Research at the Harvard Anesthesia Departments.

1141 December 2014 W E are delighted that AnEsthEsiology is publishing this special Edition, highlighting research at the harvard-affiliated departments. harvard Medical school (hMs) is unusual, perhaps unique, in that it has approximately 10,000 faculty appointees, including many physicians with additional appointments at multiple affiliated and financially independent academic hospitals that provide clinical training to hMs students, residents, and fellows, and also accommodate academic researchers. There are currently four academic hospitals with anesthesia departments that are affiliated with hMs: Boston Children’s hospital, Brigham and Women’s hospital, Beth israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Massachusetts general hospital (Mgh). here, we briefly review the history of the Department of Anesthesia (traditionally Anaesthesia) at hMs, essentially that of its affiliated hospital departments, and some of their collaborative initiatives that have influenced patient care, trainee education, and research. The hMs Department of Anesthesia officially came into existence with the unanimous approval of the faculty on october 16, 1969, the date chosen to coincide with Ether Day.1 Before this, the hMs-affiliated hospitals had established autonomous anesthesia service groups, some functioning as academic departments. in 1936, Professor henry Knowles Beecher, M.D. (1904–1976) became the first anesthetist-in-chief at Mgh (established in 1811). subsequent chairs of the Mgh department have been Professor Richard Kitz, M.D. (Chair, 1969–1994), Professor Warren Zapol, M.D. (Chair, 1994–2008), and Professor Jeanine WienerKronish, M.D. (Chair, 2008 to present). Anesthesia at Peter Bent Brigham hospital was led from 1954 until 1979 by Professor leroy Vandam, M.D. (1914–2004). Vandam’s successor was Professor Benjamin Covino, M.D., Ph.D. (1914– 1991) (chair 1979–1991), who led the Brigham department through the 1980 merger with the Boston hospital for Women that created Brigham and Women’s hospital. subsequent Brigham and Women’s hospital chairs have been Professor simon gelman, M.D., Ph.D. (Chair, 1992–2002) and Professor Charles Vacanti, M.D. (Chair, 2002–2014). The Beth israel hospital (established in 1916) created an academic anesthesia department in 1969 chaired by Professor John hedley-Whyte, M.D. Professor Edward lowenstein, M.D., led the Beth israel hospital department from 1991 to 1998, and through a 1996 merger with the Deaconess hospital, creating the Beth israel Deaconess Medical Center. subsequent chairs of the Beth israel Deaconess Medical Center department have been Professor Carol Warfield, M.D. (Chair, 2000–2008) and Professor Brett simon, M.D., Ph.D. (Chair, 2008–2014). Boston Children’s hospital (established in 1869) first created a physician anesthesia department in 1946, led by Robert M. smith, M.D. (Clinical Professor, 1912–2009). in 1980, smith was succeeded by Milton Alper, M.D. (Associate Professor, 1930–1991) who also led the Boston hospital for Women group from 1969 to 1979. Professor Paul hickey, M.D., has chaired the Boston Children’s hospital department since 1992. This leadership history illustrates remarkable stability: over periods ranging from 45 to 78 yr, each department has had only three or four leaders. These leaders have consistently been physician-investigators, who have shown tremendous commitment to growing their research programs by recruiting, mentoring, and nurturing young investigators, and retaining established ones. The hMs Department of Anesthesia has no executive chair and is managed by an executive committee consisting of the chairs of the affiliated hospital departments with accredited residency and fellowship training programs. Executive committee members rotate as the recording secretary Research at the Harvard Anesthesia Departments