VCU Department of Anesthesiology
Welcome to the Department of Anesthesiology at the VCU School of Medicine. For more than 50 years, our department has trained experts in anesthesiology and perioperative care. Through an innovative approach to teaching and an emphasis on patient safety, we prepare clinicians for the future of our specialty.
Educational programs
The VCU Department of Anesthesiology offers a core residency and multiple subspecialty fellowship programs.
Recent News
Resilience, Growth, and an Unwavering Commitment to Excellence
A Legacy Rooted in 1967
In 1967, VCU's anesthesiology services existed as a division laying early groundwork for what would soon become a full academic department. Dr. Boyan became the first chair of the newly formed Department of Anesthesiology, setting the stage for academic excellence and clinical distinction at what was then the Medical College of Virginia. In the decades since, four more chairs carried that torch forward, culminating in my immediate predecessor, Dr. John B. Butterworth, becoming the sixth leader in the department's history.
The Butterworth Era: Building the Foundation
Recruited back to Richmond in 2011, Dr. Butterworth left an extraordinary footprint — expanding clinical operations, driving excellent quality outcomes, and continuously growing clinical services until his retirement in 2020. His recruitment of new leadership and talent built the infrastructure that continues to power the department's success today.
Leading Through Crisis, Emerging Stronger
Dr. Alice T. Coombs stepped into the chair role at the outset of the pandemic - a period defined by equipment scarcity, patients battling severe multisystem failure, and a fast-moving, often uncertain treatment landscape. VCU met the moment by pooling resources and convening strategic real-time meetings to adapt operations as the science evolved. That resilience became a launching pad: today, the VCU Department of Anesthesiology stands as one of the most robust programs in the Mid-Atlantic.
A Department at the Top of Its Game
- 71,000+ anesthetics delivered annually
- 280 anesthesia physicians and providers on our team
- 40%+ growth in staff anesthesiologists, CRNAs, and residency positions 2019-2026)
- Deep, expanding expertise spanning transplantation, cardiac, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, ambulatory surgery, thoracic, acute and regional pain, chronic pain management, general surgery, and vascular anesthesiology
This growth has tracked alongside VCU Medical Center's rise to the very top of the field: U.S. News & World Report named VCU Medical Center the No. 1 hospital in Virginia in its 2026-2027 Best Hospitals rankings, with national recognition in cardiology/heart & vascular surgery and orthopedics, plus high-performing marks in cancer, gastroenterology, and neurology/neurosurgery (Becker's Hospital Review, Patch).
Growing Our Footprint and Our Future
Our community reach is expanding right alongside our clinical excellence. By 2027, our footprint will include approximately 85 clinical sites, including the new Ambulatory Center in Chesterfield — extending exceptional anesthesia care into rural and community settings. On the education front, we've grown our residency class size to 15 per year (up from a smaller cohort three years ago), and the department now trains the next generation across three tracks: anesthesiology residents, student nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiologist assistants.
From a single division in 1967 to a nationally competitive, community-rooted powerhouse — this is a department built on resilience, growth, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.