Dr. Pierce founded the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation in 1985 on the principle that no patient should be harmed by anesthesia. His push for great patient safety had a dramatic effect on mortality rates: According to the report, Dr. Pierce’s push for electronic monitoring systems for patients under anesthesia caused anesthesia-related deaths to drop from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 200,000 in less than two years.
In a 1997 lecture in San Diego, Dr. Pierce reminded anesthesia providers that “patient safety is not a fad” or “preoccupation of the past,” but rather an ongoing necessity. The American Society of Anesthesiologists awarded him the Distinguished Service Award for his work in developing patient safety standards in 1997, and he was called “the father of the modern anesthesia-safety movement” by the Wall Street Journal in 2005.
Dr. Pierce died of heart failure at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston on April 3.
Read the Boston Globe report on Ellison Pierce.
Related Articles on Anesthesia:
Plastic Surgeon Questions ‘Awake Surgery’ Using Local Anesthesia
Study: Anesthesia Event Reporting System Increased Events Captured Almost Two-Fold
Study: Dreaming in Sedation More Common With Propofol Versus Midazolam
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
