Michael Gropper Appointed Chair of Anesthesia

Michael Gropper, MD, PhD, has been appointed chair of the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, effective September 1, 2015. Gropper has served as interim chair of the department since April 1, 2014.

Gropper is a professor of anesthesia and perioperative care. In addition, he is a professor of physiology and an investigator in the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI). He is internationally known for his work in improving outcomes in critically ill patients and has spearheaded successful efforts to reduce hospital-acquired harm in the ICU, especially catheter-related bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia.

His research interests include acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis, transfusion lung injury, and teamwork and communication in the ICU. He is the principal investigator of Project EMERGE at UCSF, a comprehensive program to prevent harm and engage patients and families in their care in the ICU. Gropper has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has received both NIH and private foundation funding for his work.

Gropper will lead the third largest department in the UCSF School of Medicine with over 125 faculty, 88 housestaff members, and 20 fellows. The Department has very active clinical units at UCSF Medical Center, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, San Francisco General Hospital and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center The Department, which provides anesthesia service in more than 50 locations daily, consistently ranks among the nation’s top departments of anesthesia and has ranked first in NIH funding for anesthesia for 10 of the previous 11 years.

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