An announcement from Michael S. Avidan, MBBCh, FCASA, Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology, and Head of the Department of Anesthesiology:
Molly McCormick, M.D., has graciously agreed to serve as the Chief of the Division of General Anesthesiology, effective January 1, 2020. This is one of the most complex and diverse divisions within the Anesthesiology Department.
For the last half year, Dr. McCormick has been the Associate Chief for the Division of General Anesthesiology. In the Division Chief role, Dr. McCormick will prioritize the delivery of outstanding clinical care while simultaneously supporting the careers and growth of our faculty, CRNAs, fellows, residents, SRNAs, and staff. Dr. McCormick will lead strategic planning and goal setting for the Division, as well as help with faculty recruitment efforts and mentorship. She will assist in the development and oversight of all the administrative functions of the Division including policies, resident and fellow training, conferences, and quality improvement, among other duties. She will also work closely with the Chair, Vice Chairs and Executive Director of the Department of the Anesthesiology Department to manage financial, academic, and educational issues, and she will partner with the BJH Chief of Clinical Anesthesiology / Vice Chair for Hospital System Liaison to develop and implement care models and practice parameters for operative and procedural anesthesiology. She will prioritize collaboration with colleagues across the Department of Anesthesiology, as well as the academic medical center more broadly, to promote a culture of safety and enhance quality outcomes.
Dr. McCormick is a graduate of the highly selective University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine 6-year combined B.A./M.D. program. She trained in anesthesiology at St. Joseph Hospital in Syracuse, NY, and then completed a year of specialty training at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Dr. McCormick worked as an attending in private practice for several years before returning to her true passion in academia at Tampa General Hospital. She supervised the transition of the group’s move into St. Petersburg General Hospital where she ultimately became Chief of Anesthesia from 2003-2005. In 2006 we were fortunate to recruit Dr. McCormick to Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM), where she quickly established herself as an exceptional clinician and leader. She was recently the Clinical Director and Anesthesiology POD 4 Leader in our Department and is very active in the training of our residents, regional fellows, and SRNAs. Dr. McCormick also serves on the Gender Equity Committee here at WUSM and is an advocate for and mentor to many junior colleagues and trainees. Dr. McCormick has spent the past four years planning and coordinating the anesthesiology team for multiple surgical mission trips through Surgical Outreach for the Americas (SOfA), a nonprofit organization that provides surgical services for the underserved in developing countries of Central and South America.
Dr. Guido Musch has led the Division of General Anesthesiology over the past four years and has made many important contributions in this role. Some of his notable accomplishments were the recruitment of faculty members to the department during a time of clinical expansion, advancement of faculty development through a visiting professor exchange program, successful promotion of several faculty members, academic mentorship of early-stage scholars, support and development of three fellowships within the Division, initiation of the Carl Nielsen Faculty Award, launch of the faculty advisor mentoring program, and financial growth of the Division.
Please join me thanking Dr. Musch and in congratulating Dr. McCormick. We are delighted that she has accepted this position, and we look forward to working with her in her new role.
Michael Avidan, MBBCh, FCASA
Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology
Head of the Department of Anesthesiology
Anesthesiologist-in-Chief, Barnes-Jewish Hospital