John Freedman, MD

Bio

I grew up outside of New York City and went to college at Brown University in Rhode Island. I received my MD from Yale Medical School in 1980 and was ready to head west. I completed residencies in both Anesthesiology and Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. I am Board-certified in both specialties.

I joined Kaiser Permanente in 1986 and have served as Chief of Anesthesiology at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa since the hospital opened in April 1990. Although I am active in administration and department leadership, my first love is the dynamic clinical practice of anesthesiology. I see the anesthesiologist and the team of anesthesia professionals that he/she leads as the patient's "guardian angels" throughout the surgical period. No matter what type or extent of surgery may be required, and no matter what challenges may present themselves at any time of the day or night, we are there to ensure that every patient is kept safe and comfortable at all times. This is equally true for the woman suffering the pain of labor, and I maintain a special interest and busy practice in obstetrical anesthesia.

Based on my additional training in the field of internal medicine, I also have a special area of interest in the care of the complex, high-risk medical patient who must have surgery. I consider it a great privilege to care for patients in their time of need, using the specialized knowledge and technical skills of anesthesiology to maintain stability of all vital functions while preventing pain and anxiety. I enjoy working with truly outstanding physician and nurse anesthetist colleagues in the Department of Anesthesiology and also consider myself very fortunate to work with the excellent group of surgeons at our Santa Rosa medical center. All in all, I find great satisfaction in carrying out my duties as an anesthesiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa.

Since every patient is unique and has individualized needs, I place great emphasis on the anesthesiology preoperative evaluation in order to fully understand every patient's medical history and physiologic condition as well as their individual concerns, preferences, and level of understanding of the surgical and anesthetic process. I believe that in addition to meticulous care during surgery in the operating room, vigilant attendance by an anesthesiologist in the early postoperative recovery phase helps patients recover as smoothly and quickly as possible from both anesthesia and surgery. For major surgery, the anesthesiologist's role is carried well into the postoperative period, where we often consult and manage specialized forms of pain relief to keep patients comfortable and facilitate a smooth and rapid recovery.

To complement my medical practice in Santa Rosa, I participate in international volunteer medical activities and I am founder and President of Medical Exchange International, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting international health care collaboration for the benefit of developing nations. This work has taken me to many countries including Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Zambia, Tanzania, and Vietnam. If interested, you can click on the MEDICAL EXCHANGE INTERNATIONAL link to read a little more about this part of my life. As an offshoot of my frequent travel to the developing world, I have also cultivated a special interest in travel medicine, including tropical diseases and high-altitude illness.

As Chief of the Department of Anesthesiology, my goal is to assure that the department utilizes its resources to provide the highest quality of anesthesia care and superior service to all patients at all times. I can be reached at 393-4303. If I am in the operating room, you can leave a message and I will get back to you promptly. Please do note that for any urgent clinical questions or consultations related to anesthesia care, you should always call 393-4000 and ask for the anesthesiologist on call; this will enable immediate clinical consultation by myself or a colleague, 24/7.

I and my department members look forward to providing you and your loved ones with all the powerful services of contemporary anesthesiology should you ever be in need -- rest assured that you will have a "guardian angel" by your side.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

The practice of Anesthesiology gives me an opportunity to provide hands-on care for patients to assure they have the best possible result from their hospital experience. It is a great honor and privilege to be charged with the job of maintaining the patient's safety and comfort at every moment. Although anesthesiology is a highly scientific medical specialty, relying heavily on physiologic and pharmacologic knowledge, it is also an extremely humane and compassionate line of work in that the focus is always on relieving anxiety, pain, and discomfort. The practice of anesthesia is also very dynamic and involves active decision-making, which I enjoy. There are many procedures involved in anesthesia care that I enjoy, such as placing nerve blocks to prevent or treat pain. And it is very special to be able to work with a whole team of great medical professionals, from surgeons to nurses to technicians to a host of medical specialists.

Current projects or research:

I am interested in patient education about anesthesia and oversee the patient education modules on Anesthesia for Kaiser-Permanente's Northern California hospitals. I am also the physician specialist editor for the Health Encyclopedia section on anesthesia. You can read the patient education modules about anesthesia by clicking on the "Prepare For Your Procedure -EMMI" link on the left side of my homepage. You can read the Health Encyclopedia material on Anesthesia by clicking on the link "Learn More About Anesthesia,"
also to the left. One of my favorite long-term projects was chairing the academic program for the annual Kaiser Permanente Anesthesiology Symposium for 20 years from 1986 through 2006.

Great health resources that I refer to:

See the links on the left side of my homepage

An interesting story from my training:

Between my internship and residency I spent a year in Brazil treating and studying bacterial meningitis. This sparked a lifelong interest in travel and medical work in developing nations. I have worked in Africa, taught in Cuba (under the U.S. Government's Support For the Cuban People Program), and most recently served as the lead anesthesiologist on a medical mission to Haiti just after the tragic earthquake.

Photos from My Training Years or of Practicing Medicine in My Field:

Making a House Call to Vaccinate Children in Rural Brazil in 1981

Interests

Currently reading:
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

My favorite book or author:
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Great movie:
Balseros - a fascinating documentary about Cuban rafters who risk everything in search of a better life

Hobby Photos & Links:

With my family and my anesthesia students in Tanzania

Giving a medical lecture in Cuba under the Support For the Cuban People Program

Schoolgirls at the Hiroshima Peace Park

Medical Exchange International

Family & Friends

People in my life:

My wife, Tina, is my constant companion at home and abroad. We will celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2011.

My children and people I care about:

Our daughter, Jessica, graduated from UCLA and is a professonal singer in a fabulous vocal group called Sonos. Our son, John, is a senior at UCLA with a major in International Development Studies. He is also very active as the Director of Volunteer Programs for a wonderful charity program in Tanzania called One Heart Source, which provides a caring home and schooling for AIDS orphans.

An interesting story about my family or friends:

In 1997, I took a short leave of absence from Kaiser Permanente to work and teach at the Kilimanjaro Medical Center in Tanzania. My family accompanied me to Africa and my son fell under the spell of Mount Kilimanjaro, which was visible from our little house on the hospital grounds. Three years later, we returned to Tanzania and my son and I climbed to the summit of Kilimanjaro (19,340 feet). My son was only 10 years old at the time and we used his climb as a fund raiser to buy medical books for the Kilimanjaro Medical Center's medical library.

We are dog-lovers but for the moment we are down to one insanely cute 15 year-old Black Lab named Fofa (which means "soft and cuddly thing", in Brazilian slang). She still has light in her eyes!

Pet Photos:

Fofa in the background

Travel

An adventure I've had:

One of my family's more unusual travel experiences was taking a freighter cruise in the remote South Pacific. In addition to the beautiful scenery and local color at each island stop, it was fascinating to see a real working freighter in action, picking up and dropping off literally hundreds of products at dozens of remote islands.

Favorite place in the world:

Japan, Vietnam, Brazil, Tanzania and Cuba are among my favorite places to visit. I find these countries not only very beautiful, but also very emotionally involving.

One of my recent trips:

On a recent trip to Guatemala, we made a donation of medical supplies and equipment to Hospital Hermano Pedro in the old colonial capital of Antigua and also took a side trip to the Mayan ruins of Tikal. We loved Tikal not only for the spectacular structures and insights into a society dating back over 1500 years, but also for its remote jungle setting.

Travel Photos:

The freighter "Aranui" - a unique travel experience

A Photo of One of My Favorite Places:

The colorful city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This Vietnamese lady's unusual smile is due to chewing betelnut

At the Great Buddha of Kamakura, Japan

A young Masai herdsman in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

The Cuban city of Trinidad, a 19th-century "Sleeping Beauty"

Trip Photos:

A coatamundi, one of many unusual species around the ruins

The once-great city of Tikal is now hidden in dense jungle

One of the great Mayan temples of Tikal

Other Links & Photos