ASA Member Spotlight



Can you think of a colleague or mentor who has particularly inspired you in your career? Nominate them for our next Member Spotlight! This quick-hit Q&A series is designed to highlight the breadth of professional and personal experience among ASA's membership. Everyone has a story to tell - nominate a friend today.


  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Ty Slatton Sees the Potential in Rural Access Care

    Ever since his grandfather’s surgeon invited him to visit the OR as a teenager, Ty Slatton, MD, FASA, has had the bug. Now he’s bringing that enthusiasm to his work with medical students, exposing them to the realities and opportunities of practicing ...

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Michael Fabbro Effects Culture Change Through Leading by Example

    For Michael Fabbro, DO, the “busyness” of a thriving cardiac surgery service served as inspiration to pursue a business degree. In this ASA Member Spotlight, he discusses how hard work, smart management, and a commitment to mentoring the next generation ...

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. John Sudkamp Is Right Where He Wants to Be

    @John Sudkamp took a circuitous route to anesthesiology following a stint in the Navy and a two-year hitch as a surgery resident. He’s since landed right back where he started, near his hometown in south-central Illinois, where he now practices in a ...

    2 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Jeanna Blitz on the Power of Perioperative Medicine

    Prepping for surgery is a daily occurrence for anesthesiologists, but for many patients it’s uncharted and potentially scary territory. In this ASA Member Spotlight, perioperative medicine specialist Jeanna Blitz, MD, FASA, highlights the power of a collaborative, ...

    2 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Amber Brooks on Health Equity and the Importance of Representation in Medicine

    Amber Brooks, MD, is an anesthesiologist and researcher studying chronic pain in older minority populations. She’s also an educator and mentor. In this ASA Member Spotlight, she shares her insights on guarding against bias in patient care, the future ...

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Helen Lee on the Health-Equity Crisis in Pediatric Dental Care

    Studying disparities in children’s oral health may seem like an unconventional choice for an anesthesiologist, but for Helen Lee MD, MPH, it’s a calling. In this ASA Member Spotlight, Dr. Lee discusses her research at the intersection of medicine and ...

    5 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: ASA President Dr. Beverly Philip

    Assuming the top job in any organization has its challenges — and that’s before taking COVID into account. For ASA President Beverly Philip, MD, FACA, FASA, a healthy sense of adventure helps keep things in perspective. In this Member Spotlight, Dr. Philip ...

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Adam Milam Is a Public-Health Triple Threat

    The standard of medical care shouldn’t change depending on who and where you are in the U.S., but that’s the reality for millions of Americans. Young physician Adam Milam, MD, PhD, has made it his mission to study the underlying factors that contribute ...

    4 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Catherine Kuhn on Shifting Attitudes Toward Physician Burnout

    Catherine Kuhn, MD, knows there are some in the medical community who still view “burnout” as a sign that certain physicians just can’t cut it. In this Member Spotlight, she tells ASA Community how she’s working to counteract the old thinking both personally ...

    4 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. William Hartman on the U.S. Effort to Treat and Prevent COVID-19

    William Hartman, MD, PhD, hasn’t only been on the front lines of the global pandemic – he’s been at the forefront of U.S. clinical trials to treat and vaccinate against COVID-19. In this ASA Community Member Spotlight, he takes us behind the scenes of ...

    2 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Mark Polak Goes the Extra Mile for His Patients

    Mark Polak, DO, FASA, has consistently gone the extra mile in his career, earning his certification in pediatric anesthesiology at the earliest opportunity. In this ASA Community Member Spotlight, he shares his experience serving as the solo anesthesiologist ...

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Julie Freed - Practicing Physician, Research Scientist, and Mentor for Women in Her Field

    Julie Freed, MD, PhD, splits her professional time between cardiac anesthesiology and vascular biology, with a couple other high-profile roles thrown in the mix. In this Member Spotlight, she tells ASA Community about her practice, her research, and her ...

    4 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Annemarie Thompson on Training the Next Generation of Anesthesiologists and COVID-19's Lasting Impacts

    Now Residency Program Director at Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. @Annemarie Thompson has seen her professional life come full circle since earning her MD from Duke nearly 25 years ago. In this ASA Member Spotlight, she discusses how medical ...

    2 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Anesthesiology Hopeful Jared Sharza on How Working As an EMT During the Pandemic Made Him a Better Medical Student

    The medical school years are tough by any standard. For @Jared Sharza , the COVID-19 pandemic put his academic training on pause at the exact moment his clinical rotations were set to begin. In this Member Spotlight, he shares how working as an EMT at ...

    2 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Robert Gaiser on Commitment, Community, and the Job He Loves

    Robert Gaiser, MD, FASA , always wanted to be a doctor - just ask his mom. In this Member Spotlight, Dr. Gaiser shares how his laser focus on a medical career and anesthesiology as a specialty hasn't stopped him from engaging with his community on a ...

    3 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Regina Fragneto on Women in Leadership, High-Impact Journal Articles, and the Future of Virtual Recruitment

    Nominated by @Mary Gibbons , MD: “Of the three women residents I knew in residency, I went to Columbia for a cardiac fellowship, my co-chief went to a critical care fellowship, and the third went to a pediatrician cardiac fellowship. Other attendings ...

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Alessia Pedoto on Culture Shock, Her Path to U.S. Practice, and the Many Mentors Who've Helped Along the Way

    Dr. Alessia Pedoto is an Italian transplant who has spent most of her anesthesiology career in New York, where she completed her residency and has practiced for more than 20 years. In this Member Spotlight, she tells ASA Community about her initial culture ...

    4 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Lee Fleisher on His CMO Role at CMS, His Near-Miss As a Transplant Surgeon, and the Perils of Publishing

    This past summer, Dr. Lee Fleisher was tapped as Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) at CMS - responsible for the quality of care for 147 million Americans. In this Member Spotlight, he tells ASA ...

    2 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: After Nearly 40 Years in Anesthesiology, Dr. Robert Koebert Takes a Wide-Angle View of the Specialty

    Member Spotlight: @Robert Koebert , MD, FASA Nominated by: @James Mesrobian , MD, FASA Reason for Nomination: "He is a great advocate and wonderful example of an ‘older’ anesthesiologist who remains engaged." (Is there an ASA member you'd like ...

    3 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Lois Connolly on What Makes a Great Anesthesiologist, Outrunning COVID, and the Dangers of "Time Creep"

    Member Spotlight: @Lois Connolly , MD, FASA Nominated by: @Jesse Ehrenfeld , MD, FASA Reason for Nomination: "She created and leads a highly successful AA training program!" (Is there an ASA member you'd like to nominate for a Spotlight? ...

    2 people like this.

  • Member Spotlight: Dr. Tracey Straker - Anesthesiology Mentor, Would-Be TV Anchorwoman, Motorcycle Enthusiast

    Member Spotlight: @Tracey Straker , MD, MPH, MS, FASA Nominated by: @Crystal Wright , MD, FASA Reason for Nomination: "She's director of the ASA Mentoring Program and has done remarkable work!" (Is there an ASA member you'd like to nominate ...

    2 people like this.