Anesthesiology

Obstetric Anesthesiology

OB Anesthesia Division gathers for dinenr at restaurant
The Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology includes faculty members who specialize in obstetric anesthesiology and to providing excellent obstetric anesthesiology care. UCLA anesthesiologists provide obstetric anesthesia services at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (RRUMC) in Westwood Village, at the Santa Monica - UCLA Medical Center, and at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH).
 
At RRUMC, faculty members work in a multidisciplinary, collaborative, academic environment to educate UCLA anesthesiology residents and medical students. An attending anesthesiologist remains in the hospital around the clock to guide labor analgesia and handle emergencies. In 2024, RRUMC received the honor as a Center of Excellence for Obstetric Anesthesiology by Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology. You can learn more about this distinct honor in this news story linked here. 
SOAP Center of Excellence designation asset
 
We expect an annual volume of 1500-2000 births/year, including a wide variety of high-risk referral patients in need of care. The majority of laboring women receive labor epidurals from our service, but UCLA offers other pain management therapies for the labor and birth experience including nitrous oxide. We support each mother’s choices for pharmacologic and/or non-pharmacologic pain management.

For more information about our OB Anesthesia Fellowship, please click the link here: Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship

Brittany Burton - Research Training Grant

Brittany Burton, MD, MHS, MS receives SOAP-FAER Mentored Research Training Grant (MRTG)

Congratulations to Brittany Burton, MD for receiving the 2025 SOAP/FAER Mentored Research Training Grant at the @soap_hq Annual Meeting! Dr. Burton’s strong work, dedication, and passion for research in Obstetric Anesthesia and we are thrilled to celebrate alongside her. 

Brittany Burton, MD, MHS, MS | University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California)
Primary Mentor: Keith Norris, MD, PhD
Secondary Mentor: Christina Han, MD
Tertiary Mentor: Maxime Cannesson, MD, PhD
Additional Collaborators: Alex Bui, PhD; Eilon Gabel, MD; Rodney Gabriel, MD; Li-Jung Liang, PhD
Project Title: Determinants of Health and Machine Learning for Healthcare Utilization in Obstetric Care

Read the announcement

Physicians

Catherine M. Cha, MD

Catherine M. Cha, MD

Chief, Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology

Associate Clinical Professor

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Tina Yu, MD

Program Director, Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship

Assistant Clinical Professor

Jason G. Hirsch, MD

Jason G. Hirsch, MD

Medical Director of Santa Monica UCLA Obstetric Anesthesiology

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology

 

Joe C. Hong, MD

Joe C. Hong, MD

Executive Vice Chair

Clinical Professor

 

Richard Hong, MD, FASA

Richard Hong, MD, FASA

Clinical Professor

 

 

 

Judi A. Turner, MD, PhD

Judi A. Turner, MD, PhD

Vice Chair of Education 

Clinical Professor

Cristianna Vallera, MD

Cristianna Vallera, MD

Associate Clinical Professor

 

 

 

Burton, Brittany

Brittany Burton, MD, MAS, MHS

Assistant Clinical Professor

Jonathan Dahan, MD

Jonathan Dahan, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor