Staff Physician/Cardiac Anesthesiology

Staff Physician (Anesthesiologist)

The Staff Physician (Anesthesiologist) provides professional anesthesiology services to patients at VA St. Louis Health Care System. The responsibilities include preoperative evaluation, intraoperative anesthesia, postoperative care, and acute pain management. The physician will work in accordance with the facility's policies, procedures, and guidelines.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Preoperative Evaluation: Conduct thorough preoperative assessments including obtaining patients' medical histories, performing physical examinations, order and interpret necessary preoperative tests and investigations. Develop individualized anesthesia care plans suited to the patient's clinical needs and procedural requirements and reviewing diagnostic tests and lab results. Determine risk factors and plan anesthesia care.
• Intraoperative Anesthesia: Administer anesthesia (general, regional, local) to patients undergoing surgical, diagnostic, or therapeutic procedures. Monitor patients during procedures, adjusting anesthetics as necessary. Utilize a range of techniques such as inhalation agents, intravenous medication, nerve blocks, and spinal or epidural anesthesia. Implement and follow safety protocols to minimize the risk of adverse reactions and complications.
• Postoperative Care: Provide postoperative care to ensure patients safely recover from anesthesia. Manage pain and address any complications that may arise. Oversee the recovery of patients from anesthesia in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Assess and manage postoperative pain using multimodal analgesia techniques. Address postoperative complications related to anesthesia, such as nausea, vomiting, delirium, or respiratory issues.
• Pain Management: Assess and manage acute and chronic pain in patients. Devise and implement pain management plans.
• Critical Care: Provide anesthesiology services in critical care environments, including intensive care units (ICU). Manage critically ill patients, addressing issues related to ventilation, hemodynamic instability, and multi-organ support.
• Cardiac Anesthesia: Provide anesthesia care alone and/or with nurse anesthetists, and/or with student nurse anesthetists and anesthesia residents. Administrative duties include participation in hospital committees, academic presentations, and participation in M and M, and Performance Improvement activities. Provide anesthesia care to all Cardiac Cases, Structural Heart Procedures and perform Intra-op TEE (TEE certification recommended)
• Education and Training: Participate in the education and training of medical students, residents, and other healthcare professionals. Provide mentorship and guidance as appropriate.
• Quality Improvement: Engage in continuous quality improvement processes. Participate in departmental or facility committees to improve patient care and services.
• Anesthesia Administration: Administer various types of anesthesia, including general, regional, local, and sedation, based on the nature of the procedure and patient-specific factors. Utilize a range of techniques such as inhalation agents, intravenous medication, nerve blocks, and spinal or epidural anesthesia. Implement and follow safety protocols to minimize the risk of adverse reactions and complications.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Some weekends, holidays, and cardiac on call required.