Obstetric Anesthesiology
Many faculty members in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine are involved in the care of Labor and Delivery (L&D) patients. UCLA anesthesiologists provide obstetric anesthesia services at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (RRUMC) in Westwood Village, at the Santa Monica - UCLA Medical Center, and at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH). The Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology includes faculty members who specialize in obstetric anesthesiology and devote time to teaching and research in the field in addition to patient care.
At the RRUMC, faculty members typically work in a multidisciplinary, collaborative, academic environment to educate UCLA anesthesiology residents and medical students. An attending anesthesiologist remains in the hospital around the clock to guide labor analgesia and handle emergencies. In the Westwood L&D unit (a.k.a. The BirthPlace – Westwood), there are 12 rooms for laboring patients alongside a six-bed fetal diagnostic/triage area and a 13-room maternity suite.
We expect an annual volume of 1500-2000 births/year, including a wide variety of high-risk referral patients in need of tertiary care. A majority of laboring women receive labor epidurals from our service, but UCLA offers other pain management therapies for the labor and birth experience including nitrous oxide. We support each mother’s choices for pharmacologic and/or non-pharmacologic pain management.
UCLA anesthesiology residents rotate to other local hospitals, including the Olive View – UCLA Medical Center and Long Beach Memorial Hospital. Long Beach Memorial has a very high case volume which provides a fast-paced, rich educational opportunity for residents honing their skills.
UCLA faculty work without residents in the Santa Monica L&D unit (a.k.a The BirthPlace – Santa Monica) and at MLKCH. At these locations, we see very different patient populations. While the growing obstetric practice at The BirthPlace – Santa Monica is located in an affluent area, MLKCH is located in a historically-underserved area of South Los Angeles with a catchment area that is roughly 70% Hispanic and 30% black. Our active participation there helps fulfill our social mission to bring excellent obstetric anesthesia care to a diverse population of patients.
Anesthesiology Grand Rounds lecture "OB Anesthesia Myth-busting: Impacts on Clinical Care". Visiting professor Joy Hawkins, MD
Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship
Physicians
Catherine M. Cha, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Medical Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology for Santa Monica-UCLA
Fellowship-trained at Cedars Sinai
Lynn Choi, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Fellowship Program Director
Fellowship-trained at Brigham and Women's
Richard Hong, MD, FASA
Associate Clinical Professor
Chief of Obstetric Anesthesiology
Fellowship-trained at the University of Michigan
Jennifer M. Lucero, MD
Associate Professor
Vice Chair for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Fellowship-trained at UCSF
Cristianna Vallera, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Medical Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology for Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fellowship-trained at Johns Hopkins