Marla Ferschl, MD, Appointed Executive Vice Chair of Pediatric Anesthesia

We are delighted to announce that Marla Ferschl, MD, has assumed the role of executive vice chair of Pediatric Anesthesiology and division chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology at Benioff Children’s Hospital, San Francisco. Ferschl obtained her medical degree and completed her internal medicine internship at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. Following her graduation from the anesthesiology residency program in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at UCSF, she pursued a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. In 2010, Ferschl returned to UCSF as a faculty member in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia. She has served as Interim Chief since June 2023. 

Ferschl will be responsible for providing strategic direction, leadership, and coordination of all pediatric anesthesiology services within the department. This includes overseeing the division’s faculty, staff, and resources, and ensuring efficient and effective operations. She will work collaboratively with Dr. Taran Sangari, Division Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology at BCH Oakland and Dr. Anshuman Sharma, Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology. 

As Executive Vice Chair of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Division Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology at BCHSF, Ferschl will promote and maintain academic excellence within the division. She will foster a culture of research, scholarship, and innovation, supporting faculty in their academic pursuits, and ensuring the division’s contribution to the overall academic mission of the medical department. 

Ferschl is well-suited to take on this new role. Throughout her career, Ferschl has demonstrated a strong commitment to medical education. She received an excellence in teaching award from the UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators in 2012 and was appointed as a member of the Academy of Medical Educators in 2019. Her past leadership roles have included serving as the program director for the ACGME accredited Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship Program, and the director of fellowship education in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care. 

Ferschl’s research interests span anesthesia for fetal surgery, operating room efficiency, and adverse respiratory outcomes in pediatric anesthesia. Notably, she has played a pivotal role in developing and implementing the Visiting Scholars in Pediatric Anesthesia Program (ViSiPAP), a national speaker exchange program tailored for junior faculty in pediatric anesthesia. 

We would like to thank Atsuko Baba, MD for chairing the search committee for this position.  

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Marla Ferschl!