The ASA Monitor sat down with Dr. Joseph “Jerry” Reves – Distinguished Professor and Emeritus Dean of the College of Medicine Medical at the University of South Carolina and a former innovator and leader in anesthesiology – for his insights on the specialty now. His areas of focus throughout his career include intravenous anesthetics and novel ways of administrating them and studying the effects of cardiac surgery on the brain to reduce stroke and neurocognitive dysfunction after surgery. He also fostered interdisciplinary programs and was founding Director of the Duke Heart Center. More recently, Dr. Reves has focused on innovation in medical education, including the importance of medical simulation and methods to improve research in anesthesiology education.
You have a reputation as a visionary: an early adopter of science and technology to improve patient care. You were among the first to 1) use benzodiazepine-opioid combinations for cardiac surgery, 2) try...