician, teacher, researcher, administrator and generous philanthropist has left an indelible mark on our academic health center as well as throughout the world, passed away Tuesday, April 14, 2020, after a brief hospitalization for a chronic illness. He was 87.
Congratulations to all who had articles published in March! Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Liu L, Kelly MG, Yang XR, Fernandez TG, Wierzbicki EL, Skrobach A, DorĂ© S. Nrf2 Deficiency Exacerbates Cognitive Impairment and Reactive Microgliosis in a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammatory Mouse Model. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2020 Mar…
For the safety and convenience of our patients, the University of Florida Department of Anesthesiology’s Pain Medicine Division has successfully embarked on offering telehealth appointments. The appointments offered via a secure video chat or phone call allow patients to receive medical treatment from pain faculty physicians while adhering to…
Congratulations to Keith Howell, MD, who has achieved a Clinical Informatics Sub-Specialty Certification from the American Board of Preventative Medicine. This certification recognizes physicians who improve patient care through analyzing, designing, implementing, and evaluating information and communication systems. Dr. Howell, who joined us as an Associate Professor…
We are pleased to announce Kayser Enneking, MD, Professor of Anesthesiology, Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and Medical Director of the UF Health Presurgical Clinic, has been selected by the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Board of Directors as an ASRA Trailblazer Award recipient. ASRA’s Trailblazer Awards are designed to…
Our department is now ranked #29 in the country among all anesthesiology departments for NIH research funding in the 2019 Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings. The ranking is a jump from 2018, when the department was ranked #36. Among principal investigators in Anesthesiology, Rene Przkora, MD, PhD, Professor…
Samsun Lampotang, PhD, FSSH, the Joachim S. Gravenstein Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of the Center for Safety, Simulation & Advanced Learning Technologies, has been inducted into the 2020 College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) for his contributions to the…
With masks used by health workers battling the coronavirus in short supply, the University of Florida Health’s department of anesthesiology has developed masks that can be produced in large quantities using materials already found in hospitals and medical facilities.
As a University of Florida mechanical engineering student decades ago, Samsun Lampotang, Ph.D., helped respiratory therapist colleagues build a minimal-transport ventilator that became a commercial success. So, when the coronavirus pandemic hit and he heard the desperate international plea for thousands more ventilators, the longtime UF professor of anesthesiology set out to build a prototype using plentiful, cheap components that could be copied from an online diagram and a software repository.
Congratulations to our department residents, who performed strongly overall on the American Board of Anesthesiology’s February 2020 administration of the In-Training Examination. Overall, our senior residents scored at or very close to the 90th percentile nationally. In addition, three of our senior residents achieved the highest possible scaled score of…
Twenty-five physicians have matched with our department to begin their Anesthesiology Residency with us in the upcoming academic year, including six graduates of the University of Florida College of Medicine. For the categorical match, our department submitted a ranking list of around 150 senior medical students from across the country…
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…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in February! Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Wendling AL, Byun SY, Koenig M, Vasilopoulos T. Impact of oral carbohydrate consumption prior to cesarean delivery on preoperative well-being: a randomized interventional study. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2020 Jan;301(1):179-187. doi: 10.1007/s00404-020-05455-z. Epub 2020 Feb 5.
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,…
The Center for Safety, Simulation, and Advanced Learning Technologies (CSSALT) has started an Open Source Ventilator Project to address the predicted worldwide ventilator shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the most recent study, there are about 62,000 ventilators in hospitals…
The Anesthesiology Education Office and the Department of Anesthesiology Leadership are pleased to announce the selection of our three new chief residents. Dan Heath, DO, Jayme Looper MD, and Shauna Wrazidlo, DO, will serve from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. To be selected, anesthesiology residents in their third…
Our department’s poster on ongoing efforts to promote effective stewardship of intravenous acetaminophen was awarded Best Abstract during the UF Health 2020 Patient Safety and Quality Week poster session on Wednesday, March 11. The poster, titled “Perioperative IV Acetaminophen Stewardship: Effective Analgesia and Cost Containment” represents a collaboration with our colleagues…
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.
On February 22, 2020, members of our department along with colleagues across UF Health came out to the Haile Plantation Golf and Country Club to play some golf for a good cause. 14 teams of 48 anesthesiology residents, faculty, and advanced practice providers participated in the UF Health Accuity Invitational…
Chris Giordano, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, and Lee Bannister, MD, Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellow, have been elected into Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA). Founded in 1902, AΩA is the national medical honor society. The AΩA is dedicated to the belief that in the profession of medicine we will improve care for…
Residents, fellows, medical students, and faculty mentors from our department had the opportunity to showcase a broad array of research to a diverse audience of nearly 1,000 people at the College of Medicine Research Poster Session on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the O’Connell Center. The Department…
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Edward McGough, MD, to Interim Division Chief of the Critical Care Medicine Division, Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. McGough, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Fellowship, completed his residency as well as a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine…
Many thanks to all who contributed to 2020’s Intern Education Month! Friday, February 7, 2020, was the last day of our Intern Education Month rotation and we’re happy to report that this year was another great success! Our interns took part in nineteen simulations, seventeen classroom sessions, eight shadow…
Prodip K. Bose, MD, PhD, has joined us as a Research Associate Professor. He currently holds joint appointments as an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology in the College of Medicine and McKnight Brain Institute and as an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences in the…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in January! Blood Coagulation and Fibrinolysis Efune PN, Alex G, Journeycake J, Mehta SD. Thromboelastography-targeted management of severe coagulopathy and off-label use of four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate in an infant with massive bleeding. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis. 2020 Jan 20. doi: 10.1097/MBC.0000000000000888. [Epub…
We are pleased to announce Britney Vidal has been awarded a 2019-2020 UF Superior Accomplishment Award for her outstanding work as our department’s Faculty Recruitment Coordinator. The Superior Accomplishment Awards recognize faculty and staff who have shown efficiency or economy in their work, have contributed outstanding and meritorious service, or who…
Gregory Wells, MD, joined us in February as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Associate Chief of Non-Operative Anesthesia with a focus on the Shands Endoscopy Center. He comes to us from CRH Anesthesia Management in Atlanta, where he was Medical Director for Anesthesia Services, a position in which he provided…
We are pleased to announce the appointment of two faculty members to leadership roles in the Pain Medicine Division. Effective immediately, Sanjeev Kumar, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, has been named Medical Director of the Pain Medicine Clinic at Springhill. Juan Mora, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, has been named Medical Director of…
Students had the opportunity to connect with faculty who are conducting a range of clinical and basic science research during the first-ever Undergraduate Research Speed Pitch.
The research paper describes a shift in U.S. opioid prescribing that sheds light on the effects of opioid prescription legislation.
Associate Professor Stephen D. Lucas, MD, retired Feb. 3 after 14 years with the department. Dr. Lucas, who joined the department as an Assistant Professor in 2006, served as Medical Director of UF Health Pain Management – Ayers and of the Pain Medicine Clinics as well as Associate Chair of…
We are joining the American Society of Anesthesiologists in recognizing our highly skilled physician anesthesiologists this week. Our physician anesthesiologists are highly trained medical experts who evaluate, monitor, and supervise patients before, during, and after surgery. They have the specific medical education and training to make critical decisions when…
The Florida Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants (FAAA) held their very first annual meeting in Orlando, January 10 – 12, 2020. One of our own, Jeffrey Carroll, CAA, is the president of the the FAAA and helped in the organization of this first meeting. The association always had the vision to one…
The UF Department of Anesthesiology is joining healthcare providers nationwide in recognizing the unique skills of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) during National CRNA Week. As members of our anesthesia team, CRNAs play a critical role in the care of patients undergoing surgical procedures. We appreciate the diligence…
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…
On Friday, January 10, Dr. Gordon Gibby, Associate Professor in the Division of Multispecialty Anesthesiology, celebrated his retirement from the University of Florida Department of Anesthesiology after 31 years. Dr. Gibby joined us in 1988 after completing a fellowship in Anesthesiology here at UF. He is a diplomate for the…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in December! Anesthesia & Analgesia Corda DM, Fahy BG. Physicians, Heal Thyselves … With Caffeine? Anesth Analg. 2020 Jan;130(1):63-65. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004365. Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology Helander EM, Webb MP, Kendrick J, Montet T, Kaye AJ, Cornett EM, Kaye…
Quality and Patient Safety Officer Stephanie Gore, RN, attended the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) National Forum with Professor Brenda Fahy, MD, MCCM, Assistant Professor Basma Mohamed, MBChB, and M500 Consultant Aislinn Skuropat. The team brought two storyboards to showcase our department’s quality improvement work: Treatment of Intraoperative Hyperglycemia with Insulin:…
Congratulations to Associate Professor of Anesthesiology Patrick Tighe, MD, MS, for having his review Artificial Intelligence and Surgical Decision-Making published in JAMA Surgery in December. Dr. Tighe collaborated with colleagues from the departments of Surgery, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering. Abstract Importance…
On Saturday, December 14, 2019, the departments of Anesthesiology, Surgery, and Urology came together to celebrate the holidays at The ONE Party’s Winter Onederland. The three departments came together for food, fellowship, and fun. Guests were asked to bring donations and the departments raised more than $800 for local food…
Congratulations to Associate Professor of Anesthesiology Peggy White, MD, for having her article Two Perspectives on Simulation in Critical Care Training Perspective One: An Invaluable Tool featured in the November issue of The Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (SOCCA) newsletter. Dr. White’s article takes the stance that simulation training is a…
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology Rene Przkora, MD, PhD, was elected President of the Association of Pain Program Directors (APPD) at the American Society of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) in November. Dr. Przkora was chosen for this honor by his peer Pain Program Directors. The Association of Pain Program Directors…
Congratulations to Professor of Anesthesiology Lauren Berkow, MD, for her appointment to the Airway Safety Movement’s Board of Directors for 2020 – 2023! The Airway Safety Movement is a non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness, educate and prevent patient safety issues around airway management.
Congratulations to all who had articles published in November! Anesthesia & Analgesia Warner DO, Isaak RS, Peterson-Layne C, Lien CA, Sun H, Menzies AO, Cole DJ, Dainer RJ, Fahy BG, Macario A, Suresh S, Harman AE. Development of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination as a Component of Assessment for Initial Board…
This year ten of our Professors of Anesthesiology have been awarded the Exemplary Teacher Award! Eligible faculty are nominated from each department and participate in a college-wide competition. Faculty are selected based on the excellence of their teaching of medical students, residents and fellows, graduate students, post-docs, and mentorship of…
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…
Congratulations to the Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship Program for successfully matching their position for the 2020-21 academic year! This year, our pediatric fellowship program received over 25 applications for its coveted spot which was successfully filled after a busy interview season. Fellowship director Taran Sangari, MD, MBA, recognizes all members of…
The second annual Modell/Shah Lecture in Anesthesiology featured a discussion on anemia and transfusions presented by Aryeh Shander, MD, FCCM, FCCP, FASA on Nov. 14. The lecture, titled “Anemia and Transfusions, Which is Worse?” drew a packed crowd and also gave attendees the opportunity to ask questions. Dr. Shander is…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in October!
The UF Department of Anesthesiology is joining healthcare providers nationwide in recognizing the unique skills of our Nurse Practitioners during National NP Week. We appreciate the safe and high-quality care our NP’s provide to our patients each and every day. On behalf of the Leadership Team and Faculty, thank…
“The University of Florida has partnered with Trualta, a Canadian company that develops educational programs to support family caregivers, to evaluate the program’s impact on caregiver confidence and wellness, as well as health outcomes. The new UF-Trualta study will follow caregivers of a person with dementia or mild cognitive impairment…
The UF Anesthesiology Executive Leadership Committee supports More Than One as a goal of ethical leadership! Will you take the pledge? The More Than One Movement is a mission based on one singular action to increase ethical leadership and improved practices for us all: if you want to make a…
Congratulations to Dr. Enneking for being named one of the College of Medicine’s 2019-20 University Term Professors! The University of Florida Term Professorship Program recognizes and rewards significant faculty academic achievements. Professors are chosen based on Chair nominations and the recommendation of the College of Medicine Advisory Committee. Each award…
By endowing faculty positions, donors create streams of funding to enable faculty to discover and invent what we can only now imagine. At the Celebration of Distinction ceremony in October, 2019, Professor of Anesthesiology Samsun Lampotang, PhD, and Associate Professor of Anesthesiology Patrick Tighe, MD, MS, received wooden chairs…
Donald S. Bohannon, MD, joined the Department of Anesthesiology in 2009. In his 10 and a half years with us, he served as an Associate Professor with the Acute and Perioperative Pain Medicine Division. During his time here, Dr. Bohannon was an integral part of the team. He…
On October 18, 2019, our department hosted a simulation symposium for visiting Chinese anesthesiologists. The symposium titled “How to train a confident and competent anesthesiologist” introduced the most innovative simulation technologies for resident and fellow education and established an academic platform for anesthesiologist collaboration between the US and China. Seventeen…
Congratulations to the Division of Pain Medicine, which has successfully matched all six Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Fellowship positions for the 2020-21 academic year through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). The fellowship prides itself on producing physicians who are technically skilled in interventional pain management as well as poised to…
UF Health will become the hub of a statewide clinical trial network geared at early-phase interventions to treat various types of pain and decrease opioid use, thanks to a five-year NIH grant awarded in September. Rene Przkora, MD, PhD Rene Przkora, MD, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology, and Patrick Tighe,…
Eric Brown, MD, joined us in September, 2019, as an Assistant Professor in the Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology division after completing his Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship and Anesthesiology Residency here at the University of Florida. Dr. Brown earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio,…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in August! Anesthesia & Analgesia Leinonen M, Gravenstein N, Giordano C. Ventilation Is an Important Confounding Variable When End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide Is Used to Help Guide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Anesth Analg. 2019 Sep 3. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004409. [Epub ahead of print] Anesthesiology Ju LS,…
The UF Department of Anesthesiology is joining healthcare providers nationwide in recognizing the unique skills of our Physician Assistants during National PA Week. We appreciate the watchful, safe, and high-quality care our PA’s provide to our patients every day. On behalf of the Leadership Team and Faculty, thank…
Sixty-four students, faculty, residents, and fellows had the opportunity to attend a first of its kind daylong symposium on time-controlled adaptive ventilation (TCAV) on Thursday, Sept. 26. The symposium, spearheaded by Peggy White, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, featured talks by four renowned experts as well as a Q&A session…
Thank you to all of our Research Administrators for your hard work and positive attitudes! As Research Administrators, you provide valuable support to our research community. Your work is vital to our success. We appreciate you today and every day.
Third-year residents Drs. Steffin Golden, Daniel Heath, and Shauna Wrazidlo scored in the top 10% on the American Board of Anesthesiologists (ABA) BASIC exam in 2019. Our residents’ performance on this exam demonstrates their dedication to meeting the highest standards of the practice of anesthesiology and indicates their commitment to…
Sebastián Gatica-Moris, MD, joined us on Sept. 16, 2019, as an Assistant Professor in the Critical Care Medicine and Multispecialty Anesthesiology divisions. He comes to us from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he completed a Critical Care Anesthesiology Fellowship and a Neuroanesthesiology Fellowship. Dr. Gatica-Moris earned his medical…
An article authored by Professor of Anesthesiology and Neuroscience, Anatoly Martynyuk, PhD, and his lab, along with colleagues from the McKnight Brain Institute and the Department of Psychiatry has been published in Anesthesiology. The results of their study may present a new direction in the field of Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorder…
Albert Robinson, III, MD, and Sonia Deshmukh Mehta, MD, have been elected by the faculty at large to be officers on the College of Medicine Faculty Council. Dr. Robinson has been elected President-Elect and will serve as President next year. Dr. Mehta has been elected Vice President and will serve a…
Congratulations to all who had articles published in August! Anesthesia & Analgesia Berger M, Angst MS, Culley DJ, Price CE, Scott DA, Whittington RA, Eckenhoff RG; Perioperative Neurotoxicity Working Group. In Response. Anesth Analg. 2019 Sep;129(3):e112-e113. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004300. Anesthesiology News Berkow L. Unplanned or Accidental Extubation in the Perioperative Environment.
A group of students from the University of Florida Biomedical Engineering (BME) department worked with the Center for Safety, Simulation and Advanced Learning Technologies (CSSALT) team on a 2-semester long design project. The project modified one of CSSALT’s mixed reality simulators for transrectal ultrasound prostate biopsy. In June 2019, the…
Our Pain Medicine division is excited to be a site for the REALITY study. This industry-funded study will examine 5 years of data on spinal cord stimulation and dorsal root ganglion stimulation. Patients will be undergoing permanent implant with a BurstDR spinal cord stimulator (SCS) or dorsal root ganglion (DRG)…
Two members of the Department of Anesthesiology traveled to Guayaquil, Ecuador, in July on a mission trip with the Global Smile Foundation, which provides comprehensive cleft lip and palate care for patients in underserved communities throughout the world. The team of 67 volunteers from around the world screened 193 patients…
Keith A. Howell, MD, joined us on Aug. 15, 2019, as an Associate Professor in the Division of Multispecialty Anesthesiology. He comes to us from Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia Campus, where he was an Associate Professor in the Division of Acute Pain Management in the Department of Anesthesiology.
Second-year resident David Hutchinson, MD, and fourth-year resident Taylor Johnson, MD, have been selected to serve as the anesthesia representatives on the newly created Housestaff Council this year. The Housestaff Council will hold open forum meetings during which housestaff can come to voice their concerns. The Council currently has 31…
Dr. Boezaart brought passion, learning, and innovation, as well as his very special presence, and he will be missed. We would like to thank him for all of his efforts to make UF a better place.
Congratulations to all who had articles published in July! Anesthesia & Analgesia Berger M, Angst MS, Culley DJ, Price CE, Scott DA, Whittington RA, Eckenhoff RG; Perioperative Neurotoxicity Working Group. In Response. Anesth Analg. 2019 Jul 2. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004300. [Epub ahead of print] Paterson E, Sanderson PM, Brecknell B, Paterson NAB, Loeb…
Ten first-year fellows from the Departments of Anesthesiology, Neurology, and Surgery had the opportunity to practice core critical care skills on simulation equipment and gain exposure to new faculty during a multidisciplinary three-day boot camp. The inaugural Critical Care Medicine Boot Camp included lectures, task trainers, and Advanced…
Members of the Department of Anesthesiology contributed half of the total number of posters of distinction at the Florida Society of Anesthesiologists’ annual meeting held June 14–16 at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. UF sent 30 posters to the conference, of which five were posters of distinction. Jonathan Wakim of…
Susana Cruz Beltrán, MD, joined us on July 15, 2019, as a Clinical Assistant Professor with the pediatric and congenital heart divisions. She comes to us from Emory University, where she completed a fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology. Dr. Cruz Beltrán earned her medical degree from Fundacion Universitaria de Ciencias de…
An accomplished professor’s career-long quest to understand peripheral nerve blocks has introduced new technologies and called into question decades of anesthesiology doctrine, in turn opening new frontiers in pain medicine. Dr. Boezaart Over the past two years, Andre Boezaart, MD, PhD, in collaboration with other faculty members in the…
Dr. Svetlana Chembrovich joined the Department of Anesthesiology on July 8, 2019, as an Assistant Professor in the Acute Pain and Perioperative Medicine division. She came to us from the University of New Mexico, where she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. She…
Congratulations to Cyndi Garvan, PhD, Sean Kiley, MD, Rene Przkora, MD, PhD, and Josh Sappenfield, MD, for receiving promotions effective July 1st, 2019!
Please help us welcome all of our incoming acute and perioperative pain, cardiothoracic, critical care, and pain medicine fellows!
Congratulations to all who had articles published in June! Anesthesia & Analgesia Sun H, Warner DO, Patterson AJ, Harman AE, Rathmell JP, Keegan MT, Dainer RJ, McLoughlin TM Jr, Fahy BG, Macario A. The American Board of Anesthesiology’s standardized oral examination for initial board certification. Anesth Analg. 2019 Jun 17.
