Explore UAB

Jeff Simmons, M.D., MSHQS, FASA, shares how his time in the Air Force transformed him into the health care leader he is today.

The following are monthly updates from the UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine Education Division. 

National Presentations

Sadis Matalon, Ph.D., ScD, FAPS, the Alice McNeal Endowed Chair in Anesthesiology and a distinguished professor at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, is the 2024 recipient of the American Physiological Society’s (APS) Physiology in Perspective: The Walter B. Cannon Award.

In March 2024, anesthesiologists from the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine embarked on a seven-day medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic, supported by the Hispaniola Medical Charity organization.

The following are monthly updates from the UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine Education Division.

Community Outreach

The following was sent on behalf of Dan Berkowitz, M.D.

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to announce that the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine has appointed Beomjy Kim Ohlman, M.D., as the associate medical director of the UAB Preoperative Assessment, Consultation & Treatment Clinic (PACT).

During this season of love, and with Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, we tell the story of a truly inspirational couple in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine: Hanna Hussey, M.D., and Patrick Hussey, M.D.

In the fast-paced environment of health care, demanding careers often dictate life’s rhythm. For the Husseys, their journey began in residency at Columbia University where they met in July of their intern year. By the following September, the couple headed to Las Vegas to officially tie the knot in a drive-thru wedding ceremony.

The following was sent on behalf of Dan Berkowitz, M.D.

Dear Colleagues,

After a rigorous search committee process, it is with great pleasure that the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine announces the appointment of John Huidekoper, M.D., as the co-medical director of the anesthesia labs.

The following message was sent on behalf of Dan Berkowitz, M.D.

Dear Colleagues,

After a rigorous search committee process, it is with great pleasure that the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine announces the appointment of Justin Routman, M.D., MSHA, as the associate vice chair for the Division of Multispecialty Anesthesia.

Thank you to all of our faculty and staff members who attended the departmental Holiday Party held on December 8, 2023, at The Fennec. Click through our photo gallery to see the photos from the party, taken by Nik Layman. 

“We strive to optimize the perioperative care of our patients by building and promoting an inclusive, respectful, and fulfilling anesthesia care team.”

Less than five years ago when the Anesthesia Care Team Optimization Committee (ACTOC) was formed, this mission may have seemed lofty for the institution and unheard of by colleagues across academic medical centers. Now with a diligent, compassionate group of anesthesia faculty, residents, and certified nurse anesthetists, the mission is being acted upon and tangible changes are being made to improve our teams as well as our patients’ care.

Each year on the third Friday of March, there is an excitement that fills the air throughout the department. Faculty and residents buzz while gathering around TVs and in conference rooms, logging in to watch UAB’s live feed of Match Day. This celebration is the culmination of months of work, countless hours of interviews, and a team that is devoted to recruiting the best of the best each year.

UAB Medicine Anesthesiology is pleased to announce the launch of its first podcast for medical professionals.

Fresh Flow is a collaboration between UAB Medicine and the Association of Anesthesia Clinical Directors (AACD) and hosted by UAB’s Matthew Sherrer, M.D. MBA, FASA, FAACD, and Mitchell H. Tsai, M.D., MMM, FASA, FAACD, from the University of Vermont.

Colleagues,

One of the most important instruments for sustaining scholarship at an academic institution is the implementation of endowments. They provide a steady, stable source of money for research and act as important tools for recruitment and retention of talented faculty. Moreover, endowments add prestige and esteem to the faculty who hold them.

Our team outside of the hospital in Lusaka, ZambiaIn August 2023, two faculty members and two senior residents from the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine travelled to the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia, to take part in an international rotation. 

Two esteemed researchers from the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine were recently awarded funding from the UAB Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Blazer Bridge Fund.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine is privileged to announce the promotion and tenure of three esteemed faculty members, effective Oct. 1, 2023. 

The following is a personal message from Dan E. Berkowitz, M.D., Alfred Habeeb Professor and Chair for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine.

The Division of Molecular and Translational Biomedicine aims to “develop highly innovative research programs spanning from the bench to the bedside,” and this was fulfilled in 2022 when the department welcomed Lingyong Li, Ph.D., to the UAB family.

The following is a message from Alfred Habeeb Professor and Chair Dan Berkowitz, M.D.

Colleagues,

It is with much enthusiasm that I announce that Patrick Hussey, M.D., has been appointed to serve as the Director of Clinical Faculty Assignments and Scheduling for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine.