We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Steven M. Frank as inaugural Vice Chair and Dr. Denise Cinquegrana as Associate Vice Chair for Faculty Recruitment and Retention in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, effective July 1, 2026.

In this role, Dr. Frank will serve as the department’s chief strategist and operational leader for recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and retention. He will lead an overhaul of the recruitment process, build proactive pipelines from our residency and fellowship programs, and champion a structured retention program anchored in wellness, belonging, and career growth—ensuring ACCM has the talent to fulfill its clinical, educational, and research missions.

Dr. Frank completed his medical degree at the University of Missouri and residency at Johns Hopkins, followed by a fellowship in vascular, thoracic, and transplant anesthesia. He currently serves as Division Chief of Adult Multispecialty Anesthesia and is internationally recognized as a leader in patient blood management. He has lectured at major national and international meetings across the U.S., Asia, Africa, and Europe, mentored dozens of research fellows, residents, and students, and served on promotion committees for ACCM and the Health System. He has been elected to the Johns Hopkins Distinguished Teaching Society and the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Frank on this appointment. Fun facts about Steve: he spent 9 years in private practice at GBMC before returning to Hopkins in 2010, and last year he ran a 100-mile ultramarathon in under 24 hours.

We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Denise Cinquegrana will serve as Associate Vice Chair for Faculty Recruitment and Retention, partnering with Dr. Frank to recruit, engage, and retain outstanding faculty. Dr. Cinquegrana earned her MPH at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, her medical degree at SUNY Upstate Medical University, and completed residency and fellowship training in Neuroanesthesia at Johns Hopkins. A faculty member since 2017, she brings broad clinical experience, a commitment to resident education and mentorship, and deep institutional knowledge. She serves on the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Admissions Committee and has served on ASA committees in Economics, Neuroanesthesia, and Innovation, with research experience at the NIH and the University of Barcelona. Dr. Cinquegrana will bring creativity and a relationship-centered approach to this work, with particular interest in faculty morale, trainee development, and the department’s visibility to future recruits. Fun fact about Denise: as a Harvard undergraduate she was recruited for swimming and qualified for the Olympic Trials.

We would like to thank Rob Thomsen for serving 12 years as Vice Chair for Human Resources and Patient Experience, a position replaced by the new positions described above. Rob has risen to a prominent leadership role in the ASA and will now be able to dedicate more time to leading our national society.

We also extend our deepest gratitude to our search committee: Ryan Placek, Tyrina McNeal, Carol Stokeling, Scott Sumner, and Sarah Danihel. Their expertise in faculty recruitment and HR processes played a pivotal role in ensuring a thorough and thoughtful search.