Dr. Jack Shanewise: Celebrating a Distinguished Career in ACTA
In March, we bid farewell and a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Jack Shanewise, who retired after more than two decades of leadership, mentorship, and lasting contributions to our department and to the field of cardiothoracic anesthesiology.
Dr. Shanewise joined Columbia in 2004 as Chief of the Division of Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology. He was recruited to Columbia from Emory, where he led the cardiothoracic anesthesiology program and developed a national reputation in perioperative echocardiography. Over the next 20 years, he helped shape our clinical and fellowship programs, along with the careers of countless trainees and department colleagues.
A graduate with distinction in biological sciences from Stanford University, Dr. Shanewise earned his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. He trained in anesthesiology and cardiothoracic anesthesiology at Emory, where he rose to division director before bringing his expertise to New York.
Dr. Shanewise’s career has been defined by his pioneering work in echocardiography, especially its use in the operating room. He has authored more than 80 publications and played a central role in setting national standards for perioperative TEE (transesophageal echocardiography). He served on the board of directors of both the American Society of Echocardiography and the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, chaired the Intraoperative Council, and led the PTE Certification Committee as President of the National Board of Echocardiography. If you hold a PTE certificate, take a look at who signed it. There’s a good chance it was Dr. Shanewise.
Among his many honors, Dr. Shanewise received the SCA Distinguished Service Award and the American Society of Echocardiography's Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Echocardiography Award. He was named a Fellow of the ASE and served as president of both the Association of Cardiac Anesthesiologists and the Association of Anesthesiology Subspecialty Program Directors. He also directed Columbia’s Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship from 2004 to 2017, mentoring a generation of future leaders.
Of course, some alumni also will remember him as the undefeated SCA Echo Jeopardy champion of 2007 and 2008. He so utterly dominated the game that he was politely asked to recuse himself from future matches. In the years that followed, the SCA paid tribute to Dr. Shanewise with a recurring Jeopardy category titled “You Don’t Know Jack!”
Under Dr. Shanewise’s leadership, the ACTA Division at Columbia has grown substantially, nearly doubling the size of its fellowship and expanding to more than 20 faculty. Our clinical services now cover an ever-growing range of surgical complexity and care areas, thanks in part to the vision and standards he helped establish.
We’re grateful for Dr. Shanewise’s years of service, humor, and unparalleled expertise and we wish him the very best in retirement. He may be stepping away from clinical practice, but his impact is indelible, across our division, our specialty, and the PTE certificates in offices across the country and around the world.