Anesthesiology

Quality and Innovation

Our department is dedicated to providing patient care that exceeds expectations and national standards in the quality, safety and innovative practice of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine.

Quality

Through leading-edge programs and systems improvements, we help our physicians, residents, nurses and staff create optimal conditions for successful procedures of all kinds in patients of every age. The result: our patients eat, drink and get out of bed quickly after surgery, have shorter hospital stays, and report ever-better satisfaction with post-operative control.

Here are some highlights of our current and ongoing quality initiatives:

  • The Preoperative Evaluation and Planning Center (PEPC) conducts comprehensive screenings which alert physicians and patients to possible high-risk conditions, facilitate coordinated care between specialties, and reduce surgical cancellations and delays.
  • Our Complex Care Team (CCT) creates multidisciplinary treatment plans for complicated cases, enabling us to reduce the need for postoperative ICU admissions and shorten the patient’s hospital stay.
  • The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Collaborative has developed successful patient-care protocols to reduce the need for opioid pain medications, prevent nausea, and streamline the pathway from surgery to discharge and a comfortable return home. 
  • Our Peer Support Pilot Program trains colleagues to provide support whenever needed by physicians, nurses and staff, helping them navigate what can be a stressful environment in our busy hospital, and helping each other reach the mutual goals of satisfaction and wellness at work and in their personal lives.
  • Our state-of-the-art Simulation Center trains physicians, nurses, and students in a 9,000 square foot, newly renovated facility with computerized simulation rooms set up exactly like operating rooms and intensive care units, debriefing areas for reviewing performance, and a small army of mannequins. It helps students and experienced clinicians alike to improve their performance, shorten response times, and rehearse the effective use of clinical skills and protocols so that they are ready for any emergency situation. 

Patients, future patients, parents, family members – please visit our Anesthesiology Medical Services section, where you’ll find information about different kinds of anesthesia and pain relief, what to expect before and after surgery, and answers to many more questions you might have.

If you are a healthcare professional or student who’d like to read more about the scientific and medical dimensions of our quality programs, please visit our Division of Perioperative Medicine website for additional information.