Weill Cornell Medicine’s board-certified, fellowship-trained obstetric anesthesiologists are recognized as national and international leaders in the field. We are dedicated to providing exceptional, patient-centered care through collaboration and teamwork across the peripartum continuum. The division has been recognized by the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) as a Center of Excellence for obstetric anesthesia care at the Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns.
Clinical
At NewYork-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns, the obstetric anesthesiology team provides comprehensive, 24/7 anesthesia care for pregnant and postpartum patients. We support approximately 9,000 deliveries annually in our 44,000square-foot, state-of-the-art Labor and Delivery facility.
Our anesthesiologists deliver the full spectrum of services from labor analgesia provided to over 90% of birthing patients, and anesthesia for cesarean delivery, to advanced perioperative care for those with complex medical or obstetric conditions. Care is delivered through highly coordinated, multidisciplinary pathways and guidelines that include obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, neonatology, nursing, blood bank, pharmacy, and perioperative services.
We provide evidence-based care through enhanced recovery pathways for cesarean delivery (ERAC) and optimized post-cesarean pain management. Our faculty lead enterprise-wide initiatives in obstetric hemorrhage care, including viscoelastic-guided blood product replacement integrated into standardized hemorrhage toolkits.
A streamlined obstetric anesthesia consultation program ensures timely access, triage, and perioperative planning for patients with significant comorbidities. The attendings and fellows play a central role in multidisciplinary programs such as the obstetric cardiology program, placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) conference, and hospital-wide quality and patient safety initiatives. We also partner closely with the blood bank, pharmacy, and simulation teams to advance maternal safety and preparedness.
As leaders in perioperative governance, we drive improvements in operating room efficiency, sterility standardization, antibiotic stewardship, structured huddles and handoffs, and emergency readiness. Continuous quality improvement is sustained through data review, simulation, and post-event debriefing—ensuring that every patient receives the safest and highest-quality care possible.
Education
The obstetric anesthesiology rotation provides residents with comprehensive clinical experience in the anesthetic management of patients undergoing obstetric care. This hands-on training is complemented by a robust educational curriculum that includes formal and informal didactic sessions, journal clubs, simulation, and guided independent study.
With the completion of the rotation, residents are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the perioperative care of obstetric patients, including those with complex medical or obstetric conditions. Residents gain experience in preoperative assessment, intraoperative anesthetic management, and postoperative care, applying the most current evidence-based medical knowledge to each clinical scenario. Emphasis is placed on developing clinical judgment, technical skill, and compassionate, patient-centered care.
The Fellowship Program. Our one-year, ACGME-accredited program trains fellows in all aspects of obstetric anesthesiology, with a focus on clinical excellence, scholarship, data-driven models of care, and leadership skills. Fellows care for pregnant patients ranging from healthy to those with complex medical problems. They also participate in activities promoting high reliability culture, such as clinical care simulations of administering general anesthesia for emergent cesarean deliveries or managing post-partum hemorrhage. Fellows also lead sessions of multi-disciplinary teams to plan for complex deliveries and provide teaching and supervision for junior residents.
Learn more about the Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship
Research
Members of the division are engaged in research in many areas, including racial disparities in maternal care, pain management during labor and cesarean birth, and quality improvement in the labor and delivery setting. Our work, including prospective studies and database research, informs institutional policy and contributes to national guidelines and best practices.
Faculty
Sharon E. Abramovitz, MD
Chief, Obstetric Anesthesiology
Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Jaime Aaronson, MD
Associate Director, Obstetric Anesthesiology
Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Rima Abhyankar, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Dorian Batt, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Joe Bryant-Huppert, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Hilary Gallin, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Hebah Ismail, MD, JD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Klaus Kjaer, MD, MBA
Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Danielle McCullough, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Domenic Pedulla, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Jason White, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
Robert White, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology
