VOLUME 33, ISSUE 2
Scott E. Kercheville, M.D.
ASA District Director
San Antonio, TX
On the Shoulders of Giant’s Series: Legends of Texas Anesthesiology James F. Arens, M.D. Chairman Emeritus, Department of Anesthesiology, UTMB
Dr. Jim Arens is not a native Texan, but has been here for almost 40 years, so we can claim him and take our usual pride calling him “one of our own.” His legacy continues to have an undeniable impact on our, the practice of medicine, and innumerable anesthesiologists. Despite his retirement from clinical practice, his teaching, mentorship, and wise council continue to play a major role in the practice of our society and all of those that he has mentored throughout his extensive career. A recounting of his service is both right and necessary for those unaware of this great physician leader. Known by many simply as “Chief,” his impact on our specialty is undeniable.
James Frederick Arens was born in Hamel, Minnesota and after a “time” in Crosier Seminary, he matriculated to Creighton University in Nebraska where he received his B.S. and his M.D. From there he entered the military and did residency in anesthesiology at Tripler Army Hospital in Hawaii. His next stop took him to Charity Hospital in New Orleans where he continued his residency under the legendary John Adriani.
After residency, he posted as the Chief of Anesthesia services in two Air Force Hospitals in Swindon, Great Britain then in Travis, California. It was after that he began to assume positions of importance and distinction. He returned to New Orleans when he was hired by renowned surgeon, John Ochsner to be the first Director of Anesthesia in 1968 at the Ochsner Clinic. It was there that he became an active leader in organized medicine, becoming president of both the Louisiana Society of Anesthesiologists and the Southern Society of Anesthesiologists.
By 1972, he had moved to the University of Mississippi where he became chair of a true academic department and interacted with Dr. James Hardy (well known for the first xenograft heart transplant) and Dr. Arthur Guyton (of that physiology textbook). A number of his young faculty members that he mentored in Mississippi went on to become academic chairs of other institutions.
He finally arrived in Texas in 1977 as the 3rd Chair of Anesthesiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston (UTMB), following in the footsteps of Drs. Harvey Slocum and Charles Allen, who were both still active members of the department. He continued his involvement in organized medicine and, during his years in Galveston, he rose up the ASA ladder to become President in 1988.
It was also during this time that he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the American Board of Anesthesiology, eventually becoming President in 1987. In 1997, he received the ASA’s Distinguished Service Award.
After serving for a period as Vice President of Hospital Affairs at UTMB, he briefly assumed the role of Chief Physician Executive for Correctional Care of the Texas Department of Corrections Hospital there in Galveston. Dr. Arens next stop would be a few miles to the north in Houston, where he assumed the role of Chairman of Anesthesiology at the prestigious M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in 1999. During this time he received his second and third Distinguished Service Awards from the TSA and the American Board of Medical Specialties.
Immediately following an announced “retirement” in 2005, he moved across the street in the Texas Medical Center to become the Chairman of Anesthesiology at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. In a somewhat retrograde fashion, he was elected as President of the TSA that same year. While there, he received his fourth (!) Distinguished Service Award from the American Medical Association for his 19 years of serving as the Senior ASA Delegate to that organization.
He is now retired in Brenham, Texas with his wife Ann, but still regularly attends TSA Board of Directors meetings and attends the TSA Annual Meeting every September. The highlight of the Saturday afternoon session at the TSA meeting is Resident Jeopardy! Where he quizzes resident teams from three Texas residency training programs in a fashion totally unlike his Wednesday Morning Conferences at UTMB.
Dr. Arens was instrumental in cementing the role of the anesthesiologist in the field of critical care medicine. As a result, he has the distinction of having certificate number “1” from the ABA for added qualifications in critical care medicine.
Dr. Arens has the distinction of being responsible for the training of 2 ASA presidents, 6 TSA presidents, one Colorado Society president, one California Society president and 2 Mississippi Society presidents. There are hundreds of ATA’s (Arens Trained Anesthesiologists) all over Texas and the US, as well as multiple ATA Wannabes. He is also responsible for 2 great kids, Patricia and James who are highly successful and renowned in the world of business.
In summary, Dr. Arens (Chief) is a legend of Texas anesthesiology and has left his mark in so many areas of our medical practice. His influence continues and his opinion is held in very high regard by all who know him.
Adapted from the presentation “Salute to the Chief”, TSA Annual Meeting, 2016.
