Nathaen Weitzel has been appointed professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine. He will lead a team of 100 attending physicians, 48 certified registered nurse anesthetists and 71 residents and fellows. The department also includes more than 25 administrative and support staff members. Additional staff are also being recruited for UC Davis Health’s new 16-suite outpatient surgery center, 48X, which is expected to open next year.

“Dr. Weitzel brings a wealth of expertise as a collaborative leader, educator and clinician,” said Susan Murin, interim dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine. “We welcome his insights and innovative approaches to enhancing the comprehensive care we provide to our community.”

Weitzel brings extensive experience in clinical operations and education to this role. Previously, he served as a professor of anesthesiology, vice chair of clinical operations and quality and associate chief medical officer of perioperative services at the University of Colorado Health.

“I am thrilled to be joining UC Davis Health,” Weitzel said, praising the innovation and collaborative culture of the health system. “Anesthesiology has always been at the forefront of the interplay between technology and health care delivery,” Weitzel noted. “With the staffing strains across the country in the health care workforce, we have to look for ways to be more efficient and utilize recent innovations such as artificial intelligence.”

Weitzel has served in educational roles as well, including course director and associate residency program director, and has earned numerous teaching awards. He also has an extensive publishing background, serving as editor-in-chief of Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia for more than a decade.

More recently, he successfully managed clinical operations across more than 90 locations, oversaw the launch of a new hospital tower that added 10 operating rooms and 200 beds and recruited more than 30 anesthesia providers in the past three years.

Looking ahead, Weitzel is enthusiastic about fostering growth within his new department while maintaining integrity in patient care.

“That's a value indicated to me as a core of the department,” Weitzel said. “We want to maintain that moving forward and recruit heavily the best and the brightest. I'd like to see us jump further and do some exciting things in education and really develop a solid research base, creating what I would call a ramp for new faculty to come in and become successful grant-funded, impactful clinical researchers.”

Weitzel attended Colorado State University and earned his medical degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. He completed his anesthesiology residency in Denver and cardiothoracic anesthesia fellowship in Aurora at the University of Colorado. He is currently pursuing his M.B.A.

Weitzel is no stranger to the Sacramento area, as his wife Heather is from the region. Their family of four is looking forward to exploring the farm-to-table dining scene, wine country and beautiful Lake Tahoe.

“We welcome Dr. Weitzel and thank Dr. Amrik Singh for his truly outstanding service as interim chair of the department during a crucial period of transition,” said Interim Dean Murin.