Mark Rice, M.D., has joined Vanderbilt’s Department of Anesthesiology as professor and chief of the Division of Multispecialty Adult Anesthesiology.
James Berry, M.D., professor of Anesthesiology, who has served as division chief since 2004, has stepped down from the role.
“Dr. Berry was instrumental in initiating the department’s clinical research infrastructure and in spinning off Ambulatory Anesthesiology and Neurosurgical Anesthesiology as distinct clinical divisions. The department owes him a debt of gratitude for these and many other successes,” said Warren Sandberg, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Anesthesiology, and professor of Biomedical Informatics and Surgery.
Rice comes to Vanderbilt from the University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, where he served as section chief for general surgery in the department of anesthesiology, and as chief of the department’s liver transplantation section.
“Dr. Rice brings with him extensive leadership and mentorship experience in academic anesthesiology, as well as the unique perspective of having created and sold a successful startup company. He is an acknowledged expert in point-of-care testing in high criticality environments such as the operating room, and has a nationwide network of collaborative innovation in health care device development and diagnostics. We are fortunate to have attracted him to Vanderbilt,” Sandberg said.
Rice received his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin (Madison), and completed an internship in surgery, a research fellowship in the transplantation laboratory, and a residency in anesthesiology, all at University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison.
His academic interests include the accuracy, interferences and statistical analysis of point-of-care blood analyte measurement devices, and he has published extensively regarding the use and statistical analysis of glucose and hemoglobin point-of-care devices.
Rice’s recent community service includes several mission trips to Honduras and a volunteer trip to Haiti in January 2010, in which he ran the operating room at Sacre Coere Hospital in Milot, performing anesthesia for earthquake victims.
Rice is married to Lori Deitte, M.D., who has joined the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences as associate professor and vice-chair of Education.
