Our Team
ELEVATE Summit Leadership
Susanna Stanford
Summit Co-Chair
Grace Lim, MD, MSc
Summit Co-Chair
ELEVATE Project Steering Committee
Grace Lim, MD, MSc
Dr. Lim, a board-certified OB anesthesiologist and physician scientist, specializes in improving pain management and recovery for vulnerable populations. Through clinical and translational research, she focuses on safe, effective therapies for labor pain, postpartum recovery, and perioperative care. Dr. Lim leads multidisciplinary teams to implement best practices and has published extensively on pain, depression, and anesthesia outcomes.
Mark Neuman, MD, MSc
Dr. Neuman, a practicing anesthesiologist and health services researcher, directs the Penn Center for Perioperative Outcomes Research and Transformation. His work examines how care variations across hospitals and nursing facilities impact outcomes, especially for older adults. With expertise in observational studies and health policy, Dr. Neuman aims to improve care coordination and quality for vulnerable populations.
Susanna Stanford
Susanna Stanford became an advocate for patient safety after experiencing a spinal anesthetic failure during a C-section. She campaigns for better guidance on neuraxial block testing, follow-up care, and clinician-patient communication after anesthesia-related trauma. Her work, including a survey of 150 mothers, highlights the importance of acknowledging trauma to improve healing and outcomes.
Mark Zakowski, MD, FASA
Dr. Zakowski, a leading OB anesthesiologist, serves as Chief of Obstetric Anesthesiology and Fellowship Director at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He has held prominent leadership roles, including Past President of the California Society of Anesthesiologists and the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, contributing extensively at hospital, state, and national levels.
May Pian-Smith, MD, MS
Dr. Pian-Smith, an obstetric anesthesiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, also serving as Director of Anesthesiology Quality and Safety across the Mass General Brigham (MGB) enterprise. With expertise in patient safety and medical education, she focuses on improving care quality and fostering leadership in anesthesia safety and innovation.