Jason G. Hirsch, MD

Dr. Hirsch is the Medical Director for obstetric anesthesia services at UCLA Santa Monica and trains the next generation of subspecialists as Director of UCLA's Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship — one of the top programs in the country.

He completed his residency and obstetric anesthesiology fellowship at UCLA, following an M.D. from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and a B.A. from the University of Miami, where he graduated cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology.

His clinical and academic work centers on high-risk obstetric anesthesia: preeclampsia, obstetric hemorrhage, and anesthetic management for parturients with complex cardiac and hematologic disease. He has led several quality improvement initiatives at UCLA, including the Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean Section (ERACS) program and the UCLA Santa Monica Massive Transfusion Project.

Clinical Focus

Preeclampsia & Hypertensive Disease

Anesthetic management of severe preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, with regular didactic teaching for residents and fellows.

Obstetric Hemorrhage

Built UCLA Santa Monica's rapid-infuser response protocol for massive obstetric hemorrhage, including staff training and blood bank coordination.

High-Risk Cardio-Obstetric Care

Member of UCLA's Cardio-Obstetric Committee; management of cardiovascular disease and pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy.

Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean

Created and continues to run UCLA's ERAC initiative to optimize intra- and postoperative outcomes for cesarean delivery.

Placenta Accreta Spectrum Anesthetic Management

Part of a large multidisciplinary team involved in planning and optimizing care for mothers with placenta accreta

Selected Publications

• ChapterPulmonary Aspiration and Interventions to Reduce Aspiration. In Pharmacology, Physiology and Practice in Obstetric Anesthesia (Kaye & Cornett, eds.), Ch. 48, 2025.
• EditorialSugammadex: A Review of the Considerations for Women of Childbearing Age. American Journal of Therapeutics, 30(2), 2023.
• EditorialSugammadex-Induced Bradycardia and Anaphylaxis and Proposed Mechanism for Adverse Events. American Journal of Therapeutics, 30(1), 2023.
• Case ReportSevere Hyperthermia With Altered Mental Status After Misoprostol Administration: Two Case Reports. Journal of Clinical Gynecology & Obstetrics, 12(3), 2023.
• Case ReportDoes Dexmedetomidine Improve or Worsen Restless Leg Syndrome Under Sedation. Case Reports in Critical Care, 2022.
• ResearchIntralipid Fails to Rescue Bupivacaine-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Late-Pregnant Rats. Frontiers in Medicine, 9:899036, 2022.
• Case ReportAbnormal Uterine Bleeding Following Lumbar Epidural Corticosteroid Injections and Facet Medial Branch Blocks. Pain Medicine, 13(9), 2012.

Societies & Service

Subcommittee Member, SOAP Governance & POCUS · American Society of Anesthesiologists · California Society of Anesthesiologists · Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology