Remembering A Giant in Critical Care
On October 4, Einstein and Montefiore lost a beloved colleague when Dr. Vladimir Kvetan passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 67. To honor Dr. Kvetan’s memory, the department of medicine and division of critical care medicine are holding a special memorial on Thursday, November 15, 2018, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., in Montefiore’s Grand Hall, located on the Moses campus.
Vladimir Kvetan, M.D.
Dr. Kvetan joined Montefiore in 1983 and served for the past 35 years as chief of the division of critical care medicine and director of Montefiore’s Jay B. Langner Critical Care System. He also held appointments as professor of medicine and of anesthesiology, and associate professor of surgery.
Dr. Kvetan was known as one of the earliest pioneers in the development of unified systems of critical care delivery. By creating a consistent model and standards for staffing and managing medical and surgical ICUs and step-down units at Montefiore, he attained the highest level of patient care outcomes and safety. He also established the use of the ICU Without Walls model, which delivers a fully equipped ICU attending, fellow, and physician assistant to any patient in the hospital within 10 minutes. His leadership significantly improved efficiency and outcomes at Montefiore. He saw the future of critical care medicine as a unique specialty in which all critical care divisions, both surgical and medical, work together as one division.
A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Kvetan also trained generations of outstanding critical care physicians and, together with Dr. Michelle Ng Gong, built a world-class critical care research program. Under his leadership, Montefiore’s critical care fellowship has become one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation, with more than 400 graduates who now work as intensivists around the globe. Dr. Kvetan also recruited and cultivated a diverse, innovative faculty which now includes nationally prominent educators and NIH-funded investigators.
“Vladimir was a giant and an innovator in the field of critical care medicine,” noted Yaron Tomer, M.D., professor and chair of medicine and the Anita and Jack Saltz Chair in Diabetes Research. "He also was a dedicated educator and mentor to countless trainees and colleagues during his career.”
“To keep his legacy alive, our critical care division has established the Dr. Vladimir Kvetan Memorial Fund,” said Dr. Ng Gong, who heads the division now. “Through funds raised we plan to establish an annual Critical Care Lectureship in Dr. Kvetan’s name and a Memorial Award that will be granted annually to a Montefiore critical care physician assistant who embodies his deep commitment to the meaningful engagement and professional development of PAs.”
Posted on: Thursday, November 15, 2018