Wong to transition from leadership role, search begins for next chair and DEO of Department of Anesthesia
UI Health Care will begin a national search for the next chair and department executive officer (DEO) of the Department of Anesthesia to oversee daily operations, strategic planning, and financial management of the department.
Cynthia Wong, MD, the current chair and DEO of the department, has announced plans to step down from her leadership post in February 2026 and will remain a faculty member. Archit Sharma, MBBS, MBA, will serve as the interim leader during the search process, effective March 1, 2026.
Wong has led the department for a decade and has significantly expanded the clinical footprint of care provided by clinicians in anesthesia, particularly with the opening of UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital in 2017 and the North Liberty campus earlier this year.
“Dr. Wong’s leadership has left an indelible mark on the Department of Anesthesia and on UI Health Care as a whole,” says Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, UI vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine. “Her vision and dedication have advanced clinical care, research, and education, and her contributions will continue to benefit our patients and teams for years to come.”
During her time as chair and DEO, Wong significantly expanded non-operating room anesthesia support in the Digestive Health Center and catheterization lab. She also supported the expansion and growth of the Labor and Delivery Unit and the introduction of advanced practice provider care to the Surgical and Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit (SNICU) and Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU).
Additionally, Wong has expanded the platform to support clinical research within the department and supported faculty development with increased involvement with state and national professional societies.
Wong’s clinical and research focus is in obstetric anesthesiology, specifically optimizing labor pain relief (epidurals) and cesarean delivery anesthesia. She has led research and authored publications that have changed the way care teams provide anesthesia care during labor and delivery.
She is the editor of world’s leading textbook in the field, Chestnut’s Obstetric Anesthesia Principles and Practice, and serves on the editorial board of several major anesthesiology journals.
Sharma, who is a clinical associate professor of anesthesia, currently serves as vice chair for clinical operations and executive vice chair in the department. He is also the program director of the Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine fellowship program and is a member of the perioperative triad leadership team.
More information about the search for a new chair and DEO to lead the Department of Anesthesia will be forthcoming.
