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The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital Honors Dr. Evers with 2019 President’s Achievement Award

Bob Cannon, president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and Dr. Alex Evers
Bob Cannon, president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and group president of BJC HealthCare presents Alex Evers, MD, with the President's Achievement Award on Dec. 10.

Alex S. Evers, MD, a leading anesthesiology physician-scientist, educator and visionary leader, is the recipient of the 2019 President’s Achievement Award given by The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The award was announced Dec. 10 at the Foundation’s annual event to honor clinical and faculty partners.

Dr. Evers served as chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine, as well as the anesthesiologist-in-chief at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, from 1992 to July 2019. He is currently the Henry E. Mallinckrodt Professor of Anesthesiology, Professor of Internal Medicine, and Professor of Developmental Biology.

The President’s Achievement Award is given to a physician, researcher and faculty partner who upholds Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s mission and advances medical knowledge and continuously improves medical practices. Describing Dr. Evers’ many qualifications, Bob Cannon, president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and group president of BJC HealthCare, said the December 2011 issue of Anesthesiology magazine provided the best summary.

“The issue was titled, ‘Pioneers in Academic Anesthesiology: Washington University-St. Louis’ and highlighted Dr. Alex Evers’ incredible impact on his colleagues, the hospital and the communities we serve,” Cannon said. “Hippocrates once wrote that, ‘wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.’ That love is evident in Dr. Evers’ legacy of service as scientist, educator and clinician.”

In the many years he has known Dr. Evers and his wife, Dr. Carol Evers, Cannon said he has admired their dedication to serving people in need.

“Alex and Carol’s commitment to caring for those who are most vulnerable is rooted in their belief that we all must be invested in the health and well-being of every member of our community,” he said.

In accepting the award, Dr. Evers said, “Barnes-Jewish Hospital has been a special place to work, where the missions of care for the indigent, clinical excellence and innovation are seamlessly mixed. I am deeply appreciative to my anesthesiology, surgery and hospital colleagues who have made this award possible. I thank all of you for the privilege of working here with you.”

Dr. Evers’ research, which focuses on the mechanisms of anesthetic and neurosteroid action, has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for the past 35 years. He has served as an editor for several journals, including Anesthesiology and the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, and a textbook entitled Anesthetic Pharmacology.

In addition to his research work, Dr. Evers was instrumental in creating the Washington University Pain Center, the Center for the Study of Itch, and the Center for Clinical Pharmacology, all dedicated to multidisciplinary translational research.

A member of several professional and scientific societies, Dr. Evers has served as chairman of the board of trustees of the International Anesthesia Research Society and is the former president of the Association of University Anesthesiologists and of the W.T.G. Morton Society. He is also an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

This story was originally published on the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s website.


The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the following: Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College, BJC Home Care and Hospice, Evelyn’s House (hospice), and Washington University School of Medicine.