Jesse Ehrenfeld

Jesse Menachem Ehrenfeld (born 24 April 1978) is an American physician. Ehrenfeld is a member of the American Medical Association Board of Trustees^[1] and former Speaker of the Massachusetts Medical Society,^[2] where he was the youngest officer in the 228-year history of the organization. He is also a former Vice-President of the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists.^[3] A 2008 recipient of the AMA Foundation Leadership Award,^[4] Ehrenfeld is a leading researcher in the field of biomedical informatics. Ehrenfeld’s research interests include bioinformatics and the application of information technology to increase patient safety in the operating room environment. Ehrenfeld’s work has led to the presentation of over 200 abstracts at national/international meetings and the publication of over 100 manuscripts in high impact peer-reviewed journals. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medical Systems.^[5]

Education

Born in Wilmington, DE, Ehrenfeld attended high school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. A board certified anesthesiologist, he holds a Bachelor of Science from Haverford College, an MD from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University. He completed his Internship in Internal Medicine (2004-2005), Residency in Anesthesiology (2005-2008), and Informatics Fellowship (2008-2010) all at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He is Board Certified in both Anesthesiology and Clinical Informatics.

Career

Ehrenfeld's research in the area of continuous quality improvement and intraoperative patient safety has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research. and the American Medical Association. He was the founding director of the Anesthesia Fellowship in Biomedical Informatics at the Massachusetts General Hospital.^[6] He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association. His appointments have included Assistant Professorships at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital where he practiced anesthesiology within the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine.^[7] He is currently Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Surgery, Biomedical Informatics, and Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.^[8] He is the author of several books,^[9][10] including "Pocket Anesthesia", "Anesthesia: A Case Based Survival Guide", and "The MGH Textbook of Anesthetic Equipment" and has published extensively in the medical literature. Ehrenfeld is active in the LGBT community,^[11] and is a Log Cabin Republican.^[12] He directs the Vanderbilt Program for LGBTI Health ^[13] A Commander in the U.S. Navy, Ehrenfeld serves as a medical reserve officer.

Military service (2008–present)

On April 7, 2008 Ehrenfeld was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Naval Reserve. Initially assigned to Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, he served as a medical corps officer at an Operational Health Support Unit in Newport, Rhode Island. He was later assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and served with an Operational Health Support Unit in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed Direct Commissioning Officer (DCO) School at the U.S. Naval Training Center in Newport, Rhode Island. In 2014, Ehrenfeld was called to active duty and served a tour in Kandahar, Afghanistan at the NATO Role III Multinational Medical Unit. During his tour, he served both as the Anesthesiology Division Officer and the Public Affairs Officer in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Resolute Support Mission from September 2014 to April 2015. During his tour, he was constantly relied upon to care for wounded U.S. servicemembers and coalition forces, enabling the immediate life and limb saving treatment of numerous casualties who underwent emergency surgery in a far forward deployed location. The extraordinary care Ehrenfeld provided enabled at least three critically injured servicemembers to be stabilized and airlifted home. Without his presence, several of those who were injured would not have survived. His fearless dedication and commitment to caring for others, even in the face of indirect fire, led to Ehrenfeld's receipt of several service medals from the U.S. Navy and Airforce.

Advocacy

A longtime advocate for patients, equality, and LGBT health, Ehrenfeld made international headlines on February 22, 2015, when he asked the newly appointed Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter his stance on letting transgender individuals serve in the military. The Secretary's response “I don’t think anything but their suitability for service should preclude them [from serving]”^[14] — was his first public comment on the issue and the most favorable from a senior U.S. military official to date. Within hours, the event was being reported by news outlets all over the world and by the next afternoon the White House chimed in with its enthusiastic support, sparking even more media attention.^{[15][16][17][18]}

Honors

• AMA Foundation Leadership Award
• Partners in Excellence Award
• Special Tribute and Commendation from the State of Delaware, House of Representatives
• Harvard Medical School Teaching Award
• Commendation for Excellence in Service from the United States Navy
• Emmy Nominee

Personal Life

Ehrenfeld lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his husband Judd Taback, an administrative judge, and their bulldog Maddie. He enjoys photography, running and traveling with his partner.

References

External links

• Jesse Ehrenfeld's Website
• Articles on Pubmed
• Published Books
• AMA Foundation Leadership Award
• New England Journal of Medicine Masthead