Bethany is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU. She has primarily worked as a clinical pharmacy specialist in various ICUs across BJH, most notably in the CTICU. Now, with a focus on research, education, and quality improvement, she supports various initiatives across WashU. She is a Study Director for the THRIVE trial and collaborates with the Center for Perioperative Mental Health as a pharmacy consultant and co-investigator. She co-leads the Pharmacology Thread for the Gateway Curriculum through the Office of Medical School Education and supports education needs within the department, at Goldfarb School of Nursing, and University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy. Additionally, she works with the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group (MPOG) supporting QI measures and priorities. Outside of work, Bethany loves a good workout, hanging out with her husband, Rob, and their three energetic kids (ages 5, 4, and 1), exploring local restaurants, and supporting her husband run their own restaurant, City Park Grill.
A typical day for me can vary week to week and month to month, depending on the specific demands of the areas I support. That being said, in light of our current St. Louis weather trends, I decided to break down the most recent snow day.
4:00 AM – Unexpected Phone Alert. Parkway schools and Hope Montessori daycare “will be closed today due to inclement weather.” I roll over and groan, “Again?!”
I nudge my husband, trying to be as sweet as possible, “Looks like you’re up this time…” Instant memories of last week’s snow day, when I attempted to work from home with three small children at my feet.
5:00 AM – Alarm goes off. Time to gear up in my workout clothes and head to the basement for a quick workout. I quietly crack open my door, praying no kid hears me. Success! I tiptoe across the hall, knowing the slightest creak will trigger my 5-year-old into full “lights on, let’s eat!” mode. With ninja-like precision, I avoid the squeaky 4th step and make it down to the basement treadmill in silence. As I work out, I try to predict which child will sneak their way down, already wide awake but still asking, “can I wake up now?”
Surprisingly, I finish without anyone waking up—until 6 AM when I drop the blow dryer on the bathroom floor. Cue the light switch flips and the hurried footstep stampede.
I think to myself, “Sorry hun… you’ve got this!”
By 6:15 AM, I’m out the door, feeling victorious that this “snow day” just saved me 1.5 hours of chasing kids around to get them dressed, fed, packed and ready for various school drop-offs. Instead, I grab coffee, enjoy a peaceful, rush-hour-free drive to work, and tune into The Daily’s latest podcast: “The Interview. Denzel Washington Has Finally Found His Purpose.” I only make it to the awkward interviewer part and spend the rest of the day wondering if it gets less cringey.
6:45 AM – I make it to grand rounds. I greet colleagues I rarely get to see in person and catch up with my long-time friend, Charl, about his upcoming birthday.
8:00 AM – After grand rounds, I head to my office in NWT, eagerly anticipating the usual friendly smiles and “good mornings” from Shirley, Devin, Patrick, Kelsey, Rachel, Rich, Erin, Amira, or Andi.
Next hour: emails sorted, to-do list plotted, and a quick text to Shayna to check in on the first THRIVE case of day. She gives a rundown of our case schedule and catches me up on morning activities thus far and the plan for the day. Stephen is covering the cases so I’m feeling confident and encouraged it will be a smooth day.
9:30 AM – Off to McDonnell Medical Sciences Building for a 90-minute pharmacology session on Adverse Drug Reactions with Phase 3 WashU medical students.
11:15 AM – Grab a quick lunch to go and head back to the office to prep for my next twomeetings with THRIVE sites: University of Pennsylvania and Weill Cornell. With my partner-in-crime, Laura Swisher, we dive into study metrics, delirium assessments, challenges, lessons learned, and strategies to keep sites on track for patient enrollment, intervention adherence, and data collection.
2:30 PM – Join a call with MPOG Cardiac Subcommittee leaders to review ABX-04-C, a new quality measure developed to assess appropriate antibiotic selection for open cardiac cases. We revise the language in the measure, update references, and assess international performance.
3:30 PM – 4:15 PM – Log into REDCap to review and fix medication data collection queries sent over the day before for ongoing studies through the Center for Perioperative Mental Health.
4:30 PM – Email cleanup followed by a casual stroll to the parking garage. I don’t have to rush to daycare in order to avoid a “late pick-up fine” today so I’m already feeling at ease. It’s snowing now, but it’s light, fluffy, and peaceful. I pick up where I left off on the Denzel podcast, and to my relief, it actually gets better toward the end.
5:30 PM – Home. I walk into all three kids running toward me, each with big hugs, snotty noses, and messy hair…still in their PJs from the night before. My 5-year-old asks, “What’s for dinner?!” Rob gives me a tired smile from behind his computer, where he’s been juggling City Park Grill’s menu changes, payroll, and food orders while navigating the chaos of giggles, tears, snacks, and Play-Doh.
I hang my coat, drop my bag, and embrace the transition into my next, most important role of the day: being a mom.
Why should women in our department attend the WoW Retreat in April?
I’ve attended both of the previous WOW events, and each one has been an incredible opportunity to connect with amazing women in our department. With activities like yoga, painting, making floral arrangements, listening to motivational speakers, and interacting with a women’s panel, you’ll leave feeling energized and inspired.