Andrew Patterson, (UNMC, Courtesy)
OMAHA — Andrew Patterson, MD, PhD, has been named the new chair of the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology, effective March 1, 2025.
Bradley Britigan, MD, dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, announced the appointment to UNMC leaders and department members Friday.
Dr. Patterson, a professor and former department chair at Emory University, will be returning to UNMC, where he served on the anesthesiology department’s faculty from 2015 to 2018.
“Dr. Patterson is a strong leader whose experience will help the department of anesthesiology continue its upward trajectory,” Dr. Britigan said. “We are pleased to welcome him back to UNMC and the college of medicine.”
Dr. Patterson said he was delighted to be returning to UNMC.
“The department is one of the strongest in the country in many domains,” he said, pointing to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings as an example. “The UNMC Department of Anesthesiology has exceptional researchers – Dr. Karsten Bartels, the department’s vice chair of research has said the department is ‘punching above its weight,’ and that’s not an exaggeration at all. When you look at the scientific accomplishments within the department, UNMC is right up there with elite academic institutions like Harvard, Vanderbilt and Stanford.”
Dr. Patterson also spoke highly of the department of anesthesiology’s educational and clinical care teams.
“The ICU team, the critical care anesthesia team led by Dr. Dan Johnson, has become an international leader. It earned a reputation for excellent clinical care and selfless commitment to others during the Ebola crisis several years ago. Its reputation has continued to rise since then, and it has developed one of the premier critical care ultrasound groups in the nation.
“The members of the department of anesthesiology at UNMC have a model work ethic, which is one of the primary reasons the department has earned such an outstanding reputation,” Dr. Patterson said. “The exceptionally hard-working physicians in the department, working with some of the most talented and dedicated CRNAs in the country, combined with some of the most highly regarded teachers in all of anesthesiology – it’s an honor to be asked to serve as department chair for such an incredible department.”
Dr. Patterson also said he is excited to work with collaborators across UNMC on global health efforts and humanitarian aid work, which always have been a high priority for him.
“That’s one element I’m most proud of over the past 25 years, my humanitarian aid work,” he said. “At Emory, with much support, I helped Dr. Cinnamon Sullivan build one of the strongest anesthesiology global health programs. I’m looking forward to collaborating with the many established global health leaders at UNMC to build a similar anesthesiology global health program.”
From 2019 to earlier this year, Dr. Patterson served as the chair of anesthesiology at Emory University, the institution where he received his MD in 1991. Prior to joining Emory, Dr. Patterson served as the Larson Professor and executive vice chair of anesthesiology at UNMC. He was a member of the faculty at Stanford University from 1996 to 2015 and also received a PhD in neurosciences from Stanford. His thesis adviser and scientific mentor was Nobel laureate Brian Kobilka, MD. Dr. Patterson earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1987. He completed residency in anesthesiology, chief residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in critical care medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
UNMC Interim Chancellor Dele Davies, MD, said it was a pleasure to welcome Dr. Patterson back to the medical center.
“We are excited for Dr. Patterson’s return, which marks an opportunity to build upon the solid foundation already in place,” he said. “Not only is he a talented faculty member and clinician, but he also played a leading role in the founding of the Interprofessional Academy of
Educators during his prior appointment here as its associate director. We are confident that under Dr. Patterson’s guidance, the anesthesiology department will continue to grow, inspire the next generation of medical providers, and make meaningful contributions to education, research and patient care.”
James Linder, MD, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, and Nebraska Medicine President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Ash, MD, also praised the selection of Dr. Patterson.
Dr. Ash said, “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Drew Patterson back to Nebraska Medicine and UNMC as the chair of anesthesiology. His impressive achievements at Emory highlight his exceptional leadership and vision, and we are confident he will bring his remarkable talents to further elevate our already outstanding department. We look forward to the innovative strides Dr. Patterson will lead as we continue to advance excellence in patient care, education and research.”
Drs. Britigan, Linder, Davies and Ash each thanked Mohanad Shukry, MD, PhD, who served as the department’s interim chair since November 2023.
“Dr. Shukry has maintained a strong foundation that the incoming chair, Dr. Patterson, can use to continue the upward clinical, academic and global trajectory of the department,” Dr. Linder said.
Dr. Britigan added, “Dr. Shukry’s accomplishments during his year of leadership have been critical in positioning the department for even greater successes in the future.”
Dr. Britigan also thanked the search committee, headed by David Mercer, MD, PhD, chair of the department of surgery.
“The anesthesiology department is positioned for ever-increasing growth and success,” Dr. Britigan said. “I look forward to seeing it flourish under Dr. Patterson’s leadership.”
