Led by Fellowship Program Director Dr. Christopher Tam, Attending Anesthesiologist and Intensivist, the program was approved by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education in September and now has its first fellow – Dr. Omid Azimaraghi.

The one-year Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program includes a two-tothree-month rotation in the SICU and a two-month rotation in the cardiothoracic ICU in addition to time spent rotating in the medical ICU, neuro ICU, and pediatric ICU. The program will also include an external trauma rotation, so the fellow becomes well-rounded in all areas of critical care.

“I want the fellow to be as strong as possible from a clinical standpoint,” Dr. Tam said. “The core attendings involved in the fellow’s education are all anesthesiology board certified critical care intensivists. But because the SICU at Moses is also shared with the Surgical intensivists, who are board certified as well, the fellow has the advantage of learning from intensivists from a variety of backgrounds.”

Dr. Azimaraghi, who previously served as the Anesthesiology Digital Health Lab Chief at Montefiore Einstein, began the Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine fellowship in early October and said it has been a productive training experience thus far. Each day, Dr. Azimaraghi provides specialized care to critically ill patients in the Surgical ICU including conducting assessments, creating personalized care plans, and conducting timely interventions – all in partnership with a multidisciplinary team.

“Throughout my training, I have found myself consistently drawn to the intricate balance between anesthesia and critical care, recognizing the profound impact it has on patients undergoing complex procedures,” Dr. Azimaraghi said. “This fellowship represents an invaluable opportunity to dig deeper into this field, refining my skills under the mentorship of experienced professionals.”

Dr. Azimaraghi graduated from Tehran University of Medical Science, where he also completed his anesthesiology residency. He then moved to the United States and since 2020 worked at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – where he first worked with Dr. Eikermann – before coming to Montefiore in April 2021. Now, as he dives back into clinical practice, Dr. Azimaraghi said his work is intricately informed by his years as a researcher.

“My research experience has equipped me with a deep understanding of how the correct utilization of big healthcare data can revolutionize patient-centered outcomes,” Dr. Azimaraghi explained. “This perspective enables me to leverage digital data-driven observations to make more precise clinical decisions and to identify trends and patterns that can lead to improved patient outcomes."

In addition to the breadth of clinical rotations, the fellowship program includes a comprehensive point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum, structured didactics, journal club, and morbidity and mortality conferences. Dr. Azimaraghi presented an interesting POCUS case at the New York State Assembly of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA) POCUS Conference in October, and Dr. Tam has plans for Dr. Azimaraghi to continue to present his research and quality improvement projects at other conferences throughout the year.

Dr. Azimaraghi has published research in many peer-reviewed journals on a variety of critical care topics in collaboration with Dr. Eikermann. As he continues his research work as a fellow, Dr. Azimaraghi is currently focused on the incidences, predictors, and management of newonset atrial fibrillation after surgery in order to prevent ischemic stroke.