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
Ream Al-Hasani, PhD
Associate Professor, Anesthesiology
Ashley DuBois, CRNA
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Ivan Torres
Assistant Supervisor for Insurance Billing
Muthu Vijayasankar, MD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
Featured Anesthesiology Department Members Archive
Elizabeth Schappe, CRNA
POD 1 CRNA Leader
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: June 2024
Elizabeth joined the Department of Anesthesia in 2017 after graduating from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville with her master’s degree in anesthesia. Elizabeth is currently a pod leader in Parkview Tower and part of the OB anesthesia team. In addition to her clinical roles, Elizabeth is part of the anesthesia Green Team. The Green Team promotes sustainable anesthesia practices which reduce waste and carbon emissions.
Though Elizabeth was born in Germany, and grew up in Iowa, she attended high school in St. Louis, and thus, considers herself a true St. Louisan. She currently lives in Webster Groves with her husband and their three children. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and spending time with her family. On her most recent hike in the Smokey Mountains she saw four black bears!
Elisabeth Schellert-Driver
Manager of Coding and Compliance
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: December 2025
Elisabeth (Liz) joined the Department of Anesthesiology in April 2021 and currently serves as Manager of Coding and Compliance for the entire department, including general anesthesia, pain management, and critical care medicine. In this role, she oversees timely coding and charge submission across all service lines, ensures accurate capture of missing charges, supports coding staff and division administrators, and verifies that provider documentation is complete and compliant. She also provides billing education to physicians, SRNAs, and fellows upon request.
With more than 20 years of experience as a medical coder, Liz brings extensive expertise and a genuine passion for her field. She thrives on the complexities of medical coding and is committed to supporting her colleagues and continually expanding her own knowledge.
Outside of her work at WashU Medicine, Liz teaches medical coding part-time at St. Louis Community College, where she is also a proud alumna of the program. She enjoys mentoring future coders and preparing them for the ever-evolving world of healthcare. In May 2023, she completed her bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from WashU.
A lifelong St. Louis resident, Liz lives with her three children—one son and two daughters—along with her two cats, Simba and Nyla, and her dog, Roscoe. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, shopping, spending time with family and friends, exploring new cuisines, and getting outdoors.
Fun fact: Liz became a first-time grandmother in March 2024 and is excited to welcome two more grandchildren—a boy and a girl—expected in November 2025.
Nicky Schweiss, ACNP
Nurse Practitioner
Department of Anesthesiology APP of the Quarter: October 2023
Nicky is one of the APP Leads for the 56/82 CTICUs. She graduated from Goldfarb School of Nursing AGACNP program in 2017. Before becoming an NP, Nicky worked the previous 12 years as a bedside nurse in 56ICU at BJH. Her passion is heart failure and mechanical life support. Outside of work, Nicky loves spending time with her husband and three children at the lake and family farm in Ste Genevieve.
Nicky was named the Q3 2023 APP of the Quarter!
Her nominator says, “Nicky’s dedication, commitment, and positive influence set a high standard for our group. She’s always there to support her colleagues and works tirelessly to improve our CTICU.”
Rajiv Shah, MD
Assistant Professor, Pain Management
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2021
Rajiv was born and raised in St. Louis. He completed his residency in anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medical Center in 2014 and his fellowship in pain management at the tri-institutional fellowship (Cornell/MSKCC/HSS) in 2015.
After completing his fellowship, Rajiv spent one year in private practice before returning home to St. Louis. He spends his clinical time at Missouri Baptist Medical Center and Barnes Jewish Hospital and the Center for Advanced Medicine.
Rajiv and his wife, Neha, have two children (Shreya and Nikhil). Having grown-up in St. Louis, Rajiv is a huge Cardinals and Blues fan. In addition, he loves to travel with his family. Since the pandemic, Rajiv has embraced learning to cook dishes from around the world.