Society for Pediatric Anesthesia - Global Committee

12/08/2025

12/01/2025

Monday Member Spotlight!

Dr. David Liston is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital. His interest in global health started in college during a clinical research trip to Nigeria as part of Dr. Robert Glew’s biochemistry lab at the University of New Mexico. He was inspired by Dr. Glew’s mentorship and passion for global health. After completing medical school at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Liston pursued an MPH with a focus in global health from Yale School of Public Health. He then returned to medicine, completing residencies in both Pediatrics and Anesthesiology at the University of Texas Southwestern. His final move was to the Pacific Northwest for a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at the University of Washington, where he has remained as faculty.

Dr. Liston currently serves as the vice chair of SPA Global. In this role he’s had the privilege to co-host and mentor ASA global scholars (and colleagues) from Rwanda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Nepal with the generous support of his chair and department. He enjoys teaching and creating global health educational materials; most recently a pediatric sedation module for the Pediatric Anesthesia Training in Africa (PATA) initiative. He is also a member of the steering group for the University of Washington - Global Anesthesia INitiative (UW-GAIN), where he co-leads the advocacy subcommittee. His current challenge is learning the art of fundraising for global health initiatives. When not busy with academic teaching and clinical duties, his family life revolves around his supportive wife and three teenage children (spanning middle school, high school, and college).

11/10/2025

Monday Member Spotlight!

Please welcome again Dr. Utsav Acharya, this time sharing details about his time as a Global Scholar:
My time at Seattle Children's Hospital was truly amazing. I received a warm welcome from Dr. David Liston and Dr. Aruna Kamath, who guided me and ensured that I gained exposure across various clinics and operating rooms. The other staff members I encountered were also very welcoming. The atmosphere was friendly, allowing me to share my experiences, work methods, and strategies for managing situations with limited resources while also learning and observing their approaches. After spending two weeks in Seattle, l attended the SPA Annual Meeting and ASA Annual Conference in San Francisco, where I had the chance to meet fellow scholars from around the world and establish connections with them. Additionally, I had the privilege of meeting prominent figures in anesthesiology and exchanging experiences with them. In summary, my journey as a SPA Global scholar involved a blend of learning, sharing experiences, forming
new connections, and creating many wonderful memories.

10/30/2025

10/20/2025

Monday Member Spotlight!

Meet SPA Global Scholar Dr. Shuwiekha Salim, who just completed a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at University of Nairobi, Kenya. At the most recent SPA meeting, she presented a case report: When the nose isn’t just a nose: Difficult airway in a neonate with a giant frontonasal encephalocele.

She also spent time in Houston, at Texas Children’s Hospital:
“My experience at Texas Children’s was amazing to see how anesthesia is practiced with advanced technologies. When I go back home, I can’t ask our department to buy a fiberoptic device. Even though we have less resources, doing an observation was not about seeing the advanced technology but about how they use their advances to improve systems processes. When I go back, I want to improve the preoperative and postoperative flow. I can see what improvements we need to make at a system level.”

Congratulations, Dr Salim!

10/16/2025

Baby Block is an easy to use, comprehensive web resources for regional anesthesia. It’s global impact is wide as it is currently being translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish.
Baby Blocks emerged from frustration and necessity. In the mid-2010s, regional anesthesia exploded with novel techniques, yet knowledge remained siloed behind paywalls. Even as a clinician in the United States with relative privilege, I struggled accessing quality materials. If it was this hard for me, imagine the barriers for colleagues with far fewer resources.
Also, I couldn't find a platform that spoke directly to me as a pediatric anesthesiologist—one where our specialty was the focus, not an afterthought. This gap matters because studies show 80-90% of pediatric procedures could benefit from regional anesthesia, yet fewer than 25% receive it. So I thought if the resource I wanted didn't exist, I guess I’d have to build it—not just for me, but for everyone.
Three and a half years later, we've reached 77,000+ users from 180+ countries, with over 16% from low- and middle-income settings—a true testament to our aims. But Baby Blocks isn't just about a website anymore—it's what our community has built together. It became something none of us expected: a lifeline. We all—collaborators, contributors, users—found our people here. Our collaborators bring the energy and expertise that makes this special; our community keeps us inspired daily. We steward this culture where everyone arrives with humility and curiosity, where we're all teachers and students, lifting each other up. The right people find us as much as we find them.
Ultimately, this was never just about a website. It was about bringing together people who share these values, creating a global campfire for us all to rally around, helping push the field forward together. The beautiful paradox is this: As our community gets bigger, the world gets that much smaller.

10/16/2025

Baby Block is an easy to use, comprehensive web resources for regional anesthesia. It’s global impact is wide as it is currently being translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish.
Baby Blocks emerged from frustration and necessity. In the mid-2010s, regional anesthesia exploded with novel techniques, yet knowledge remained siloed behind paywalls. Even as a clinician in the United States with relative privilege, I struggled accessing quality materials. If it was this hard for me, imagine the barriers for colleagues with far fewer resources.
Also, I couldn't find a platform that spoke directly to me as a pediatric anesthesiologist—one where our specialty was the focus, not an afterthought. This gap matters because studies show 80-90% of pediatric procedures could benefit from regional anesthesia, yet fewer than 25% receive it. So I thought if the resource I wanted didn't exist, I guess I’d have to build it—not just for me, but for everyone.
Three and a half years later, we've reached 77,000+ users from 180+ countries, with over 16% from low- and middle-income settings—a true testament to our aims. But Baby Blocks isn't just about a website anymore—it's what our community has built together. It became something none of us expected: a lifeline. We all—collaborators, contributors, users—found our people here. Our collaborators bring the energy and expertise that makes this special; our community keeps us inspired daily. We steward this culture where everyone arrives with humility and curiosity, where we're all teachers and students, lifting each other up. The right people find us as much as we find them.
Ultimately, this was never just about a website. It was about bringing together people who share these values, creating a global campfire for us all to rally around, helping push the field forward together. The beautiful paradox is this: As our community gets bigger, the world gets that much smaller.

Check out this Mobile Video designed by Deepa Kattail.

09/29/2025

Monday Member Spotlight!

Please welcome former SPA Global Scholar Dr. Olurotimi Aaron in sharing his words about the SPA Global Scholar Program and her achievements.
I am from Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex Ile-Ife, Nigeria and completed the SPA Global Scholars program on October 1-31, 2019 with Seattle Children’s Hospital.
My one-month Observership training as a Global Scholar was a truly enriching and transformative experience. I had the opportunity to observe preoperative assessments, intraoperative care and patient monitoring, pain management practices, and anaesthesia for diagnostic procedures in the radiological unit, as well as clinical rounds at the PICU. A major highlight was delivering a presentation at Seattle Children’s Hospital and a poster presentation at the ASA Conference, which provided platforms for academic engagement and professional growth. This experience also allowed me to connect with and learn from paediatric anaesthetists from across the world, including leading experts and authors, while building meaningful collaborations with fellow global scholars.

I am a Consultant Anaesthetist and Senior Lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University and its Teaching Hospitals Complex, Nigeria, with over 18 years of medical experience and a decade as an attending anaesthetist. I hold advanced training in paediatric anaesthesia, including a WFSA fellowship in Nairobi and an Observership at Seattle Children’s Hospital, USA. I have led paediatric anaesthesia services at my centre, contributed to clinical protocols, and mentored trainees. My expertise spans paediatric, obstetric, orthopaedic, neurosurgical, and intensive care anaesthesia. I have complemented the above with active roles in education, professional societies, and international collaborations

Since completing my Paediatric Anaesthesia and Observership, I have advanced my career in paediatric anaesthesia and medical education with notable contributions:
Clinical Practice & Innovation: Introduced key changes in paediatric anaesthesia care at OAUTHC, improving the quality and safety of perioperative management.
Teaching & Training: Actively involved in the training of medical students and anaesthesia residents at OAUTHC, contributing to the development of the next generation of clinicians.
Speaking Engagements: Delivered a presentation at the Association of Paediatric Surgeons of Nigeria, addressing The Role of Anaesthesia in Quality Improvement in Children’s Surgical Care.
Capacity Building: Served as a facilitator for SAFEPaed and SAFEpaed Cleft training sessions, strengthening paediatric anaesthesia capacity in resource-limited settings.
Faculty Role: Acted as external faculty for the Paediatric Anaesthesia Training in Africa (PASoN) program.
Academic Achievement: Obtained a master’s degree in Basic Medical Sciences, further enhancing my academic and research foundation.
Leadership & Service: Currently serving as Head of Department (from 1 August 2024 to present), while also contributing internationally as a member of the WFSA Paediatric Anaesthesia Committee.

09/01/2025

Monday Member Spotlight!

Dr. Avani Richardson is a pediatric anesthesiologist practicing at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she also completed her residency and fellowship. Her global health engagements include short term global trips with various organizations including Alliance for Smiles, Yantalo Peru Foundation, LEAP Global, CURE, and Cinterandes. At the SPA in 2020, Dr. Richardson spoke about a medically challenging case in Zimbabwe. While attending college at the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana, she travelled to Beijing, China to learn about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) & Public Health. This is where she met her now husband and they have two children and an adorable labradoodle together.

08/22/2025

Joint Communication from the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia and the American Society of Anesthesiologists Regarding Severe Neurological Complications and Death after General Anesthesia in Venezuelan Children

As a reminder from last month’s statement:

It is imperative that pediatric anesthesiologists report any suspected cases for further investigation. After consultation with ASA leadership, members are strongly encouraged to report any concerning cases to the Anesthesia Incident Reporting System (AIRS) hosted by the Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI).

08/04/2025

Monday Member Spotlight!

Please welcome former SPA Global Scholar Dr. Tihut Teshome in sharing her words about the SPA Global Scholar Program and her achievements.

I was a SPA Global Scholar on October 21 ,2022. I work for CURE Children's Hospital of Ethiopia. In the US, my host institution was Texas Children's Hospital. My experience during my observership was fantastic! As it was my first time in the US, it was kind of an overwhelming experience. The hospital was huge which gives holistic therapy. At Texas Children's Hospital, patients get safe surgery and anesthesia while having an inspiring work culture. As an anesthesiologist who practices in a Sub-Saharan African country, this made me realize that we need to work hard on safety, quality and take responsibility to create awareness at a higher level for the nation. It also gave me a chance to see some of the drugs that I only read in the books and gave me so many lessons.
I was born and raised in a small town, which is 40 Km away from the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. My parents are government employees, in which case my mom was a nurse who was hard working and a role model to me. She served in the government sector for more than three decades. As a child, I had the privilege to express myself without fear and had full support from my family. They emphasized my self-esteem and independence. As a student, I was one of the top scorers in a class dominated by boys. I earned an award from the Ethiopian president for the top female score in the region on the national exit examination. I joined medical school at Jimma University and did my residency in anesthesiology and critical care in one of the biggest teaching hospitals in Ethiopia called Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. During residency, I was a chief resident and learned anesthesia despite the lack of so many consumables, equipment and drugs. This was frustrating but it made me realize saving lives in a compromised set up is very stressful and demanding. I am grateful that it opened the door for some external visitors that were supporting us in terms of equipment and teaching us so many skills. After my residency graduation, I started my job as an anesthesiologist in a teaching hospital in Addis Ababa where I served as department head for two years. During those times I really enjoyed teaching residents, shaping the department and working in collaboration with other departments. My passion of caring for children drove me to do my fellowship in pediatric anesthesia in Nairobi, Kenya. I was fully sponsored by WFSA for one year. I began my fellowship in 2019 but had to discontinue because of COVID 19 and resumed in 2021. Once I completed my fellowship, I joined one of the only pediatric hospitals in Ethiopia called " CURE Children's Hospital”, a charity hospital where free service is being delivered to pediatric patients with orthopedic deformity and plastic surgery.
I am the first pediatric anesthesiologist in the country which gave me a chance to join CURE Children's Hospital among so many applicants. I also encouraged my previous residents to join this fellowship so that we can work on establishing a pediatric anesthesia fellowship in the country. I also work with organizations like Life Box, Smile Train and Operation Smile participating on different trainings that involve safety and continuous teaching like SAFE OR course in Africa, cleft trainings, SAFE pediatrics trainings. I was also invited to the Pediatrics Surgical Society to give a speech on pediatric anesthesia updates where I was honored as the first pediatric anesthesiologist in the country. I have volunteered as the lead anesthesiologist on an inaugural cleft surgical program that took place outside Addis Ababa. I have a certificate on "intraoperative neuromonitoring " after one year of online courses and completed an additional observership to the US on anesthesia neuromonitoring for scoliosis correction surgery. Now at the CURE hospital, I am working as pediatric anesthesiologist, resident coordinator and lead anesthesiologist for scoliosis correction surgical programs. As an ASA Global Scholar for two consecutive years on 2023 and 2024, I did a poster presentation. I was also interviewed on a surgical podcast to give a speech on my professional journey and life experience. Most gratefully, I am a mom of two adorable sons and married to my high school sweetheart who is ENT surgeon.