Richard H. Blum

Richard H. Blum is a prominent faculty member in the Department of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, affiliated with Boston Children's Hospital. His research is centered on medical simulation, patient safety, and resident competency assessment in anesthesiology. He serves as Principal Investigator on a major grant-funded study evaluating first-year anesthesia residents' clinical performance, supported by Harvard Medical School, the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, and The Cathedral Fund.

• Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1988
• Internship: Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine/Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center
• Fellowship: Adult and Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
• Fellowship: Pediatric Cardiac and General Pediatric Anesthesia, Tufts-New England Medical Center/Boston Floating Hospital for Infants and Children

Dr. Blum’s research focuses on enhancing clinical competence and patient safety through simulation-based training. His work investigates crisis resource management, team communication, reflective practice, and the use of simulation to identify performance gaps in anesthesia residents. He has developed assessment tools and institutional guidelines to improve perioperative care and reduce medical errors.

His recent publications show a strong trend in applying simulation to evaluate resident behavior, reflective capacity, and clinical decision-making. The research spans from technical performance to human factors such as ageism, compassion, and communication in clinical encounters. His work bridges anesthesiology with educational psychology and organizational behavior.

• Grant from Harvard School of Medicine's Department of Anaesthesia
• Funding from Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation
• Support from The Cathedral Fund

Dr. Blum leads a research team conducting simulation-based evaluations of anesthesia residents, aiming to establish objective, scalable standards for clinical competency. His work has influenced institutional policies on patient transport, postoperative care, and crisis management. He has developed training curricula and instructor certification guidelines adopted across multiple hospitals.

His research initiatives include the development of simulation programs for bioterrorism preparedness, airway management, and team training. He has contributed to the creation of clinical practice guidelines and educational syllabi used in anesthesia training programs. His leadership in simulation-based education has helped shape modern approaches to resident assessment and faculty development in anesthesiology.