As Workforce Pressures Mount, Chicagoland Hospitals Rethink How They Build and Sustain Anesthesia Teams

CHICAGO, Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As Workforce Pressures Mount, Chicagoland Hospitals Rethink How They Build and Sustain Anesthesia Teams

NorthStar Anesthesia is expanding its clinical footprint across the Chicago metropolitan area to address critical anesthesia workforce shortages and rising labor costs. By integrating national infrastructure with locally embedded leadership at sites including UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook, Hinsdale and LaGrange and Rush Copley Medical Center, the organization aims to build strong local teams that benefit from national scale.

"Every market is different," said Romeo Kaddoum, MD, Chief Medical Officer at NorthStar Anesthesia. What drives success is the ability to apply scale in a way that serves the needs of each facility, each care team and each community."

Health system leaders can review more about the partnership model at www.northstaranesthesia.com.

The anesthesia landscape faces unprecedented pressure as surgical demand rises alongside a shrinking workforce. According to industry data, several forces are currently reshaping care delivery:

• Staffing Shortages: 78% of hospitals report anesthesia staffing deficits.
• Clinician Retention: Approximately 40% of anesthesiologists are considering leaving practice within the next two years.
• Cost Inflation: Labor costs have increased 15–25% since 2020, with a significant growth in locum tenens utilization increasing hospital subsidies.

At UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale and La Grange, NorthStar's model focuses on building sustainable staffing structures. "Having a consistent, engaged leadership presence on-site has made a meaningful difference," said Christine Orlando, Chief Operating Officer at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale. "There is a clear sense of accountability and partnership, which translates into better coordination and a more reliable surgical environment." 

"We have seen how a strong team model and consistent leadership presence contribute to both clinician satisfaction and patient outcomes," added Dave Tkachuck, President and CEO of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth La Grange.

At UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook, the strategy aligns staffing directly with financial performance, reducing coverage variability to improve cost management and throughput. "Reducing variability in coverage and building a more stable model has a direct impact on both cost management and surgical throughput," added Tristan Shaw, Chief Financial Officer.

Retention and care team continuity remain the primary objectives at Rush Copley Medical Center. By maintaining consistent clinician teams, the facility has improved communication and efficiency. "The ability to recruit, retain, and deploy teams effectively has become a differentiator," said Stephen Kelanic, Chief Medical Officer at Rush Copley Medical Center. "We are seeing more organizations evaluate anesthesia through an operational lens, not just a clinical one."

"Consistency in the care team has been critical," added Abby Hornbogen, Chief Nursing Officer. "When clinicians know each other and work well together, it improves communication, efficiency and ultimately the patient experience."

A core component of this regional approach involves embedding clinical leaders directly on-site. These leaders practice clinically while managing surgeon relationships and operational culture, ensuring that national resources are applied with local nuance.

NorthStar Anesthesia continues to invest in these leaders through structured mentorship to strengthen both clinical and operational capabilities. As surgical demand grows, the expansion in Chicagoland serves as a benchmark for how scale can be deployed effectively through local execution to sustain high-performing surgical environments.

For more information on NorthStar's partnership model, visit www.northstaranesthesia.com or contact Allison Lessner, Director of Business Development at [email protected].

Allison Lessner Director of Business Development NorthStar Anesthesia [email protected]

SOURCE NorthStar Anesthesia