What We Do:
Neurosurgical procedures are extremely delicate and require a collaborative effort to ensure that patients maintain good blood flow, oxygen levels, and appropriate level of consciousness. The anesthesiologists in the Neuroanesthesia Division play a critical role in controlling and monitoring patient conditions in addition to ensuring pain management during and after these procedures. Our neuroanesthesiologists provide care in the general neurosurgical operating rooms and in the neurointerventional radiology suites at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Patients in these settings receive personalized anesthetic combinations to accomplish the surgical goals of these complex and nuanced procedures.
Division Spotlight: Dr. John B. Sampson
Dr. Sampson received the Founders Special Recognition Award at the SCCM Congress in January 2024
Dr. Sampson at the UN Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya
En route to The Gambia with Johns Hopkins ICU fellow, undergraduate student, and project manager
Meeting with the Sierra Leone Minister of Health in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Signing a health improvement agreement with First Lady of the Republic of Gambia, Minister of Health, SCCM President, and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leadership
Dr. John B. Sampson is a distinguished member of the neuroanesthesia division at Johns Hopkins University, where he also serves as a critical care specialist and obstetric anesthesiologist. He is the founder and director of the Johns Hopkins Global Alliance of Perioperative Professionals (JHU-GAPP), which is dedicated to providing sustainable, affordable, and contextually relevant solutions to improve anesthesia and perioperative care in resource-limited settings.
Dr. Sampson’s global health involvement began during his medical studies with a visit to Nigeria in 1989. Since then, he has worked to bridge the medical and cultural divide between the United States and Africa through education, training, and technology. In recognition of his efforts, Dr. Sampson received the Bridge Builder Award from the Diaspora African Forum in Ghana in 2021, joining other honorees such as Stevie Wonder and Idris Elba. He has introduced numerous physicians, students, and healthcare professionals to Africa, profoundly influencing their careers and perspectives.
Board-certified in critical care medicine, Dr. Sampson has received several prestigious accolades, including multiple SCCM presidential citations, the Peter Safar Award (2020) and the Founder’s Award (2023) from the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). Currently, he serves as the Project Chair for SCCM’s Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support (AIRS), a global health initiative focused on improving access to sustainable oxygen and renewable energy in The Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. This project, supported by a $5.5 million grant from Direct Relief in collaboration with JHU-GAPP, addresses critical challenges like energy shortages and outdated infrastructure by promoting sustainability and local capacity building.
AIRS aims to reduce global health disparities by developing oxygen-generating plants, installing hospital-based solar energy systems to provide reliable power, and creating oxygen delivery systems, including piping and comprehensive biomedical training for local workers. This initiative ensures that healthcare facilities in the region will sustainably benefit from these improvements for years to come.
To hear more about the AIRS project:
SCCM Podcast SCCM Pod-518: Achieving Sustainable Healthcare in Africa | SCCM
Division Faculty and Clinical Associates
C. David Mintz, MD, PhD
Division Chief for Neuroanesthesiology, Vice Chair for Clinical Operations
Allan Gottschalk, MD, PhD
Director, Anesthesiology Research Training Program (T32)
Christina Miller, MD
ECT Anesthesia Director, Multidisciplinary Airway Course Director, Simulation Education Co-Director
Thai Nguyen, MD, PhD
Neuroanesthesiology Quality and Safety Director
Kathryn Rosenblatt, MD
Fellowship Director, Director of Outreach
Alyson Russo, MD
Fellowship Director, Director of Neuroanesthesia Resident Education
John B. Sampson, MD
Executive Director Austere Anesthesia Health Outcomes Research Group
Adam Schiavi, MD, PhD, MS.
Center for Immersive Simulation and Telemedicine Director, Simulation Education Co-Director
Shruti Sudhakar, MD
Robert Thomsen, MD, FASA
Vice Chair for Human Resources and Patient Experience; Medical Director, Endoscopy; Maryland ASA Director
John A. Ulatowski, MD, PhD, MBA
Distinguished Service University Professor
Neuroanesthesia Cohort
CRNAs are able to provide anesthesia for a variety of challenging cases in neurosurgery and trauma at Johns Hopkins. They provide anesthesia for cases such as craniotomies, including awake, complex, cervical spine surgeries; posterior fossa tumor resections; endoscopic procedures; spinal fusions; and level I emergency procedures for aneurysms, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and acute trauma to the cervical spine. The CRNAs in this cohort also provide anesthesia for neuro-interventional procedures. Trust and respect are instilled in this group of CRNAs that stems from the attending anesthesiologists, surgeons, and nursing staff. It is a unique area in which to specialize because a patient’s quality of life is involved and constant vigilance is required.