Our success is intimately linked to the accomplishments of each and every member of our department.
Each month, four members are nominated and featured to celebrate their commitment to patient care, education, and research.
Current Featured Anesthesiology Department Members
Catherine Gould, PA-C
Physician Assistant
Parita Jani, MD
ACTA Fellow
Sherry McKinnon
Manager of Clinical Research, Regulatory and Compliance
Andrew Schaffer, MD
Resident Physician
Featured Anesthesiology Department Members Archive
Catherine Gould, PA-C
Physician Assistant
Department of Anesthesiology APP of the Quarter: March 2026
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: April 2026
Catherine Gould, PA-C, has been a valued member of the Surgical Critical Care team in the Department of Anesthesiology since 2017. A St. Louis native, she earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical science from Maryville University before completing her Master of Medical Science at Saint Louis University in 2016.
Since joining the APP group, she has served as both a preceptor and mentor to new physician assistants and nurse practitioners, where she enjoys fostering confidence, independence, and learning.
Outside of work, Catherine loves traveling, exploring new restaurants, reading, baking, attending concerts, spending time in nature, particularly cycling and hiking, and enjoying time with her five nephews.
Catherine was named APP of the Quarter in March 2026. Here is what her nominators had to say:
“Recently, Catherine Gould was very patient in helping me understand the complexity of my patient. Every question I asked was answered with patience & making sure I understood what we were doing with the patient. She even mentioned that no question was a dumb question & that is very validating when you fully don’t understand the whole clinical picture of your patient.”
“Catherine Gould is an exceptional APP who consistently exemplifies reliability, professionalism, and kindness. She is a steady and trusted presence on the team, always level-headed, supportive, and willing to help wherever needed. Catherine serves as an outstanding mentor to our group, both formally and informally, and she sets the standard for the kind of clinician and colleague we all strive to be. She is an incredible preceptor and a true wealth of knowledge, always generous with her time and guidance. We are incredibly fortunate to have her on our team.”
Congratulations, Catherine!
Kathryn Gratza, CRNA, DNP
Nurse Anesthetist
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2025
Kathryn is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist in the Department of Anesthesiology, primarily serving the obstetric population at Missouri Baptist Medical Center.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bradley University, a Master of Science in Nursing from Saint Louis University, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Kathryn enjoys spending quality time with her daughter and family, reading, baking, and coaching volleyball.
Michael Green, MD
Resident Physician, Class of 2027
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: May 2025
Michael is a CA-1 in the anesthesiology residency class of 2027. Originally from Michigan and raised in St. Louis, he earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder. After college, Michael joined the Peace Corps and spent time teaching in Ecuador. He later moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he helped license and expand a free primary care clinic for uninsured individuals ineligible for public healthcare—an experience that sparked his passion for increasing access to high-quality medical care and ultimately inspired him to pursue a career in medicine.
In true adventurous spirit, Michael attended medical school at La Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. More than a decade after leaving St. Louis, he was excited to return home and join the department as a resident physician.
Michael values the exceptional training environment at WashU Medicine, where he sees a wide variety of complex cases as part of a quaternary care center, while also helping care for the local community in a safety-net hospital role. He’s proud to be part of a department that welcomes people from all backgrounds, including many who’ve followed nontraditional paths—just like him.
Outside the hospital, Michael enjoys hiking, traveling with his wife and dogs, and cycling. A personal goal of his is to visit every U.S. National Park—he’s already made it to 23, with 40 more to go!
Ottavia Green, MD
Resident Physician, Class of 2023
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: May 2021
Ottavia is a current CA-1 resident in the Department of Anesthesiology. She was born and raised in Jamaica and migrated to Florida with her family in 2011. She attended college and medical school there before moving to St. Louis to battle the winter. She is interested in working with the pediatric population after residency.
During her spare time, she enjoys watching anime and reading manga. She is currently learning Japanese as a means of watching her anime without needing to use subtitles. She is also a fan of the show ‘Survivor’ and is contemplating applying to the show once she overcomes the fear of sleeping outside in the cold. Ottavia currently lives in the central west end with her 12 plants all of which have names. Prior to the COVID pandemic, Ottavia also enjoyed solo traveling. Her favorite country visited so far is Thailand.