USA Health names Dr. Gregory Bouska interim chair of anesthesiology department

MOBILE, Ala. — USA Health has named Dr. Gregory W. Bouska interim chair of anesthesiology, putting him at the head of a newly formed academic Department of Anesthesia at the University of South Alabama’s Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine.

The appointment is part of the health system’s plan to build an anesthesiology residency program, according to USA Health. Bouska has led anesthesia services at the academic health system as chief since November 2022.

From service line to academic department

Until now, anesthesia at USA Health has operated as a clinical service line, focused mainly on caring for patients. Turning it into an academic department adds formal expectations for teaching and research, health system leaders said.

Dr. Jeffrey La Rochelle, dean of the Whiddon College of Medicine, explained the difference in a statement released by USA Health.

“Although individual faculty within a particular clinical service line may engage in education and research, transforming the anesthesia service line into an academic department elevates the expectations to engage in meaningful education and research activities in alignment with our integrated academic health system,” La Rochelle said.

According to USA Health, the new department is expected to strengthen all three of the medical college’s core missions: education, research and clinical care. It is also expected to create new opportunities for medical students, residents and fellows.

Why a residency program matters

A residency is the hospital-based training that doctors complete after medical school before they can practice independently in a specialty. In the United States, anesthesiology residency typically lasts four years, including a first year of broad clinical training followed by three years focused on anesthesia care.

La Rochelle said the new department gives that training a home.

“More specifically, this provides the necessary home for a new residency training program in anesthesia, which not only has direct benefits to recruitment of academic faculty and retention of our own trainees, but also there are benefits to other surgical programs that allow further development and growth both clinically and educationally,” he said.

USA Health said the planned program is expected to help recruit and retain physicians and to support the growth of other surgical programs within the health system. Because nearly every operation depends on anesthesia care, the availability of anesthesiologists and trainees can affect how much surgical work a hospital is able to take on.

La Rochelle said the department will open educational and research opportunities across the full span of medical training, from medical school through residency and fellowship. He added that the residency will give the college a way to keep talented medical students who are interested in anesthesiology, rather than seeing them leave the area for training, and to attract faculty who want to teach the next generation of doctors.

Doctors often build their careers near where they complete residency, which is one reason academic medical centers see training programs as a tool for keeping physicians in their region.

Bouska’s background

Bouska brings years of clinical and administrative experience to the role, including leadership in building and running anesthesiology programs, according to USA Health.

Before joining USA Health, he served as chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Huntsville Hospital in North Alabama. He also served 15 years in the Air National Guard before retiring in 2003.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in pre-medical studies and a Master of Public Administration from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. He earned his medical degree from the University of Washington and completed his anesthesiology residency at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.

La Rochelle praised Bouska’s work with patients as well as his leadership experience.

“First and foremost, Dr. Bouska is an outstanding clinician focused on patient care, and this will provide the necessary role model for all current and future faculty in the new anesthesia department,” La Rochelle said. “Dr. Bouska also brings significant experience in developing and running anesthesia programs in the past at Huntsville, as well as a great deal of real-time leadership experience from his 15 years of service in the Air National Guard.”

Bouska looks ahead

Bouska said he was honored by the appointment and described it as the start of a new period for anesthesia at USA Health.

“I am profoundly honored and excited to step into the role of chairman for the Department of Anesthesia,” Bouska said. “This marks the beginning of a dynamic new chapter focused on pioneering clinical excellence, expanding our academic footprint, and fostering transformative growth.”

He credited the residents, faculty and staff he will work with.

“Together with our exceptional team of residents, faculty, and staff, we will push the boundaries of patient care and medical education,” Bouska said. “The future of healthcare at USA is incredibly bright, and I look forward to leading us into this next era of shared success and regional impact.”

About USA Health and the Whiddon College of Medicine

USA Health is the academic health system of the University of South Alabama, with hospitals and clinics serving Mobile and the wider Gulf Coast region. The Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, named for the university’s founding president, trains medical students and oversees residency and fellowship programs across a range of specialties.

USA Health did not announce a start date for the anesthesiology residency. New residency programs in the United States must earn accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education before they can enroll residents, a process that requires programs to show they have the faculty, patient volume and educational structure needed to train doctors.

The health system also did not say how long Bouska will serve in the interim role or when a permanent chair will be named.