Featured Anesthesiology Members

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: August 2022

Michael has served as the Department of Anesthesiology’s mail carrier for over twenty years. You can usually find him – and his ever-present smile – bustling about the Medical School campus as he manages the department’s never-ending flow of deliveries and packages.

Born and raised in University City, Michael attended the Miriam School and Annunziata Special Learning Center, and graduated from Ladue High School. He is the oldest of three brothers and the devoted uncle to three nieces and two nephews.

Michael’s can-do attitude, especially with the personal challenges he overcomes daily, is inspiring to all who work and interact with him. He is always available to assist and goes the extra mile for the department to complete his tasks correctly and very promptly. Off-campus, he is quick to explain how proud he is to be a part of the department and, in particular, how grateful he is for the support, encouragement, and many kindnesses he receives every day from each of his department colleagues and the Medical School community at large.

Michael is an avid sports fan, especially the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the games he’s attended for many years. He particularly enjoys fishing, jigsaw puzzles, and traveling with his family. He looks forward to monthly book club meetings with his fellow Pathways To Independence participants and proudly serves on the Ship Sponsor’s Advisory Committee for the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), which he has visited onboard several times.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2024

As the Project Manager of Research Technology, Eric has been dedicated IT within the Department of Anesthesiology for the past 13 years at WashU Medicine. He joined the department in 2011, and in his current role, provides IT assistance in the form of pc equipment, break fix issues, consultation, working with WUIT to assist and expedite our department’s ticketed issues, and provides the best customer service that could ever be provided. He assists the department in the areas of clinical, research, administration, and management.

Outside of work, Eric spends much of his time doing yard work and spending time with his family. He also enjoys concerts and traveling with his family as well.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: November 2023

After a decade working in the Graduate School at the University of the Philippines, Gigi moved to the US and landed a job in the Department of Anesthesiology in April 2012. Her current role is Senior Accounts Payable Specialist. She’s been with the department for almost 12 years. Her previous roles in the Chairman’s Office, Credentialing and HR/Payroll, gave her a unique “big picture” view of the department. She won the coveted Financial and Administrative Staff Employee of the Quarter twice and has been nominated three times.

In her spare time, she likes spending time with her family, cooking, gardening, and binge-watching K-dramas.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: March 2021

Dr. James Wirthlin is a current CA-3 resident and an active-duty Major in the U.S. Air Force. Jim was born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT where he met and married his high school sweetheart, Sarah. He attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah receiving a B.S in chemical engineering. After graduation and commissioning as an officer in the USAF, Jim went on to attend medical school at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD.

During Jim’s previous military station as a flight surgeon in the 391st Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, ID, he flew in his favorite aircraft the F-15E Strike Eagle and has accumulated over 500 flight hours in 15 different military airframes during his career.

When choosing to train at WashU, the patient diversity and high volume of trauma were major factors, as he wanted to be proficient to handle any future case in peace or wartime. After graduation, he will stay on for a 1-year fellowship in regional anesthesia and acute pain and then return to the USAF Medical Corp as a clinical anesthesiologist.

Jim currently lives in Fenton, Missouri with his wife of 15 years and their 4 children. He is an avid water & snow skier, runner, and mountain biker. Jim is also a music enthusiast who loves to sing, play piano, and guitar. Jim speaks fluent German due to a 2-year church mission he served in Switzerland, and his current hobbies include RC scale jet and airplane flying, building scale models, and playing video games with his kids.