Andrew Patterson, M.D., Ph.D., will leave his position as the Margaret Larson professor and executive vice chair of the Department of Anesthesiology in December 2018 to become chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Emory University in Atlanta.
“Over the past three years, Dr. Patterson’s contributions to the department have been nothing short of amazing,” said Department Chair Steven J. Lisco. “He is an innovative educator and a terrific mentor. His guidance has contributed to the success and promotion of many of our faculty.”
Dr. Patterson is an alumnus of Emory University. He earned his medical degree at the Emory University School of Medicine in 1991 and completed an internship in internal medicine at Emory University and affiliated hospitals in 1992. His wife, Jenny, completed her undergraduate studies at Emory University.
Dr. Patterson joined UNMC in October 2015, after being recruited to Nebraska from Stanford
University in California. He attributes many of his kids’ accomplishments during their time in Nebraska to Midwestern values of a strong work ethic, generosity and discipline.
His son, Ryan, won a high school swimming state championship in the 200-meter freestyle event in 2018. Ryan is now a division I collegiate swimmer at the George Washington University in Washington DC. Dr. Patterson’s daughter, Julia, is a junior at Elkhorn South High School where she excels in academics, music, and athletics. She is a two-time all-state honor recipient for band/orchestra, and has devoted significant time to volunteer work at home and in Africa. Julia and Jenny will remain in Omaha until Julia graduates high school in 2020, with frequent visits from Dr. Patterson planned.
“Leaving is with mixed emotion,” Dr. Patterson said. “Dr. Lisco and I knew when I came here it was part of the strategy to take the department to the next level. I think we have accomplished pretty much everything we have set out to do. The Department of Anesthesiology at UNMC is one of the best in the Midwest, if not the country. It was great to be a part of this transformation.”
For more than a decade, Dr. Patterson led clinical, research, education, and infrastructure improvement initiatives in the rural village of Gitwe, Rwanda. He continued these efforts while at UNMC, helping Megan Chacon, M.D., establish the department’s global health program. A primary focus of this program is to support the clinical missions in Gitwe.
Dr. Patterson touts the global health program as one of the best in the country. He said that though he initiated the program, the faculty here–individuals like Dr. Chacon, Cale Kassel, M.D., and Kyle Johnson, M.D.–did the heavy lifting to build and sustain it. As part of Dr. Patterson’s recruitment package, Emory University will collaborate with UNMC on the Gitwe, Rwanda initiative.
“Dr. Patterson will truly be missed,” Dr. Lisco said. “He was an unwavering advocate for the department’s mission of superb clinical care, excellent graduate medical education and innovative research.”
Patterson said many colleagues in the department taught him things about being a good teammate, a strong leader, and even a good parent, that he will take with him to his new role.
“I’ll miss the people and environment in Omaha,” Dr. Patterson said. “It’s a good town with good values and work ethic. We had a great time here.”
Dr. Patterson, Executive Vice Chair, to Depart in December
