The following faculty members have been appointed to leadership roles that will enhance our clinical and academic missions in the department.
Joshua Knight, MD, FASE, has accepted the position of Interim Medical Director of Quality in the UPMC/Pitt Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, effective January 1, 2022.
Dr. Knight earned his MD from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, completed his anesthesiology residency in our department, and completed a fellowship with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology. In 2018, he returned to Pittsburgh and joined our department as a faculty member and an attending anesthesiologist in our Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Division at UPMC Presbyterian. Earlier this year, he became a Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE), distinguishing him as a dedicated ASE member with extraordinary commitment, professional contributions, knowledge, and skills in cardiovascular ultrasonography. He is currently completing the UPMC Education Series and plans to complete the Advanced Training Program in Quality Improvement through Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, UT.
Dr. Knight will take over, on an interim basis, the role previously held by Dr. Dennis Phillips, in which he will oversee matters related to quality for our department, implement our clinical pathways, and establish our position with other clinical departments in the system. These efforts will strengthen our presence in surgical services and in the health care system and ensure our department is represented and involved in key patient-related decisions and surgical care.
Gregory L. McHugh, MD, has been appointed Clinical Director, Operating Room for UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP), effective January 1, 2022.
Dr. McHugh earned his MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his anesthesiology residency with our department, where he received the 2012 Mark H. Gilliand, MD Award, an honor given to the best clinical anesthesiology resident. After completing our pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at CHP in 2013, he joined our department’s faculty as a Clinical Assistant Professor and attending anesthesiologist at CHP and UPMC Mercy. Dr. McHugh is active in teaching and mentorship; he serves on our Resident Education Committee, is Associate Program Director of our Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship Program, and in 2018 received the Stephen C. Finestone Award for Excellence in Clinical Instruction. At CHP, he serves on the Quality Assurance and Surgical Site Infection Committees.
In his role, Dr. McHugh will provide his primary oversight and management of the operating rooms, non-operating room anesthetizing location, and same day services at Children’s, as well as site level management and leadership consistent with the overall mission of our department. His primary responsibilities will include providing site leadership in conjunction with the Site Chief and working in conjunction with the Chief/Assisting Chief to coordinate daily operations and achieve clinical program goals. He will serve on CHP leadership teams and committees and hold additional responsibilities related to staffing and scheduling, OR management, quality, communication among CHP physicians, staff, surgeons, and hospital leaders, and maintaining a healthy work culture.
Franklyn P. Cladis, MD, has accepted the role of Assistant Site Chief at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP), effective January 1, 2022.
Dr. Cladis earned his MD and completed his anesthesiology residency at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, where he was selected as Chief Resident. He continued to complete a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at The Children’s Hospital in Boston. During his first year as a faculty member in our department, he was appointed Associate Program Director of our Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship and was promoted to his current role as Program Director in 2007. He is also currently Clinical Director of Perioperative Medicine and serves on the Pediatric Pain Medicine Service and Pediatric Transplant Team at CHP. His clinical science research focuses on anesthesia for pediatric craniofacial surgery.
As Assistant Site Chief at Children’s, Dr. Cladis will coordinate anesthesia services hospital-wide, manage the daily OR schedule, serve as a department clinical liaison, and serve on numerous medical staff, hospital, department, and School of Medicine committees. He will support the Chief and Clinical Director to uphold department compliance with policies and procedures, assist in expanding the scope of anesthesiology clinical and academic practices at CHP, and act as the primary contact in the Site Chief’s absence. He will hold additional responsibilities related to quality, faculty affairs, and promoting a healthy work culture.
Congratulations and best wishes to Drs. Knight, McHugh, and Cladis for their appointment to these roles. We look forward to their continued leadership and support.