Klaus Kjaer

Klaus Kjaer, M.D., is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and Professor of Anesthesiology in Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University. He serves as Co-Director of Obstetric Anesthesia at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center since 2004, Program Director of the ACGME-accredited Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship, and examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology.

Education:

• M.B.A., Columbia Business School, Columbia University (2010)
• M.D., University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (1995)
• A.B., B.S., Stanford University (1990)

Dr. Kjaer's research centers on obstetric anesthesia safety, with expertise in maternal morbidity reduction, pain management optimization, and health disparities in perinatal care. His work addresses critical gaps in obstetric comorbidity assessment, temperature regulation during cesarean delivery, and opioid stewardship in surgical settings. He actively investigates systemic factors affecting anesthesia care quality, including surprise billing legislation impacts and private equity influences on healthcare pricing.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2019-2022) reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) Obstetric safety innovations through comorbidity indices validation and registry-based pandemic response analysis; (2) Health economics investigations into anesthesia pricing structures and legislative impacts; (3) Pain management optimization across surgical specialties with emphasis on opioid reduction strategies. His work consistently bridges clinical practice with health policy implications.

Scientific Awards:

• No formal scientific awards documented in source material

As Program Director of the Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship since 2013, Dr. Kjaer mentors subspecialty trainees while leading quality improvement initiatives at NewYork-Presbyterian. His administrative roles include directing obstetric anesthesia services and contributing to Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology registries. Research funding sources aren't explicitly detailed, but his extensive publication record in high-impact journals suggests sustained grant support for investigations in anesthesia safety and health services research. He chairs hospital committees focused on labor and delivery safety protocols and opioid stewardship programs.

Dr. Kjaer leads the Obstetric Anesthesia team at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, collaborating with obstetricians, nurses, and maternal-fetal medicine specialists. He co-directs the hospital's obstetric comorbidity research initiative and contributes to national quality improvement networks through the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology. His team recently developed temperature monitoring protocols for cesarean deliveries and implemented opioid-sparing pathways for postpartum pain management.