After an extensive search, Stephen Gregory, MD, has been selected as the division chief of perioperative medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology, effective immediately.
Gregory received his medical degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 2012 and completed his anesthesiology residency at Duke University Hospital where he served as chief resident. In 2017, he returned to St. Louis to train as a fellow in adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology at Washington University and joined the department shortly thereafter as faculty.
Gregory currently serves as an assistant professor of anesthesiology in the Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and the Division of Perioperative Medicine. He is also the medical director for the Center for Preoperative Assessment and Planning (CPAP). In this role, he has overseen a robust expansion in the scope and volume of CPAP evaluations — the clinic has grown from 33,000 assessments a year in 2018 to over 50,000 assessments in 2021. Additionally, Gregory led a modernization of the CPAP process to improve efficiency and patient exposure. A large percentage of patients previously seen in clinic are now receiving telephone assessments.
In addition to expanding the clinical footprint of the CPAP, Gregory has worked closely with the previous division chief, Dr. Troy Wildes, on several high-level perioperative initiatives, including coordination of preoperative COVID testing, institutional protocols for the management of diabetes and anticoagulant agents, and ongoing efforts to expand telemedicine and data-driven analytics into the preoperative space. He has collaborated to support research both within and beyond the Department of Anesthesiology. CPAP has served as a primary recruitment site for numerous clinical trials while also maintaining ongoing research productivity in the areas of preoperative cognitive dysfunction and preoperative nutrition optimization. Gregory has contributed substantially to the development and growth of the Anesthesiology Control Tower (ACT), and has also helped with the genesis of the Recovery Control Tower (RCT). He has played vital leadership roles in seminal clinical trials, including ACTFAST and TECTONICS, which are evaluating perioperative telemedicine, and more recently the THRIVE trial, which has been awarded $30 million by PCORI to compare TIVA (total intravenous anesthesia) with INVA (inhaled volatile anesthesia).
In his role as division chief, Gregory will develop educational programs, conduct innovative perioperative quality improvement programs, support perioperative research, and manage staff, faculty, and trainees within the perioperative medicine division. He will also work closely with departmental leaders in acute care and perioperative innovation to solidify and expand our department’s leading role in acute care innovation and telemedicine.
“Dr. Gregory is an outstanding and well-rounded clinician leader. He is passionate about all his roles within the department, and he dedicates himself to all the tasks he undertakes with passion and dedication,” says Michael Avidan, MBBCh, FCA SA, head of the Department of Anesthesiology. “The Division of Perioperative Medicine will continue to grow and flourish with Dr. Gregory at the helm. He will ensure that all four of the department’s missions are emphasized and advanced as we continue to innovate and grow.”
Congratulations to Dr. Gregory on his appointment to this important leadership role in our department!
Michael S. Avidan, MBBCh, FCASA
Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology
Head of the Department of Anesthesiology
Anesthesiologist-in-Chief, Barnes-Jewish Hospital