Department of
Anesthesiology

About Us

Welcome to the Department of Anesthesiology at West Virginia University (WVU). These are exciting times in West Virginia, and I am honored to lead the Department. Let me share with you why I am optimistic about the future of WVU Medicine and the Department of Anesthesiology.

The Department of Anesthesiology at WVU has a long and impressive history, and I am privileged to serve as Chair. The mission of the Department is to provide exceptional care for our patients, conduct innovative research that advances the care of patients everywhere, and train the best students, residents, and fellows.

Since 2016, WVU Medicine has undergone tremendous growth, and the Department of Anesthesiology has been a critical contributor. Housed in J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, the Department provides anesthesia care for more than 40,000 procedures per year. At our state-of-the-art Heart and Vascular Institute, the Department provides anesthesia care for 1,000 open cardiac, 1,000 thoracic, and 1,000 vascular procedures. The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute has been recognized by the American Heart Association and the Mitral Foundation as a Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center and has received the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Platinum Level Center of Excellence designation. The cardiac anesthesia team is instrumental to all aspects of operative care and provides advanced intraoperative TEE imaging, including 3D imaging, for mitral valve repair and all cardiopulmonary bypass procedures.

WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital is a freestanding, nine-story children’s hospital located on the Morgantown medical campus adjacent to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital. The hospital includes a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and West Virginia’s only Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Our fellowship-trained pediatric anesthesia team provides anesthesia care to more than 7,000 pediatric patients, while our OB anesthesia team provides patient-centered care to more than 2,000 new mothers every year. The Morgantown medical campus continues to grow, with a new outpatient facility featuring eight operating rooms scheduled to open in fall 2027, further expanding outpatient surgical capacity.

Our Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain (RAP) service performs more than 3,000 peripheral nerve blocks and provides more than 2,500 acute pain consultations each year. The Center for Integrative Pain Management has more than 32,000 patient visits every year and was recognized as an exemplary integrated pain management program by the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy.

In addition to working to directly improve the health of the patients we serve in West Virginia, we are eager to extend our reach and improve the care of patients around the world. We recognize that one of the best ways to do this is through authentic engagement in research. Many members of the Department participate in clinical research projects that range from investigator-initiated projects that reflect an innovative approach to our clinical expertise to industry-funded drug and device studies. Other members of the Department participate in education research in order to improve the education of physicians and non-physicians. This group has studied everything from the impact of fatigue on resident well-being to the effect of biases on patient perception of physicians to the impact of novel techniques such as generative retrieval on learning.

The Department is committed to excellence and innovation in education. The Department supports 11 ACGME-accredited residency positions every year for a total of 44 residents. We have two fellows in ACGME-accredited cardiothoracic anesthesiology, one fellow in ACGME-accredited regional anesthesia and acute pain, and two fellows in the ACGME-accredited Pain Medicine Fellowship. We extensively use a highly recognized, anesthesiologist-developed simulation center for education at all levels of training.

The Department takes great pride in our nurse anesthetist training program, which began in 2020. The WVU Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthetist program now admits up to 20 student nurse anesthetists in each cohort. The program received the highest accreditation status available from the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs in 2025, with accreditation extending through 2035.

Home to West Virginia University, Morgantown is a vibrant university community that offers an outstanding quality of life for our faculty, trainees, and their families. The presence of WVU brings the energy and resources of a major university to a community that remains accessible and easy to navigate, with Big 12 athletics, cultural events, restaurants, and year-round activities.

Morgantown is located approximately 70 miles south of Pittsburgh near the intersection of Interstates 79 and 68, providing convenient access to Pittsburgh and other major cities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Learn more about visiting Morgantown through WVU.

Outdoor recreation is an important part of life in the region. The Morgantown area offers walking and biking trails, Cheat Lake, and numerous opportunities for outdoor activities, while Coopers Rock State Forest, less than 15 miles from Morgantown, offers scenic overlooks, climbing, and more than 50 miles of hiking and biking trails.

Whether joining the Department for residency or fellowship training, an academic career, or clinical practice, Morgantown provides the advantages of a major academic medical center and university community with ready access to the outdoors and the surrounding region.

As Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, I welcome you to explore our Departmental website and learn more about our clinical programs, professional education, research, and practice opportunities. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of this amazing team to learn more about WVU Anesthesiology.

Edward C. Nemergut, MD

Professor and Chair