Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine

The Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is known for providing superb clinical care, exciting and innovative research, and outstanding training programs in a warm, friendly and supportive environment. Whether you are a patient, a physician colleague or a trainee, we hope that you will find this site useful and informative.

We offer a wide variety of clinical experiences, including anesthesia for diverse procedures from complex cardiovascular reconstructions to community office-based practice, a busy regional program, a large obstetric service, and superlative training in critical care and pain management. The faculty takes pride in providing an outstanding educational experience, with an emphasis on personal mentoring, strong didactics, and innovative use of simulation.

Our research interests range from basic science- such as pain mechanisms and neural encoding, pulmonary mechanics, and vascular biology; to clinical- innovative treatment of migraine headaches, ventilator management in acute lung injury, efficacy of tight glucose control in vascular surgery patients, and the use of real-time 3-D echocardiography in cardiac surgery; to health services and safety- the effect of team training on outcomes in labor and delivery. We run several engaging, cutting-edge national and international CME courses, including a novel echocardiography preceptorship in which participants spend up to a week one-on-one with our faculty in the OR and lab learning advanced TEE techniques. Our innovative "Faculty Hour" program, in which we delay the start of the operating room by a half hour each Tuesday, provides a unique infrastructure and protected time for anesthesiologists, surgeons, nurses, and other colleagues to meet to work collaboratively on front-line motivated projects to improve care, efficiency, patient experience, safety, and teamwork providing an outstanding educational experience, with an emphasis on personal mentoring, strong didactics, and innovative use of simulation.

As Chairman, I can personally attest to the unique collaborative environment here in the Department, in the operating rooms, and throughout the Medical Center- it is truly "Harvard with a heart." We have many exciting new programs including a categorical internship, increased opportunities for resident involvement in research, and innovative ways to introduce new educational methods. Please take the opportunity to learn about our Department through our website and contact us with any questions or comments.

The Clinical Anesthesia Program encompasses anesthesia for all of the operating rooms, labor and delivery, and non-operating room procedural areas. There are 39 operating rooms between the East and West campuses, located in 3 main suites (19 on Main West, 11 in Feldberg and 10 in the Shapiro Ambulatory suite). Procedural areas include 2 sets of GI suites, 3 EP suites, 2 Angio suites, INR, CT, MRI, ECT, Endovascular Procedure Suite. The West Procedure Center was revamped and adds 4 more procedure rooms. Clinical Anesthesia Divisions include cardiac, vascular, thoracic, orthopedic, neurosurgical, transplant, ambulatory, regional, GI, office based and obstetrical anesthesia

Our educational goal is to prepare the next generation of leaders in anesthesiology in a state-of-the-art environment that fosters mutual trust and respect amongst the entire team. The Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine offers outstanding training programs in all areas of anesthesia care. Dedicated faculty are committed to providing a comprehensive education in general anesthesia and its subspecialties. A wealth of educational opportunities are offered by more than 60 faculty members, many with subspecialty training and board certification in their area(s) of expertise. Our educational programs are supported by academic and clinical resources that contribute to this exceptional environment for training. The professional and personal satisfaction of each department member is paramount to the success of our patient care, teaching and research endeavors.