UB names Parker new chair of anesthesiology

Brian M. Parker, chief quality and learning officer at Allegheny Health Network, has been named chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, effective Oct. 1.

He will also serve as senior associate dean for clinical affairs in the Jacobs School and chief medical officer for UBMD Physicians’ Group, the school’s practice plan.

Parker earned both his undergraduate and medical degrees at UB; he completed his anesthesiology residency and liver transplantation fellowship training at the University of Pittsburgh.

“As the Department of Anesthesiology’s academic and clinical head, Dr. Parker will focus on expanding research, building a strong clinical practice and leading the department’s commitment to educating medical students and residents,” says Allison Brashear, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School. “In his dual role as senior associate dean for clinical affairs and CMO of UBMD Physicians’ Group, he will partner with UBMD leadership to expand access to high-quality care in the region and continue to build on UB’s goal of improving the health of patients in Western New York.

“Dr. Parker brings over two decades of experience in health care, with a particular focus on quality, patient safety, operational excellence and education,” Brashear continues. “In his current role as chief quality and learning officer for Allegheny Health Network, he is responsible for ensuring that the highest standards of patient care quality, safety and service excellence are achieved across the system’s 14 hospitals and its hundreds of clinical locations, primary care offices and specialty practices.

“His leadership in these areas, along with his past contributions at the Cleveland Clinic, will be invaluable as we enhance our clinical care and elevate the patient experience at UBMD Physicians’ Group.”

In addition to his current role at Allegheny Health Network, part of Highmark Health, he also serves as chair of the Enterprise Quality, Safety and Value Operations Committee, and was instrumental in driving system-wide quality initiatives for both Highmark Health and Allegheny Health Network.

Parker twice served as interim chair of anesthesiology at both the Cleveland Clinic and the Anesthesiology Institute at Allegheny Health Network.

He is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists; the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia, where he served as a past president; the Pennsylvania Society of Anesthesiologists; and the International Liver Transplantation Society.