University of Pennsylvania
Health System
Office of Public Affairs
399 South 34th Street, Suite 2002, Penn Tower, Philadelphia,
PA 19104-5653
Contact:
Jen Miller, (215) 349-5657, jennifer.miller@uphs.upenn.edu
January 8, 2004
Lee A. Fleisher, MD, FACC, Appointed Chair of PENN Medicine’s
Department of Anesthesia
(Philadelphia, PA) – Lee A. Fleisher, MD, FACC, has joined
the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as Chair
of the Department of Anesthesia.
A Penn graduate and native Philadelphian, Fleisher earned his medical degree
from SUNY Stony Brook and completed his residency at Yale. Before returning
to Penn, he served as Professor of Anesthesia, Vice Chair for Clinical Investigation
and Clinical Director of Operating Rooms for The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
He also held an appointment in Health Policy & Management at The Johns Hopkins
School of Public Health since 1997.
“It is great to come back to Penn,” says Fleisher. “I’m
excited to have the opportunity to build upon the excellent reputation of this
phenomenal department.”
“We are delighted to have Dr. Fleisher here,” said Arthur
H. Rubenstein, MB, BCh, Executive Vice President of the University
of Pennsylvania for the Health System and Dean of the School of Medicine. “I
am confident that he will ably guide the Department of Anesthesia, furthering
its rich tradition of research innovation and clinical experience.”
Fleisher’s future goals as Chair include expanding upon the department’s
excellence: “I plan on continuing the tradition of the outstanding basic
science research that occurs in the department of anesthesia,” says Fleisher,
“and I also hope to enhance the clinical, health services, and translational
medicine components of the department.”
Fleisher’s professional interests include the study of how to predict
and prevent cardiac complications in patients with cardiac disease who are undergoing
operations not related to their heart conditions. He is an expert in both clinical
research and medical decision theory, focusing on perioperative cardiovascular
management as well as the examination of surgical cost effectiveness. Fleisher
is also interested in the surgical treatment of patients over 65 and has served
on numerous governmental (Medicare) committees to determine how to make the
safest and most appropriate insurance decisions for this patient population.
Fleisher is the Co-Medical Director of the Global Perioperative Research Organization
and belongs to a number of professional societies, including the American Heart
Association, American Society of Anesthesiologists, International Anesthesia
Research Society, and Society for Medical Decision Making. He is also a Fellow
of the American College of Cardiology. He has served on scientific committees
for the American Heart Association and American Society of Anesthesiologists.
His research has been published in The Journal of the American Medical Association,
New England Journal of Medicine, Anesthesiology, American
Journal of Cardiology and Journal of Cardiothroacic & Vascular
Anesthesia, among many others.
# # #
PENN Medicine is a $2.2 billion enterprise dedicated to
the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality
patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School
of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school) and
the University of Pennsylvania Health System (created in 1993 as the nation’s
first integrated academic health system).
Penn’s School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH
research funds; and ranked #4 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s
most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400
fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide
for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists
and leaders of academic medicine.
Penn Health System consists of four hospitals (including its flagship Hospital
of the University of Pennsylvania, consistently rated one of the nation’s
“Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report), a faculty
practice plan, a primary-care provider network, three multispecialty satellite
facilities, and home health care and hospice.
Release available online at http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jan04/fleisher.htm