We are very happy to announce the following faculty members’ appointments to leadership positions. The following appointments were effective January 1, 2023.
Kimberly Cantees, MD, MBA, has accepted the position of Vice Chair for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the UPMC/Pitt Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine.
Dr. Cantees received her MD from Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed her anesthesiology residency with our department. She also holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and served in the US Army, where she earned the Army Achievement and Meritorious Service Medals. She began her academic and clinical career in Texas at Darnall Army Community Hospital, where she served as Chief Anesthesiologist, and Texas A&M University. Dr. Cantees returned to Pittsburgh in 1993 and worked at various regional hospitals both within and outside UPMC, including Ohio Valley General Hospital, where she was Chairperson of the Department of Anesthesiology from 2008 – 2010. In 2018, she took on the leadership position of Clinical Director, UPMC Presbyterian Operating Rooms and soon after, became Chairperson of our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee.
In her new role, Dr. Cantees will continue and expand her efforts for our EDI initiatives to promote an understanding of a more inclusive work environment in our department. She will lead our efforts to enhance overall diversity among faculty and trainees and continue to oversee our EDI Committee, which has input on all hiring decisions and ensures that faculty diversity is a constant consideration. Dr. Cantees will also lead our efforts regarding health disparities and culturally competent care. She will provide guidance to faculty members, particularly those of a diverse background, who are encountering challenges working in new environments and mentor and develop junior faculty for future leadership roles within the department, with a focus on EDI initiatives.
Joseph S. DeRenzo, MD, has been appointed Chief of Anesthesiology at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.
Dr. DeRenzo graduated from Penn State University and Penn State College of Medicine as part of a combined BS/MD program, completed his anesthesiology residency with our department, and was Chief Resident of our class of 2005. After graduation, he joined the faculty at Magee and served as Director of our residency program’s Clinical Base Year Program. In 2013, became our Associate Chief of Anesthesia at Magee. He has won our residency program’s Excellence in Teaching award twice, the UPMC ACES Award, and has completed both the UPMC-PSD/Katz Marshall W. Webster Physician Leadership Program and the UPMC Physician’s Leadership Essentials Program. Dr. DeRenzo serves in many leadership roles at Magee, including Director of Orthopedic Anesthesia, Director of Quality Improvement, and Chair of the Allied Health Credentialing Committee. He has served as Interim Chief at Magee since September.
As Site Chief, Dr. DeRenzo will provide site level leadership and management consistent with the overall mission of our department and coordinate the delivery of perioperative care at Magee. He will oversee many clinical and administrative functions, including long-term staffing and scheduling, budget and revenue cycle management, resident and fellow training compliance, enforcement and dissemination of policy and procedures, hospital peer review and credentialing, OR management, quality, and communications.
Thank you to Dr. Jonathan Waters for his excellent leadership as Chief Anesthesiologist at Magee after serving in the role from 2004 to September 2022.
Cynthia M. Wells, MD, has accepted the role of Director of Operating Room Management for the UPMC Health System.
Dr. Wells earned her MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed her anesthesiology residency and cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship with our department. She has been a staff anesthesiologist with us since 2007. Dr. Wells currently serves as Chief Anesthesiologist, Director of the Center for Perioperative Care, and Director of the SRNA rotation at both UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson. She has won our residency program’s Clinical Teaching Award twice, as well as the Pitt School of Medicine’s Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award and the Pitt Nursing Program’s Stephen Finestone Anesthesiologist of the Year Award. She is also a recipient of the UPMC Horizon Above and Beyond Award and the UPMC ACES Award.
Dr. Wells is taking over the role of Director of Operating Room Management for UPMC. She will oversee perioperative resource management and allocation through the entire health system. She will be responsible for maximizing what the health system can do with existing perioperative resources with the goal of creating a uniform approach to resource allocation. Dr. Wells’ responsibilities will include evaluating the performance efficiency of individual UPMC sites, communicating health system perioperative goals to all sites, promoting a transparent and uniform approach to allocating perioperative resources, and serving on the UPMC Surgical Services Oversight Committee.
Dr. Joseph Quinlan is “passing the torch” to Dr. Wells after serving in this role since 2016. I convey our gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Quinlan for his outstanding leadership and service in the position.
Congratulations to Dr. Cantees, Dr. DeRenzo, and Dr. Wells for their appointment to their new roles and thank you to all of our outgoing and incoming leaders for their hard work and dedication to our missions and goals.