Dear
Colleagues [back]
I would like to welcome you to another
issue of Anesthesiology News. Since the last issue there have been important
changes to our Editorial Staff. Unfortunately, we have lost the very capable
services of Patty Boyle, who was our production editor and upon who’s
writing and interviewing talents we heavily depended. Patty has been reassigned
to other duties in the department. We wish her well in her new position.
Despite this loss we are determined to continue to provide to members
of our community and other interested readers an informative, well-written
and scholarly Newsletter, on a bi-annual basis. I continue to benefit
from the excellent assistance of Mr. Brad Stezoski, Webmaster. No other
changes in format or content are planned for the near future.
In this issue we have examined our department’s contributions to
the field of Anesthesia mechanisms. This process was a learning experience
for me in that I was unaware of the many outstanding contributions that
have been and are being made by our research colleagues. I hope you enjoy
reading it. I have also included part II of the series on Anesthesia and
Disaster Medicine. Also, in this issue you will find updates on the various
activities of the anesthesia departments of the institutions that comprise
our far-flung UPMC Health System. If you have questions or comments please
do not hesitate to submit those either directly to me or through the feedback
section in the Newsletter.
It is worth noting that several faculty members have received special recognition. Dr. Etsuro Motoyama received the Robert M. Smith Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, Dr. Sivam Ramanathan, was given the Nils Loefgren Award from the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP). Dr. Peter Safar was conferred an honorary doctorate at the recent University of Pittsburgh Honors Convocation.
These are outstanding accomplishments and a reminder of the high caliber of faculty we are fortunate to have among our ranks. On behalf of Dr. Williams and members of the department, I would like to congratulate these individuals for their achievements. More details can be found in the Awards and Honors Section.
I would like to thank all who have taken the
time to contribute to this Newsletter. It is only as good as the content,
and the content depends on you.
Sincerely,
Ernesto Pretto