ASA Member Spotlight

Pediatric anesthesiologist Dr. Lauren Welsh spent years watching kids struggle with the scary prospect of surgery. That's why she designed a free mobile app to help children feel more engaged, less overwhelmed, and more comfortable taking part in the ...

After years a s a practicing physician, Dr. William Hauter decided there was another way he could give back to his community: as an elected official representing first his county and now district in Illinois. In this Member Spotlight, Dr. Hauter—a state ...

There is an expectation — even a recommendation — among many that it's better to practice in a more traditional setting before embarking on a career as a locums anesthesiologist. In this Member Spotlight, early-career anesthesiologist Dr. Adam Moore ...

For over a decade, Dr. Stephen Jackson served as chair of the ASA Committee on Ethics, and he served for over three decades as a member on both the ASA Committee on Occupational Health and the ASA Committee on Physician Well-Being. It’s a powerful trifecta ...

Within six short years in the dynamic field of regional anesthesia and acute pain management, Dr. Christian Horazeck has already amassed a wealth of experience and insight. In this Member Spotlight, Dr. Horazeck highlights innovative strategies that improve ...

Dr. Elisha Peterson is a Harvard-trained, triple-boarded anesthesiologist who has since added “podcast host” and “TEDx speaker” to her already impressive resume. In this Member Spotlight, she explains how her many professional activities and interests ...

Dr. Mary Arthur recently returned from a mission trip to Ghana sponsored by Internal Healthcare Volunteers (IHCV). In this Member Spotlight, she shares her commitment to medical education and clinical care programs worldwide, including her work on ASA's ...

Over the past five years Dr. Elizabeth Hansen has made it a personal and professional goal to reduce the environmental impact of anesthesia. In this Member Spotlight, she gets granular about the various projects she's working on to help hospitals cut ...

This past January, anesthesiology resident Dr. Neal Al-Attar boarded a plane to the Philippines to participate in a global health mission. Over three days, he and his fellow volunteers performed nearly 30 cases. In this Member Spotlight, Dr. Al-Attar ...

Dr. Allison Fernandez isn't afraid to ask the hard questions. For the past two years, she's directed that inquisitive nature toward women in the field of anesthesiology, asking them about their lives and careers in often very personal terms. Her video ...

When Dr. Emily Hagn received her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020, she was so excited that she asked to keep the vial. At the time, she had no idea that her spur-of-the-moment decision would grow into a multimedia art installation featuring ...

This September we go "back to school" for an interview with Dr. Michaela Farber, whose career in academia is off to a mighty impressive start. In this Member Spotlight, she shares her hopes for the next generation of anesthesiologists, how things are ...

August is often referred to as the "dog days of summer," a time when many of us feel a little sluggish and – hey, we'll say it – maybe just a tiny bit lazy. This month we bring you the story of Dr. Zohra Salahuddin, who is anything but. Speaker of many ...

Happy Independence Day! This month we catch up with Dr. Gary Lawson-Boucher, anesthesiologist and veteran of the U.S. Navy. In this ASA Member Spotlight, he shares how serving in the military helped shape him as a physician and a person. You served ...

June is Pride month, an annual celebration of LGBTQ+ identity and freedom of expression. For this Member Spotlight we reached out to Dr. Travis Reece-Nguyen, a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at both Stanford Medical School and the ...

When she isn’t researching new, non-opioid treatments for pain, Denise Lester, MD, is raising awareness and prevention of opioid use among hundreds of at-risk teens. In this ASA Member Spotlight, she shares how she got involved on both sides of this important ...

Researchers seeking to quantify the impact of physician burnout have their work cut out for them. In this ASA Member Spotlight, Anoushka Afonso, MD, FASA, shares how she and her colleagues went about conducting the first large-scale study of physician ...

“Peer support” is one of those phrases we think we understand until we encounter it in a very specific context. In this ASA Member Spotlight, Julie Crichton, MD, outlines the key principles of Peer Support as it relates to the practice of medicine and ...

As an anesthesiologist and pain physician who just happens to be a woman, Alopi Patel, MD, has seen firsthand how gender disparities persist in our understanding of women’s health-related pain conditions. In this ASA Member Spotlight, she shares how she ...

Ever since his grandfather’s surgeon invited him to visit the OR as a teenager, Ty Slatton, MD, FASA, has had the bug. Now he’s bringing that enthusiasm to his work with medical students, exposing them to the realities and opportunities of practicing ...

For Michael Fabbro, DO, the “busyness” of a thriving cardiac surgery service served as inspiration to pursue a business degree. In this ASA Member Spotlight, he discusses how hard work, smart management, and a commitment to mentoring the next generation ...

@John Sudkamp, MD took a circuitous route to anesthesiology following a stint in the Navy and a two-year hitch as a surgery resident. He’s since landed right back where he started, near his hometown in south-central Illinois, where he now practices in ...

Prepping for surgery is a daily occurrence for anesthesiologists, but for many patients it’s uncharted and potentially scary territory. In this ASA Member Spotlight, perioperative medicine specialist Jeanna Blitz, MD, FASA, highlights the power of a collaborative, ...

Amber Brooks, MD, is an anesthesiologist and researcher studying chronic pain in older minority populations. She’s also an educator and mentor. In this ASA Member Spotlight, she shares her insights on guarding against bias in patient care, the future ...

Studying disparities in children’s oral health may seem like an unconventional choice for an anesthesiologist, but for Helen Lee MD, MPH, it’s a calling. In this ASA Member Spotlight, Dr. Lee discusses her research at the intersection of medicine and ...

Assuming the top job in any organization has its challenges — and that’s before taking COVID into account. For ASA President Beverly Philip, MD, FACA, FASA, a healthy sense of adventure helps keep things in perspective. In this Member Spotlight, Dr. Philip ...

The standard of medical care shouldn’t change depending on who and where you are in the U.S., but that’s the reality for millions of Americans. Anesthesiologist Adam Milam, MD, PhD, has made it his mission to study the underlying factors that contribute ...

Catherine Kuhn, MD, knows there are some in the medical community who still view “burnout” as a sign that certain physicians just can’t cut it. In this Member Spotlight, she tells ASA Community how she’s working to counteract the old thinking both personally ...

William Hartman, MD, PhD, hasn’t only been on the front lines of the global pandemic – he’s been at the forefront of U.S. clinical trials to treat and vaccinate against COVID-19. In this ASA Community Member Spotlight, he takes us behind the scenes of ...

Mark Polak, DO, FASA, has consistently gone the extra mile in his career, earning his certification in pediatric anesthesiology at the earliest opportunity. In this ASA Community Member Spotlight, he shares his experience serving as the solo anesthesiologist ...

Julie Freed, MD, PhD, splits her professional time between cardiac anesthesiology and vascular biology, with a couple other high-profile roles thrown in the mix. In this Member Spotlight, she tells ASA Community about her practice, her research, and her ...

Now Residency Program Director at Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. @Annemarie Thompson, MD has seen her professional life come full circle since earning her MD from Duke nearly 25 years ago. In this ASA Member Spotlight, she discusses how medical ...

The medical school years are tough by any standard. For @Jared Sharza , the COVID-19 pandemic put his academic training on pause at the exact moment his clinical rotations were set to begin. In this Member Spotlight, he shares how working as an EMT at ...

Robert Gaiser, MD, FASA , always wanted to be a doctor - just ask his mom. In this Member Spotlight, Dr. Gaiser shares how his laser focus on a medical career and anesthesiology as a specialty hasn't stopped him from engaging with his community on a ...

Nominated by @Mary Gibbons, MD , MD: “Of the three women residents I knew in residency, I went to Columbia for a cardiac fellowship, my co-chief went to a critical care fellowship, and the third went to a pediatrician cardiac fellowship. Other attendings ...

Dr. Alessia Pedoto is an Italian transplant who has spent most of her anesthesiology career in New York, where she completed her residency and has practiced for more than 20 years. In this Member Spotlight, she tells ASA Community about her initial culture ...

This past summer, Dr. Lee Fleisher was tapped as Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) at CMS - responsible for the quality of care for 147 million Americans. In this Member Spotlight, he tells ASA ...

Member Spotlight: @Robert Koebert, MD, FASA , MD, FASA Nominated by: @James Mesrobian, MD, MBA, FACHE, FASA , MD, FASA Reason for Nomination: "He is a great advocate and wonderful example of an ‘older’ anesthesiologist who remains engaged." ...

Member Spotlight: @Lois Connolly , MD, FASA Nominated by: @Jesse Ehrenfeld , MD, FASA Reason for Nomination: "She created and leads a highly successful AA training program!" (Is there an ASA member you'd like to nominate for a Spotlight? ...

Member Spotlight: @Tracey Straker, MD, MPH, MS, FASA , MD, MPH, MS, FASA Nominated by: @Crystal Wright, MD, FASA , MD, FASA Reason for Nomination: "She's director of the ASA Mentoring Program and has done remarkable work!" (Is there an ASA member ...