Gerard Manecke, M.D., has been named chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Medical Center following a national search. Manecke, a member of the department since 2000, and interim chair since 2004, is an active clinician and respected researcher. He has helped elevate the anesthesiology department to be a global leader in basic and clinical research, education and training, and patient care.
“UC San Diego is fortunate to have a physician who sets the bar of excellence higher every year,” said David Brenner, M.D., UC San Diego Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine. “Under Dr. Manecke’s leadership, UC San Diego Medical Center offers patients more options than any other hospital in the region for anesthesia and pain management. The department’s research enterprise is one of the best funded in the country while boasting one of the most coveted anesthesiology residencies in the United States.”
“It is an honor to be part of a medical institution now celebrating four decades of passionate innovation as well as a commitment
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to service and compassionate care,” said Manecke, professor and chair of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego. “With so many talented faculty and residents, we have a powerful platform for future expansion especially with the growth of Moores UC San Diego Cancer Center, the Center for the Future of Surgery, and the soon-to-be constructed Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center.”
Three of the department’s nationally recognized programs include the UC San Diego Center for Pain Medicine, Regional Anesthesia, and Cardiothoracic Anesthesia.
The UC San Diego Center for Pain Medicine is the only multidisciplinary treatment program in the region specializing in the treatment of acute and chronic pain including cancer pain. Treatment methods include pharmacological options as well as diverse approaches such as physical therapy, acupuncture, nerve and muscle stimulation, and spinal and joint injections.
The Regional Anesthesia program is a leader in offering customized pain prevention by numbing specific nerves in the body for orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery and other surgeries. The Regional Anesthesia Fellowship program was the first in California to be recognized by the American Society of Regional Anesthesia Fellowship Directors.
The Cardiothoracic Anesthesia program is recognized for its work in the surgical treatment of pulmonary hypertension, as well as heart disorders, and is well positioned to serve the community through the UC San Diego Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center.
“Anesthesiology is expanding rapidly to include all aspects of what we call ‘perioperative care’ or care around the time of surgery. Preparing patients for surgery, getting patients through their procedure, and treating their pain and medical conditions afterwards are all within the realm this field,” said Manecke. “Research in anesthesiology spans from the level of the single molecule all the way up to how entire healthcare systems operate efficiently. Because of the tremendous support of UC San Diego Medical Center and School of Medicine, we are able to be at the cutting edge of these developments in terms of clinical care, teaching, and research.”
Manecke earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at Stony Brook University, New York with fellowship training in cardiac and pediatric anesthesia. Manecke served as Clinical Director of anesthesiology at Stony Brook from 1993-2000. He joined the UC San Diego faculty in 2000 and has served as Interim Chair and Clinical Professor of the Department of Anesthesiology since 2004.
Current research by Manecke includes the use of arterial pulse wave contour in evaluation of heart function during surgery. He has also developed computerized automation of heart and lung sound analysis during anesthesia.
He is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, California Society of Anesthesiologists, International Anesthesia Research Society, and the American Medical Association.
Manecke, 50, and his wife Lisa, a fellow anesthesiologist, live in Mission Hills.
The UC San Diego Department of Anesthesiology encompasses 7 divisions with more than 40 fulltime faculty members, 17 nurse anesthetists, 36 residents, 7 fellows, and five large active research teams. Numerous faculty members are among San Diego’s “Top Doctors.”
The department has an annual operating budget of $30 million and ranks second in the nation in per capita National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The department encourages and supports volunteer medical missions around the world in countries such as Africa, Cambodia, Ecuador, Mexico and Philippines.
In January, the department will host the UC San Diego 2009 Anesthesiology Update to evaluate current practices of clinical anesthesia management, regional anesthesia, pain management and obstetric anesthesia. The event is open to all medical practitioners.
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Media Contact: Jackie Carr, 619-543-6163, jcarr@ucsd.edu