Rafael Ortega Named Chief/Chair of Anesthesiology

Rafael Ortega, MD, has been named Chair of Anesthesiology at BU School of Medicine and Chief of Anesthesiology at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Ortega has served as Professor of Anesthesiology and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Anesthesiology at BUSM since 1998. He became ad interim chief and chair of the Department in July.

Dr. Ortega will continue to strengthen our commitment to patient safety and efficiency, and he is dedicated to creating the best learning environment for our medical students and residents, while developing faculty to their fullest potential.

Dr. Ortega is a graduate of the UNPHU in Santo Domingo and trained in anesthesiology at BMC and BUSM under the leadership of Marcelle Willock, MD. He completed a fellowship in cardiac anesthesia and is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology and the National Board of Echocardiography. He has been a member of Anesthesia Associates of Massachusetts, PC, for 20 years and has served on various committees with the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists.

Dr. Ortega’s most recent scholarly works include the publication of clinical procedure videos in The New England Journal of Medicine and co-editing BMC’s book on patient safety, “Ok to Proceed?” He is an editor of two popular textbooks in his specialty, “Clinical Anesthesia” and “Clinical Anesthesia Fundamentals,” and has lectured in universities across the country and abroad.

As BUSM’s Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion since 2011, he has been responsible for fostering openness among students, faculty and staff at BUSM