Welcome to the Provincial Department of Anesthesiology, an academic and clinical department within the College of Medicine (CoM), University of Saskatchewan, and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).  With the introduction of a single health authority in Saskatchewan on Dec 04, 2017, our department continues to grow as a cohesive group of over 150 members. This includes 130 Specialist anesthesiologists (115 CoM faculty members), 26 Family Practice Anesthetists and affiliated.

The members of our department are fully engaged as clinicians, physician leaders, academics, educators and researchers throughout the Province. We provide safe and high quality connected clinical care, innovative education and cutting edge research benefiting the people of Saskatchewan and beyond. Our members provide clinical and other services in a variety of locations including hospital and non-hospital facility operating rooms, pre-operative assessment clinics, maternal and child care units, critical care units and other areas. 

We, the faculty, residents, and staff of the department invite you to learn more about what anesthesiology can offer to you as a learner, interested colleague and current or future patient.

Be well,

Dr. Mateen Raazi, MD, FRCPC
Provincial Department Head Anesthesiology
Provincial Department of Anesthesiology
University of Saskatchewan

The Provincial Department of Anesthesiology Podcast: Airway Breathing Conversation 

Are you ready to learn your ABC's? Run by Anesthesiology residents at the University of Saskatchewan, this podcast was created with the goal of providing individuals with anesthesiology-related medical information. Created/hosted by Dr. Alixe Pellerin (Anesthesiology PGY3) and produced/edited by Dr. Allan Meldrum (Anesthesiology PGY1), join us twice a month while we speak with co-residents, anesthesiology staff, members of the broader USask College of Medicine Community, and other special guests about all things anesthesia.

The ABC Podcast is excited to cover a wide variety of anesthesia-related topics, including life as an anesthesiologist, research here in Saskatchewan, how anesthesia has changed over the past few decades, how other healthcare professionals see anesthesia, residency/CaRMS  information, quick education bites/technical tips, and much, much more!

Whether you are an anesthesiologist, resident, medical student, or member of the general public, join us as we demystify the incredible specialty that is anesthesiology!

Podcast & social media links available at: http://linktr.ee/abc_podcast 

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 Anesthesiology Social Media Hub

The USask Provincial Department of Anesthesiology is committed to engaging with the public and demystifying anesthesia's role in caring for patients both inside and outside the operating room. That's why we've created a new "hub" with all of our community engagement links in one place, helping to make it even easier to access our many projects and social media accounts!

Be sure to check out the many links already available: Our social media accounts, the Department's YouTube channel, Our resident-run podcast: "Airway, Breathing, Conversation", and so much more!  

Be sure to bookmark this link to stay up-to-date: https://linktr.ee/usask_anesthesia. 

Message from the Director of Quality Improvement and Safety

The Provincial Department of Anesthesiology strongly believes in continuous quality improvement and patient safety. We are pioneers in establishing a departmental Quality Assurance Committee focusing on real life case review scenarios to determine how healthcare systems need to change to improve patient care in Saskatchewan. Dr. Richard Schaan leads this incredible team, communicating the committee’s findings to foster meaningful positive change. Quality improvement and patient safety is innate in the work anesthesiologists in our department do every day as we strive to provide the best anesthesia care possible.

We welcome patients, families, healthcare professionals, and fellow colleagues to share their ideas and stories so that we can continue to improve healthcare in Saskatchewan. Please contact Dr. Vicky Loessin (vicky.loessin@saskhealthauthority.ca) with any thoughts or ideas. 

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Message from the Quality, Safety & Continuous Improvement Facilitator

One of my favourite stories about change was told by Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon, called “Slow Ideas”. In it, Dr. Gawande talks about the different trajectories of surgical anesthesia and antiseptics, both of which were discovered in the 19^th century. He tells the story better than I ever could so check it out here: Link.

What I like about this story is what we can learn from it – about how we can make changes happen more quickly, systematically, and effectively. Changes not for change’s sake but actual improvements that make a difference in peoples’ lives and experiences. This is at the heart of quality improvement – making good change and working towards “better”.

I already see how highly valued safety, quality, and good care are in the Provincial Department of Anesthesiology. I hope to be able to contribute what I can to your efforts. I would love to talk about any ideas for improvements you have, please reach out anytime!

The Provincial Department of Anesthesiology has significant involvement in the undergraduate MD program.

Members are involved with pre-clinical teaching on local anesthesia pharmacology, general anesthesia pharmacology and perioperative medicine. In addition, many of our faculty participate in small group clinical skills teaching, communications skills sessions, simulation and OSCE examinations.

We have a popular shadowing program for first- and second-year USask medical students looking to explore the specialty and a vibrant student-led Anesthesia Interest Group. Students can also compete in our annual essay competition, the Bev Leech Anesthesia Book Prize.

USask third year clerks complete a core two-week anesthesiology rotation in either Saskatoon, Regina or Prince Albert. The overall objective of this rotation is to provide students with the skills and knowledge that is both practical and generalizable to the primary care physician.

The Department also offers elective anesthesia rotations to clerks from USask, other medical schools in Canada and approved international schools.

Elective students can expect to gain further generalist experience in the provision of anesthetic care in a wide compliment of general and subspecialty surgical services which may include:

• Pediatric
• Obstetric
• Vascular
• Neuro
• Thoracic
• Acute pain
• Regional
• Chronic pain
• and Trauma

We do not offer clerk electives exclusively in any individual subspecialty. Please contact the departmental staff should you have any questions!

Dr. Melanie Orvold
Director of Undergraduate Anesthesiology Education
Provincial Department of Anesthesiology
University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Melanie Orvold
Director of Undergraduate Anesthesiology Education & Saskatoon Clerkship Core Rotation Director

Dr. Mofolashade Onaolapo
Education Director, Regina Site

Dr. Derrick Williams
Education Director, Prince Albert Site

Shumaila Zafar
Administrative Assistant, Saskatoon Site

Trisha DeMars
Administrative Assistant, Regina Site
306-766-3771

Welcome to the University of Saskatchewan Anesthesiology Residency Program!

The USask Anesthesiology program is a five-year training program based out of Saskatoon, the largest city in Saskatchewan.  Residents have opportunities for training opportunities in Regina the Province’s capital, Prince Albert as well as partnerships with chronic pain in Calgary, AB.

Our competence by design-based training program is supported by weekly academic half-days, weekly case rounds, as well as a longitudinal simulation and POCUS program. Faculty come from diverse backgrounds and bring fellowship training from all areas of subspecialty anesthesia to their practice and are eager to teach and share their knowledge.

We have a very productive research team led [1] by Dr. Jon Gamble and supported by Research Associate Dr. Jennifer O’Brien, Provincial Research Facilitator Darcie Earle, Statistician Dr. Mary-Ellen Walker, Clinician Scientist Dr. Peter Hedlin, as well as partnerships with the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Our program has pioneered a number of initiatives – including a robust wellness program[2], one of the first longitudinal POCUS curriculums in anesthesiology[3] and most recently a Quality assurance curriculum. 

Our residents are well-respected as some of the strongest clinicians as well as kindest colleagues. After residency, our residents go on to pursue fellowships of their choice both nationally and internationally or go straight into independent practice with the confidence to be a well-rounded anesthesiologist.

Dr. Eugene Choo
Program Director                                                              
Provincial Department of Anesthesiology
University of Saskatchewan

_{[1] https://medicine.usask.ca/department/clinical/anesthesiology.php#Research}

_{[2] Chakravarti A, Raazi M, O'Brien J, Balaton B. Anesthesiology Resident Wellness Program at the University of Saskatchewan: curriculum content and delivery. Can J Anaesth. 2017 Feb;64(2):199-210. English. https://doi: 10.1007/s12630-016-0773-0. Epub 2016 Nov 14. PMID: 27844198.}

_{[3] Clunie, M., O’Brien, J., Olszynski, P. et al. Competence of anesthesiology residents following a longitudinal point-of-care ultrasound curriculum. Can J Anesth/J Can Anesth (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12630-021-02172-2}

• Sharepoint 
• CaRMS

Welcome to the Postgraduate Anesthesia Program at the University of Saskatchewan!

Our fully Royal College accredited, five-year postgraduate training program provides comprehensive training in anesthesiology, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with a distributed program in our province's capital, Regina. Residents gain broad exposure to both generalist and subspecialty anesthesia, ensuring a well-rounded experience across diverse clinical settings within the province including a multidisciplinary chronic pain clinic in Regina.

Our program follows a Competence by Design framework, supported by a strong academic curriculum featuring weekly dedicated academic half-days, one of the most comprehensive simulation and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) programs in the country, and a focus on innovation in medical education. We have pioneered several key initiatives, including a robust wellness program, one of the first longitudinal POCUS curriculums in anesthesiology and a newly developed quality assurance curriculum.

Graduates from our program successfully pursue subspecialty fellowships across Canada and internationally or enter independent practice as confident, well-rounded generalists. Whether your goal is fellowship training or a strong foundation for generalist practice, the University of Saskatchewan provides the training and support to help you succeed.

Whether you are a medical student interested in post-graduate training or a resident exploring elective opportunities, we invite you to explore our program and discover what makes anesthesia training at the University of Saskatchewan unique!

For more information, please visit the CaRMS website.

• PGME

Dr. Eugene Choo
Program Director

Dr. Calvin Lo
Assistant Program Director

Dr. Jessica Bruce
Assistant Program Director - Curriculum

Megan Fortosky
Program Administrator, Undergraduate
& Postgraduate Education, Saskatoon Site
306-655-1193

Chelsea Malkowich
PGME Program Administrator, Saskatoon Site
306-966-6148

Dr. Ryan Pikaluk
Education Site Director - Regina Site

Dr. Joelle McBain
Assistant Education Site Director - Regina Site

The Provincial Department of Anesthesiology holds weekly grand rounds at 07:00-08:15 AM on Fridays at Health Science E1130. These are Royal College CME accredited events. The speakers range from residents to staff anesthesiologists. We often have multi-disciplinary sessions. If you have any questions please email: Henrybi@gmail.com

If you have an idea for Grand Rounds, please complete the Grand Rounds Idea Form to populate the Grand Rounds Idea Repository. 

Dr. Henry Bi
Director of Continuing Education and Professional Development
Provincial Department of Anesthesiology
University of Saskatchewan

The SASK-PULSE (Saskatchewan Anesthesia Skills & Knowledge: Practical, Up-to-date Learning, Simulation & Education) Workshop held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in the  CLRC (Clinical Resource Learning Center) at the Health Sciences Building in Saskatoon was a resounding success! The event brought together Family Practice Anesthesiologists and FRCPC Specialist Anesthesiologists from across the province for a day of practical, hands-on learning focused on PoCUS (Point of Care Ultrasound) and ultrasound-guided vascular access. 

Participants benefited from expert instruction, valuable simulation experiences, and dedicated time to refine key clinical skills. Just as importantly, the workshop fostered meaningful networking opportunities, helping to strengthen the connections among Anesthesia practitioners across Saskatchewan. 

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a success, and a special thanks to Dr. Justina Koshinsky and the entire SASK-PULSE team for their leadership and coordination. As well as the continued support from the Saskatchewan Medical Association, which made this day possible. We look forward to building on this momentum with future CME events. 

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Amazing Race: AIRWAY

On April 7, 2025, anesthesia residents took on the first-ever Amazing Race: AIRWAY—a high-energy, low-stakes, team-based competition designed to boost airway knowledge and skills through a gamified, hands-on format.

Seven Pit-stops, riddles, timers, crisis communication, team spirit, and laughter.

Residents worked in small teams, racing against the clock to solve airway challenges, decode clues, and practice vital technical and non-technical skills.

This unique learning opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible efforts of Dr. Justina Koshinsky, the Simulation Team, and the CLRC staff, whose creativity, organization, and enthusiasm made it a standout success.

Objectives met:

• Reinforced airway knowledge and hands-on skills
• Practiced team-based problem solving and crisis communication
• Strengthened camaraderie within the residency group

It was an unforgettable day of learning, teamwork, and fun. Congratulations to all the residents who participated, especially the top-scoring teams, who earned well-deserved bragging rights. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year! 

The Anesthesiology Journal Club provides faculty and residents a valuable opportunity to present their own research and to present on recent publications relevant to the area of Anesthesiology. This forum offers residents the chance to enhance their critical appraisal and public communication skills. Residents will explain the rationale and methodology of their own project for peer-review and lead an evidence-based discussion of selected publications.

The Journal Club meets at 17:30 on the third Thursday of every month from September to April. Each meeting features a minimum of one original research presentation, and one critical appraisal of a journal article and related discussion. The Department of Anesthesiology’s research staff, faculty, residents and collaborators are invited to attend the meetings.

Articles are chosen by the resident and links to the articles are circulated one week prior to the meeting.

If you have a Journal Club idea, please complete the Journal Club Ideas Form to populate the Journal Club Ideas Repository. 

If you are interested in learning more about Journal Club or attending as a guest, please contact Darcie Earle, Provincial Research Facilitator.

Welcome to the University of Saskatchewan Provincial Department of Anesthesiology Research Program.

With support from the College of Medicine and the Provincial Department of Anesthesiology, we strive to advance the science of our discipline. We embrace the University of Saskatchewan’s culture of collaboration and diligence to pursue research excellence. Our goals are to produce high impact knowledge recognized and celebrated locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

With the efforts of our dedicated faculty, students, residents and staff, the Research Division conducts a broad range of research - from the bench to the bedside. These efforts include:

• Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction
• Medical Education
• Perioperative Fasting
• Resuscitation
• Airway Assessment
• Mood Disorders
• Virtual Care

While I am privileged to lead the Research program, we are fortunate to have a highly skilled and dedicated research team. Our team includes: Dr. Peter Hedlin (Clinician Scientist), Dr. Jennifer O’Brien (Research Associate), Darcie Earle (Provincial Research Facilitator), and Dr. Mary Ellen Walker (Statistician).

We have recently launched a provincial research and innovation funding program - Provincial Department of Anesthesiology Research Excellence and Engagement Awards (DARE-Awards). For program details feel free to contact myself or Darcie Earle, Provinicial Research Facilitator.

If you are interested in learning more about our research endeavors, feel free to contact us directly. We always invite collaboration from the broad scientific community to add to the breadth and impact of Anesthesiology research.

Dr. Jonathan Gamble, MD, FRCPC (Anes, Crit Care)
Executive Director of Research
Provincial Department of Anesthesiology
University of Saskatchewan 

Welcome to the Provincial Department of Anesthesiology webpage and our Research Program.

I had the privilege of joining the department in 2018 in both a clinical and research capacity. During my time here I’ve been incredibly impressed by the collaborative and supportive nature of our research members and support staff. 

Being in the early stages of my career, one of the initial challenges has been to develop an area of research focus. There are so many fascinating areas of research in the world of anesthesia and perioperative medicine, it’s hard to narrow the list down.

In our Department, we have ongoing research in multiple and diverse areas of Anesthesiology including Cardiac Anesthesia, Medical Education, Social Equity, and Physician Wellness. My areas of research include Quality Improvement, Cardiac Anesthesia, and in particular, Perioperative Care.

My perioperative care research program builds upon my pre-medicine interests and research activity related to developing a vaccine for prion diseases. Prions are transmissible misfolded proteins that can cause rapidly progressive cognitive decline and death in the affected individual. Still fascinated by neuroscience, I became interested in the cognitive changes that occur in the perioperative period.  More and more evidence suggests that certain populations of patients are at high risk for developing cognitive dysfunction following surgery. In most cases, the effects are temporary, but for some patients it can be a long lasting, or even permanent change. The cognitive decline can end up affecting a patient’s length of hospital stay, and the level of care required once they are discharged. At this point we still don’t have a good understanding of what causes it, or how we can prevent it.                   

Our research program continues to grow. I am currently focused on establishing collaborations with other centres in Canada who are already working in the area of post-operative cognitive dysfunction.  Our department is currently participating in a multicentre trial looking at the effects of benzodiazepines on delirium following cardiac surgery. Next steps for our research program include expanding our research support team so that we can continue our current projects while fostering the increased demand for participation in valuable clinical research collaborations and trials.

Eventually we hope to provide opportunities for graduate students to join our teams working on projects related to perioperative cognitive dysfunction.  

If you are interested in perioperative care or research, feel free to contact our department main office, or our Provincial Research Facilitator, Darcie Earle.

Cardiac Anesthesia is a subspecialty of anesthesiology related to peri/intra and post-operative care of patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgeries. Cardiac Anesthesia poses significant clinical challenges given the invasive nature of surgery, patient population, and common physiologic instability.

Faculty: Ryan Pikaluk, Michele Clunie, Peter Hedlin, Eugene Choo

2. POCUS and Medical Education

Point of Care Ultrasound is the use of portable ultrasound as a diagnostic tool that leads to improved operational efficiency, expedited triage, shorted time to diagnosis, and improved patient outcomes.

Faculty: Michele Clunie, Lei Xia, Mateen Raazi, Paul Korchinski, Rob Perverseff, Eugene Choo, Henry Bi   

3. Social/Gender Equity in Care

Equity of care is the absence of differences in care attributable to (perceived) differences among people groups defined by social, economic, cultural or geographic characteristics. Equity of care promotes equity in health outcomes.

We work closely with the Saskatchewan Center for Patient Oriented Research and our projects are enhanced by working with patients and patient families as our collaborators and Co-investigators.

Faculty: Michele Clunie, Mateen Raazi, Krissie Urmson

4. Quality Improvement

Quality Improvement research is an iterative process that collects and analyzes data on processes, interventions, and outcomes to promote ongoing evaluation and improvement in practice and performance.

Faculty: Malone Chaya, Lei Xia, Krissie Urmson, Peter Hedlin, Richard Schaan

5. Leadership and Health Care Systems

The study of Leadership in Health Care Systems ultimately aims to improve patient outcomes by improving the field of medicine and anesthesiology at a management and policy level. Research in this area generates data-driven observations, strategy development, and implementation frameworks for improving collaboration, processes, and outcomes at the level of the patient, clinician, individual, team and department level.

Faculty: Mateen Raazi, Lei Xia

6. Physician Wellness

Physician wellness or lack thereof, has an impact on the physician as well as on patient outcomes, and the health care system. Our research in this area explores consistent and novel stressors and challenges faced by physicians and residents, and works with physicians and residents to identify supports and solutions to avoiding burnout, anxiety and other mental and physical health concerns.

Faculty: Mateen Raazi, Joann Kawchuk, Anita Chakravarti, Richard Schann, Justina Koshinsky   

7. Pediatrics

Pediatric anesthesiology is a subspecialty of Anesthesiology concerned with the care of children from newborn to adolescents, providing peri/intra and post-operative care to children, many who have complex medical problems affecting multiple organs and systems of the body.

Faculty: Jon Gamble, Krissie Urmson, Mateen Raazi

8. Critical Care

Critical care anesthesiologists work with patients in the intensive care unit, who have recently experienced surgery, trauma or severe infection, and require intravenous medication, monitoring heart activity, blood oxygen levels, blood pressure, respiratory and heart rate and modifying medication accordingly.

Faculty: Jon Gamble, Joann Kawchuk, Brian Brownbridge, Raj Brar

9. Peri-/Intra-operative Care

Peri(intra)operative care refers to the patient care provided surrounding a surgical event. Intraoperative care begins when the patient is transferred to the operating room and involves the administration of anesthesia to induces temporary unconsciousness, and/or eliminate (block) the pain sensation. Postoperative care comprises the time during which patients are still under anesthesia and admitted to the Post Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU) where they are monitored for vital stability and surgical complications.

Faculty: Malcom Lucy, Jon Gamble, Ryan Lett, Peter Hedlin, Brian Taylor

10. Regional Anesthesiology

Regional Anesthesiology is the administration of local anesthetic close to a nerve supplying and area of the body on which the surgery/procedure will occur. This includes epidural anesthesia for labor and delivery pain control.

Faculty: Churao Yang

Visit the Provincial Department of Anesthesiology Google Scholar page to find publications from our faculty and trainees.

• USask Anesthesiology Research

Research resources for residents and faculty can be found on the Main Anesthesia Resident SharePoint site within the Resident Research folder

Note: The information on SharePoint is meant to be an internal resource for the deparment. It requires membership and a log in. If you need access, please contact Darcie Earle, Provincial Research Facilitator. 

Dr. Jonathan Gamble
Executive Director Research

Dr. Peter Hedlin
Clinician Scientist 

Dr. Jennifer O’Brien
Research Associate 

Darcie Earle
Provincial Research Facilitator

Dr. Mary Ellen Walker
Statistician