Matthias Eikermann, MD, PhD

Matthias Eikermann, MD, PhD, is the Chair of Anesthesiology at Montefiore and Francis F. Foldes Professor of Anesthesiology at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Dr. Eikermann is a graduate of Heinrich Heine University Medical School in Dusseldorf, Germany and received his PhD in Anesthesiology from the Essen-Duisburg University in Essen, Germany. Following a residency and fellowships in Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, he worked for more than 20 years in quaternary care hospitals in Germany culminating in the positions of Division Head of Pain Therapy and Vice Chair at Essen-Duisburg University.

After moving to the United States, Dr. Eikermann served in different leadership positions at Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. As an attending anesthesiologist in Boston, he focused on liver transplant anesthesia and critical care medicine with special clinical interests in the treatment of patients with refractory respiratory failure and the prevention of ICU acquired muscle weakness.

Prior to his transition to Montefiore-Einstein, Dr. Eikermann served as Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and Vice Chair of Professional Affairs at Beth Israel Lahey Health. As Vice Chair, he integrated a private practice group into the department, created and implemented new processes for recruitment and onboarding.

Since joining Montefiore-Einstein in April 2021, Dr. Eikermann has led transformative advancements within the Department of Anesthesiology. His leadership has guided the successful integration of the anesthesiology service at Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital into the Montefiore Health System and the establishment of the Anesthesia Critical Care Division. Under his direction, the department also launched two innovative fellowship programs, the Anesthesia Leadership and Executive Operations Fellowship and the Anesthesia Quality and Safety Fellowship. In addition, he has championed digital health initiatives, including the development of a comprehensive perioperative medicine database that now supports decision-making in clinical operations, quality improvement, education, and research.

Over the past five years, Dr. Eikermann has consistently driven measurable expansion and innovation. First, he integrated anesthesia services across four privately led anesthesia groups in New York and Westchester County. These network integrations strengthened departmental stability through cross-staffing and enabled more efficient operating room and procedural coverage.

Second, he revolutionized the preoperative assessment process through the development, validation, and implementation of AI‑assisted preoperative screening tools. This approach has preserved high-quality assessments while streamlining the need for in-person evaluations, benefiting patients and improving surgical workflow efficiency.

Third, he transformed postoperative care for critically ill patients. By recruiting more than 15 exceptional anesthesiology critical care specialists, he created an integrated, interdisciplinary model of postoperative care across the PACU, SICU, and surgical step‑down units. This strategic approach has reduced length of stay and lowered the frequency of rapid response activations.

Finally, his innovative use of digital health data and targeted action plans has significantly improved patient safety indicator ratings. These data-driven initiatives have been published alongside interprofessional colleagues in leading journals, including Nature Medicine and Lancet Respiratory Medicine.