Akron Children’s Hospital welcomes chair of anesthesiology

02-06-2019 (Akron, Ohio)

Tarun Bhalla, M.D., M.B.A., has been named Akron Children’s Hospital’s chair of anesthesiology and pain management. He joined the hospital Jan. 7.

In this role, he oversees the hospital’s pediatric anesthesiologists and pediatric nurse anesthetists, who are all specially trained to help block and control pain in children of all ages before, during and after surgeries, procedures and tests. He also manages all pediatric pain management services at the hospital.

Dr. Bhalla comes to Akron Children’s from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he most recently served as vice chairman of comprehensive pain services. He was also the fellowship director for pediatric regional anesthesia and an associate professor at The Ohio State University-Wexner Medical Center. He was director of acute pain and regional anesthesia at Nationwide from 2012 to 2015.

Dr. Bhalla earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio, and was an intern at Summa Akron City Hospital in Akron. He served his anesthesiology residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital/McGaw Medical Center and his pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital/Children’s Memorial Hospital, both in Chicago.

He also holds a master of business administration with a health care focus from the University of Massachusetts.

In addition, Dr. Bhalla lectures and teaches nationally and internationally in pediatric anesthesiology as well as pediatric regional anesthesiology and pediatric pain medicine. He also sits on the board of directors of the Society of Pediatric Anesthesiology.

Dr. Bhalla lives in Broadview Heights with his wife, Kamy, and two daughters.