HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine has established a new Department of Anesthesiology to facilitate additional learning opportunities for student education, research and advanced training.
Anesthesiology physicians specialize in the medical management of patients before, during and after surgery, known as perioperative medicine. Anesthesiologists also contribute their expertise in critical care, airway management, operating room management and acute and chronic pain control. There is a national shortage of anesthesiologists across the country, a trend that’s hit rural communities and West Virginia particularly hard. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, there is expected to be a shortage of approximately 12,500 anesthesiologists over the next 10 years.
“Our medical school has benefited from the expertise of many talented local anesthesiologists who have served as volunteer faculty over the years,” said Bobby L. Miller, M.D., interim dean of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “As we look to the future, however, it is evident, that we need to create a more robust mechanism for growth in this area of specialty care in order to address workforce shortages and enable our operating rooms to function at maximum efficiency.”
The department will be led by alumnus Jay Shepherd, M.D., who earned his Doctor of Medicine from the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in 2007. Shepherd completed his residency at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has served as an anesthesiologist at King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Kentucky, since 2011. He is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.
As associate professor and chair of anesthesiology, Shepherd will work alongside anesthesiologists from NorthStar Anesthesia, a national anesthesiology group that supports the school’s primary teaching hospitals as part of Mountain Health Network and the Hershel “Woody” Williams VA Medical Center. He will work to build a core faculty to support the department’s clinical, educational and research missions and initiate steps to ultimately establish an accredited anesthesiology residency at Marshall.
“The creation of a formalized Department of Anesthesiology is an incredible opportunity to ensure outstanding perioperative care for all patients while enhancing the training environment for future physicians,” Shepherd said. “Matching into an anesthesiology residency program has become increasingly competitive. In the coming months and years, we will work to enrich the educational experience for medical students interested in this specialty in order to ultimately help them become more successful in their pursuit of that career path. To be able to lead these efforts at my alma mater is both an honor and a privilege.”
The department is housed in the Marshall University Medical Center, located at 1600 Medical Center Drive in Huntington, on the Marshall University Health Sciences campus.
About Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine:
Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine is a state-supported, community-based medical school established in 1977. Our faculty and administration are committed to providing high quality medical education and graduate training to meet the changing health care needs of our nation’s citizens. We specialize in rural health issues as expressed in special efforts to recruit students from rural West Virginia and place graduates in clinical practice in rural areas. Additionally, because we believe that a diverse population offers a rich environment that leads to greater knowledge, understanding, acceptance and mutual respect, we promote an inclusive environment by attracting, recruiting and retaining individuals who represent varying backgrounds and perspectives.
The research enterprise at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine is a growing and vibrant operation. Our basic scientists and physician researchers are working collaboratively to advance life-changing discoveries and innovations resulting in dynamic bench to bedside opportunities. True to our mission of providing health care and education to Appalachia, much of our clinical and basic research is focused on health issues related to rural populations. Research opportunities exist for students and resident physicians allowing them exposure to an environment that fosters the training and development of the next generation of scientists.
The Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine through its faculty practice plan, Marshall Health, provides excellent medical care to the citizens of Huntington, West Virginia and the entire tri-state region of southern West Virginia, southeastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. Our 250 physicians and 225 residents and fellows offer care in more than 75 specialties and subspecialties at locations around the region including our outpatient centers and at our primary hospitals, Cabell Huntington Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
We hope you are interested in learning more about our fine school and will explore other pages for more information about our programs, faculty and alumni.
The Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University is a community-based, Veterans Affairs affiliated medical school dedicated to providing high quality medical education and postgraduate training programs to foster a skilled physician workforce to meet the unique healthcare needs of West Virginia and Central Appalachia. Building upon its medical education foundation, the school seeks to develop centers of excellence in clinical care, including primary care in rural underserved areas, focused and responsive programs of biomedical science graduate study, biomedical and clinical science research, academic scholarship and public service outreach. The School is committed to fulfilling its mission by creating a diverse and inclusive academic community that is sustained in a collegial and nurturing environment of life-long learning.
About Dr. Jay A. Shepherd MD:
Dr. Jay A. Shepherd is an anesthesiologist in Ashland, Kentucky and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including King’s Daughters Medical Center Ohio and King’s Daughters Medical Center-Ashland. He received his medical degree from Marshall University School of Medicine and has been in practice between 11-20 years.
Source:
News: https://jcesom.marshall.edu/news/musom-news/school-of-medicine-establishes-new-department-of-anesthesiology/
Doctor: https://health.usnews.com/doctors/jay-shepherd-753151
School: https://jcesom.marshall.edu/about/