Patricia Nwajuaku, MD, MPH Appointed Medical Director for Clinical Operations, Quality, Safety and Education, Martin Luther King Hospital

November 8, 2022

Patricia Nwajuaku, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, has been appointed as the Medical Director for Clinical Operations, Quality, Safety and Education, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital Operating Room, in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at UCLA.

Dr. Nwajuaku joined UCLA DAPM in 2019, after completing an Anesthesiology Residency at the University of Florida in 2018, and a Fellowship in Thoracic Anesthesia in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at UCLA in 2019. Before joining UCLA, she obtained a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University where she studied as a Phoenix Fellow. A US Air Force Veteran, Dr. Nwajuaku has been deployed and served in leadership positions as Chief Medical Officer, Flight Surgeon in the United Kingdom, Republic of Djibouti, Norway, and Spain. In 2015, Dr. Nwajuaku received the Meritorious Service Award from the United States Air Force, an Award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States. She completed Medical School at UCLA / Charles Drew University where she received the Dr. Geraldine Burton Award in recognition of her committed services in underserved areas in Los Angeles.

Since joining us in 2019, Dr. Nwajuaku has made several significant contributions to our Department. She is the Director of Thoracic Anesthesiology at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital, a member of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Career Development Committee, the Residency Admission Committee, our Faculty Recruitment Committee, and she serves as a Medical School Admission Interviewer for the David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Nwajuaku is also recognized nationally and is a Member of several Committees with the American Society of Anesthesiologists including the ASA Global Humanitarian Outreach Committee, the ASA Committee on Professional Diversity, and the ASA Committee on Cardiovascular and Thoracic Anesthesia.

In her new role, Dr. Nwajuaku will work together with Dr. Hamid Nourmand, her Co-Medical Director, to improve the care our Department provides at Martin Luther King Hospital. Dr. Nwajuaku’s role will focus on Education, Quality and Safety. In addition to ensuring the highest quality of care for surgical patients at MLK, Dr. Nwajuaku will work together with our Department’s education team to create an elective rotation at MLK for our residents and will oversee Harbor UCLA Emergency Department residents rotating with us at MLK.

Congratulations to Dr. Nwajuaku on her new role!