Behind the Drapes: Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine

In this episode of Behind the Drapes, we talk with Dr. Harish Lecamwasam. Harish is someone who first inspired me to consider the application of anesthesia and critical care outside of the traditional hospital-based care system. He is someone who is driven by innovation and has created a career path that fuels this urge. Not only is he a Chief Medical Innovation Officer, he is an educator and mentor at our residency program at Brown. Come take a listen to Dr. Lecamwasam’s story as we see what’s going on Behind the Drapes.

02:00 Boston sports fandom

03:55 Sri Lankan Roots

07:30 Starting Educational Path at MIT

12:45 Finding Anesthesiology

15:00 Innovation in Anesthesia

18:45 Private Practice in AZ

23:30 Getting Acquired by a National Group

29:20 Chief Medical Innovation Officer

35:00 How Hospitals Use Talis Technology

39:30 Traveling for Work

46:15 What Pulls You Back to Anesthesia

In this episode of Behind the Drapes, we talk to one of the best there is at what she does - Dr. Caroline Hunter. She is someone who will expertly teach you cardiac physiology, how to perform a transesophageal echocardiogram, and how to handle conflict resolution in the OR. She is also great at mentoring residents and has earned the title “mom of the residency”. Listen along to hear about her path to anesthesia, the roles she plays in our residency, why she loves cardiothoracic, and what keeps her motivated to keep improving at her job. Stay tune to see what’s going on Behind the Drapes!

01:30 Introduction

07:20 Choosing Visiting Professors

11:30 Finding Anesthesiology

15:40 Relevancy of Standardized Tests

17:50 Evaluating Residency Applications

20:25 Role in Developing Residents

20:15 Why Do Residents Enjoy CT

24:00 Why Are Residents Terrified of CT

27:20 Working on Technically Skills

29:40 Conflict Resolution in the OR

34:15 What Keeps Her Motivated

In this episode, we discuss the importance of morning routines, referencing Hal Elrod’s book titled “The Miracle Morning”. Listen along as we break down “S.A.V.E.R.S.” and how we spend our mornings (and evenings) taking care of ourselves before we step into the role of taking care of others. There are many ways to start a day - find a way that works for you!

Dr. Rotenberg is retiring today!! After around 40 years of service in Anesthesiology, he is finally hanging up his stethoscope and moving on to greener pastures with less airway emergencies. In this episode, we recap Dr. Rotenberg’s career, talk about various influences in his life, and finish with some of his anesthesia-related habits that make everyone think of Dr. Rotenberg. Take a listen to see what’s going on Behind the Drapes!

In this episode, we talk about Burnout with Special Guest - Dr. Erin Richman! We get into what burnout looks like, how management and organizations can address it, and what wellness can look like.

Welcome back to Behind the Drapes! In this episode, we talk to Dr. Alex Cohen who has carved a lane for himself in both Regional Anesthesia and Administrative roles in the hospital. Listen along as we talk about moving to Providence from Boston, what the future of regional anesthesia looks like, and how he ascending in the administrative side of the hospital. Come take a look at what’s going on Behind the Drapes!

00:09 Introduction

03:00 Life in Boston

04:10 From Rotating to Signing On at RIH

06:45 Why Anesthesia?

10:00 Time in Seattle

12:00 What is the Future of Regional?

15:45 Creating the Division of APS

21:30 Stepping into an Administrative Role

25:30 Saying No and Prioritizing

29:00 Average Day breakdown

33:45 Getting an Official Office

35:30 What Gets You Out of Bed in the AM

Over 7,000 nurses from Mount Sinai Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center went on strike yesterday. This occurred after management failed to come to an agreement with their employees regard fair pair and safe work environments. In this Pocket Pod episode, we talk about why the nurses in NYC are on strike, who’s taking care of patients during this time, and what can potentially be done to help remedy this situation.

Welcome back to the Pocket Pods! In this episode, we talk about what it’s like performing a procedure for the first time. In medicine, especially early in your career and training, you are constantly experiencing new scenarios and performing new procedures. We talk about how you gain a patient’s trust in situations like this, how to rebound from unsuccessful attempts, and what it takes to be a good teacher for trainees learning a procedure.

In this episode, we get nostalgic. I talk with my good friend, Danie Leahy, who I met back in college when we worked on UVM Rescue together. When I was in medical school, I watched her match into Anesthesiology and she ultimately helped me choose the same specialty for myself. She has graduated residency and is currently doing a combined Cardiothoracic and Critical Care Fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Listen along as we relive our rescue days and talk about what it’s like being married to an anesthesiologist, why she chose her fellowship path, and how much she enjoys teaching.

00:08 Introduction

03:15 UVM Rescue Roots

09:45 Training Probies to Teaching Residents

12:00 Residency at UVM

16:00 Pandemic Pregnancy

23:15 Married to an Anesthesiologist

27:00 Decision to Pursue Fellowship

36:30 Future Job

39:15 What Makes Jobs Different

44:00 Proudest Moments So Far

The Pocket Pod is a series where Kenny and his younger sister, Rachel, talk about various topics and current events, bringing in their own experiences and perspectives. This episode covers the case of Damar Hamlin’s collapse on Monday Night Football and what it takes to be a first responder in that scenario.