Leaders and colleagues in the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology offered congratulations to Richard Holcomb, MD, assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology, as he celebrated his 25-year service anniversary with Nebraska Medicine and UNMC on Dec. 1.
The anniversary is only one more milestone in a long and storied career, as Dr. Holcomb marked 50 years as a board-certified anesthesiologist in Nov. 2022.
Nebraska Medicine Chief Academic Officer and the UNMC College of Medicine Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs Steven Lisco, MD, congratulated Dr. Holcomb. “Rich’s contributions to the department, UNMC and Nebraska Medicine throughout his career have been invaluable. His 25 years of service at Nebraska Medicine and 50 years as a board-certified anesthesiologist is a truly outstanding accomplishment.”
Dr. Holcomb attended medical school at Creighton University School of Medicine, graduating in 1967. Following graduation, he completed his internship at Creighton University Medical Center prior to heading to Seattle and the University of Washington for his residency and pain management fellowship, which he completed in 1971.
Dr. Holcomb has been practicing in the Omaha community for 50 years, and he was instrumental in forming obstetrical anesthesiology services at Methodist Hospital before joining the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology in 1998 during the merger of University Hospital and Clarkson Hospital.
“This was the beginning of the evolution of this entire institution,” Dr. Holcomb said. “It’s been going forward at a great pace since then and I feel privileged to have been part of it.”
Throughout this time of change, one thing has remained constant, Dr. Holcomb said: his dedication to innovation and patient care.
He said it has been fascinating to watch and be a part of the fast growth in the field of anesthesiology, especially with the technology that has enhanced clinical skills and patient care.
“There are monitors that we couldn’t even conceive of that are now routine,” Dr. Holcomb said. “EKGs and pulse-oximeters did not exist until the mid-80s. We had to rely on clinical skills to monitor patients the best we could.”
A source of pride for Dr. Holcomb was his role in bringing ultrasound to UNMC.
“Ultrasound was a real step forward, and I’m very happy to have been a part of bringing it to the med center,” Dr. Holcomb said. “Before that, we trained to do blocks by anatomical landmarks. Watching the advances taking place in anesthesia over this last half century has been a privilege.”
Dr. Holcomb is a lifelong learner who has continued to explore and embrace new technologies such as echocardiography and POCUS and share his excitement for innovation and education with junior faculty. He said he is proud looking back and looks forward to what the future will bring.
“We’ve evolved exponentially in terms of patient care, and the risk for patients is much less than 50 years ago,” Dr. Holcomb said. “I look forward to the future of anesthesia, especially in this environment. I think we’re going to be very proud of what we’ve achieved as a community, not only for the benefit of physicians but for the community and greater region.”
“We are thankful for Dr. Holcomb’s unwavering commitment as a lifelong learner and his efforts in advancing the field of anesthesiology,” said Mohanad Shukry, MD, PhD, interim chair of the department of anesthesiology. “He has been instrumental in shaping the future and his legacy as a clinician continues to positively impact the culture of the department.”