Jay Grider, DO, PhD, professor of anesthesiology, will soon be honored by the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) with a lifetime achievement award for his dedication and contributions to interventional pain management.
Those contributions have benefitted countless patients at UK, where Dr. Grider has made his career over the past 25 years.
“I came to UK as a resident in 2000 and stayed for fellowship and faculty,” said Dr. Grider. “When I first started here, UK was a small academic medical center with only 315 open beds. In 2003, when Dr. Karpf arrived, we began a rocket ride to where we are today. His vision grew the whole medical center.”
Drawn to UK by his interest in research, Dr. Grider quickly rose to a leadership role. He was named director of acute pain shortly after his arrival, and today his leadership is felt across the enterprise.
He has served as Chief Medical Officer – Ambulatory and Chief Physician Executive. He is currently UK HealthCare’s Chief Quality Officer, CEO of the Kentucky Medical Services Foundation, and has been a practicing interventional pain specialist for more than 25 years.
“I realized pretty early that this University is uniquely positioned. If it doesn’t function well, the citizens of Kentucky are significantly worse off,” he said. “UK HealthCare is fundamentally vital to the ongoing interest of Kentuckians in ways they probably don’t even understand. That makes this work more than a job. It is truly something you could call a mission or a calling. Being a part of that has been an honor of my life. I think this place is pretty special.”
Dr. Grider made sure to mention several mentors who were integral to his growth as a physician and administrative leader, including William Witt, MD, and Ned Bowe, MD, former chairs of anesthesia, Mark Randall, MD, chair of radiation medicine, and Mark Birdwhistell, senior vice president for health and public policy.
He’ll receive his ASIPP Lifetime Achievement Award in March during the organization’s annual meeting.