Jessica Spellman, MD, FASE, Named Division Chief of Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology

Dr. Jessica Spellman, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, is the new Division Chief of Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology (ACTA) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. A long-standing member of the faculty and a nationally recognized leader in perioperative care, Dr. Spellman brings a wealth of experience in clinical innovation, education, and institutional service to her new role.

Since joining the Department of Anesthesiology in 2009, Dr. Spellman has held a series of progressively complex leadership roles, including Director of Perioperative Echocardiography, Director of Anesthesiology Services for Cardiac Surgery, and Director of Clinical Operations for Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology. Under her leadership, the ACTA division has implemented multidisciplinary clinical programs that have significantly improved patient outcomes, including:

• a 92% reduction in ECMO use following heart transplant 
• a 91% reduction in RVAD use post-LVAD 
• a dramatic increase in in-OR extubation rates from under 5% to nearly 40%, resulting in a one-day reduction in hospital stay 

These achievements reflect Dr. Spellman’s talent for translating vision into action and data into meaningful change.

A passionate educator, Dr. Spellman has enriched the ACTA didactic curriculum with innovative tools, including video-based materials and an online infographic program. She expanded the division’s board review curriculum for perioperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and led multidisciplinary conferences on the perioperative care of patients with complex congenital heart disease.

Her academic leadership extends beyond CUIMC. She directed the 11th New York City TEE Conference, serves as a board examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology, and chairs the Newsletter Subcommittee of the Society of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologists. She is also a frequent national speaker and co-creator of the edX course Crisis Resource Management.

A dedicated advocate for mentorship, Dr. Spellman serves on the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Medicine at CUIMC and has contributed to initiatives supporting women in medicine, including the Columbia University Women in Medicine Committee and the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists’ Ad Hoc Committee on Women Physicians. She is also a founding member of Women in Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, a national initiative that fosters professional development and community among women physicians in the field.

Dr. Spellman earned her undergraduate degree in physics from Rutgers University and her medical degree with high honors and Alpha Omega Alpha distinction from Jefferson Medical College. She completed her anesthesiology residency and ACTA fellowship at CUIMC and was promoted to Associate Professor of Anesthesiology in 2019 and Associate Professor of Surgery in 2021.

Dr. Spellman’s appointment opens a new era for the ACTA division. In an announcement to the department and institutional colleagues, Department Chair Dr. Meghan B. Lane-Fall wrote that "Dr. Spellman steps into the role of permanent ACTA chief poised to lead the division into a dynamic new chapter.  I am excited for what lies ahead for the ACTA division, guided by her outstanding clinical leadership, educational innovation, academic service, and commitment to advancing the field."