Announcing New Chair of Anesthesiology and Anesthesiologist in Chief at NYP/Columbia

Dear Colleagues,

After conducting an extensive national search, we are pleased to announce that Meghan Brooks Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP will serve as the next chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and anesthesiologist in chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/CUIMC. Her appointments are effective May 5, 2025.

A respected clinician, scientist, educator, and thought leader in the field of anesthesiology, Dr. Lane-Fall is the David E. Longnecker Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, where she is also professor of epidemiology and of medical ethics and health policy and serves as the executive director of the Penn Implementation Science Center.

Dr. Lane-Fall has an international reputation as a perioperative safety scientist, known for rigorous mixed methods research with a focus on the use of implementation science to advance health equity, maternal health, and population health. Her grant portfolio exceeds $49 million and includes federally funded research that combines implementation science and human factors engineering to promote the uptake of effective use of evidence-based practices. Dr. Lane-Fall is also a dedicated educator and mentor whose more than 90 lifetime mentees have secured competitive training program positions, published extensively, and secured NIH and other extramural grants, including K- and R-series awards.

Dr. Lane-Fall holds appointments on the boards of directors for the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and Foundation for Anesthesia Education & Research and is a fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine. She completed her medical degree at the Yale University School of Medicine and her residency in anesthesiology and fellowship training in critical care medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a two-year research fellowship in health policy research, patient safety, and quality improvement before joining Penn’s faculty in 2013.

We are deeply appreciative of Tricia Brentjens, MD, who led the department as interim chair for the past year. Thanks to her efforts, her grounded leadership, and her uplifting presence, she steered the department during her tenure to a period of stability and sustained growth, notably with the recruitment of several talented physicians to the group.

We are delighted that Dr. Brentjens has agreed to serve as the executive vice chair for clinical operations in the Department of Anesthesiology and as the inaugural director of anesthesia operations at NewYork-Presbyterian in the Columbia Sphere. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Brentjens on these new leadership roles and in thanking her for exceptional service to the department, the University, and the hospital.

We would also like to extend our gratitude to the search committee, led by E. Sander Connolly, MD, chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, for their exemplary guidance throughout this nationwide recruitment.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Lane-Fall to Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian and wishing her well in her new role.

Sincerely,

Katrina Armstrong, MD
Interim President, Columbia University in the City of New York
CEO, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

James McKiernan, MD
Interim Dean, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
CEO, ColumbiaDoctors

Steven J. Corwin, MD
President and Chief Executive Officer
NewYork-Presbyterian