The Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) at CHLA was initially founded as a division of the Department of Surgery providing care for children at CHLA. It became a major training center for Pediatric Anesthesiology under the guidance of Dr. Digby Leigh during the 1950's and 60's.
Dr. Leigh established many of the Department's traditions and established CHLA as a major training center for anesthesiologists intending to practice Pediatric Anesthesiology in the Western United States and throughout the Pacific, including Japan.
Dr. David Steward established the Department as an academic, university-based practice in 1991. The Department continues to train residents from around California and fellows from throughoutthe United States and internationally.
The Department also provides a clinical training experience for student nurse anesthetists. Nearly 18,000 anesthetics including over 900 cardiac cases, are performed annually. Anesthesia is provided in an integrated new, state-of-the-art 15 operating room facility for a wide variety of cases, including complex orthopedic, neurosurgical, cardiac and organ transplantation procedures. An expanding Pain Management Program and Remote Anesthesia Service complement the pediatric care rendered. In 2001, under the direction of Dr. Randall Wetzel, the Department was reorganized to also include the Divisions of Cardiothoracic Critical Care and Pediatric Critical Care and became The Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine (ACCM). These Divisions care for over 2,500 patients a year in a 20 bed PICU and a separate 15 bed CTICU. ACGME accredited Critical Care and Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowships receive trainees from around the United States, as well as worldwide.
Overall, the Department of ACCM at CHLA has grown to include 24 Faculty Physicians, 9 Critical Care Fellows and 5-7 Anesthesiology Fellows. Several of the Attendings hold multiple boards in Pediatrics, Critical Care and Anesthesiology. Both patient care and research are being increasingly integrated to provide care across the spectrum of inpatient and outpatient services, from the ICUs to the Pain Management Service at CHLA.
