The interest in practice management among anesthesiologists has been growing over the last several years, as evidenced by the increase in attendance and size of the annual ASA Practice Management conference. Tulane’s program is now one of less than ten residency programs with a formal Perioperative Management Fellowship.
Perioperative Management has many disciplines, and this fellowship focuses on developing strong leadership skills and understanding operating room metrics, scheduling, staffing, compensation, quality improvement, regulatory guidelines, and billing and coding.
The curriculum up to this point has not been rigid or pre-designed, but rather very flexible and full of opportunities through various partnerships with the School of Public Health, the School of Business, and Team Health, one of the nation’s largest providers of hospital-based clinical outsourcing. The fellowship is approximately half clinical and half non-clinical.
On clinical days, the fellow is expected to staff the operating room, supervising both CRNAs and residents. The fellow also works closely with Dr. Borchardt, the Clinical Director of the Operating Room, to learn how to efficiently manage the OR and make decisions on the day of surgery (aka “running the board”).
On non-clinical days, the fellow is expected to attend and contribute to OR Committee meetings, participate in at least one major research project involving practice management, and give a series of lectures to the residents. Fellows are enrolled in the School of Public Health and take several classes pertaining to practice management (i.e., Health Systems Management, Quality Improvement in Healthcare, Behavioral Management, etc). Fellows may also attend an intense 4-day Operations Management Course at the University of Iowa, taught by one of the nation’s leading experts in operating room science, Franklin Dexter, M.D., Ph.D.
For more information and to inquire about the application process, please contact Hazel Augustin: haugustin@tulane.edu
The Fellowship in Regional Anesthesia is a 12-month program that provides the opportunity to gain clinical expertise in a wide range of peripheral and neuraxial blocks. There is a focus on ultrasound-guided techniques. The Departments of Sports Medicine and Orthopedics are among the busiest clinical services provided at Tulane, and we provide inpatient and outpatient continuous peripheral nerve blocks for a majority of those surgical patients. Our Regional Fellows perform an average of over 400 procedures (mostly continuous catheters), and supervise residents for many more. There is an emphasis on clinical experience and teaching, as well as an expectation to engage in scholarly activities and research.
The fellowship is a non-ACGME accredited program, thus allowing the fellow to be given a Tulane University School of Medicine academic appointment at the Instructor level. Fellows spend 50% of their time performing procedures and supervising residents in the block area (with no concurrent clinical responsibilities), and the other 50% of their time is spent as an Anesthesiology faculty member, supervising CRNAs and/or residents in a wide variety of surgical cases.
How to Apply
We have a rolling admissions process and will consider received applications until the position is filled.
Send the following documents to Augustin, Hazel at the contact information outlined below.
- Completed application form
- Personal Statement
- Three letters of recommendation (sent directly from the author to us)
- Curriculum Vitae
Foreign Applicants
Because this is not an ACGME-accredited training program, training licenses and/or visas are not available. Applicants must be ABA Board Certified or Board Eligible, and are required to have completed an anesthesiology residency training in an American medical center. They will also be required to obtain a Louisiana medical license and a US work visa.
Contact Us
Fellowship Program Director:
Peter Foldes, MD
Administrative Program Coordinator:
Augustin, Hazel
Office Phone: 504-988-5903
Fax: 504-988-2012
Mailing Address:
Tulane University School of Medicine
Department of Anesthesiology
1430 Tulane Avenue, HC73
New Orleans, LA 70112-2532
