Physician Assistant Kate Killeen has found her niche at Montefiore Einstein’s Moses Campus, where she recently joined the Department of Anesthesiology as a member of the Division of Critical Care Anesthesiology. Ms. Killeen’s start at Montefiore signifies a larger shift in improved coverage in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Step-Down Unit, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit at Moses, where physician assistants are being onboarded to provide enhanced, comprehensive coverage for Montefiore’s sickest patients.

Led by Department Chair Dr. Matthias Eikermann and Critical Care Anesthesiology Division Director Dr. Bill Sauer, the new SICU initiative received support from Montefiore Einstein leadership in 2023, when the health system applied for 15 additional SICU beds. The department also received the necessary resources to hire Ms. Killeen and an additional five physician assistants to collaborate with the existing team of 15 intensivists. The Department of Anesthesiology will have also onboarded eight new Critical Care Anesthesiologists by the end of 2024.

To meet the growing demand of care for Montefiore’s most critically ill patients, Dr. Sauer and Dr. Eikermann created a plan to expand the Step-Down Unit on the 17th floor at Moses. Patients are transferred to the Step-Down Unit when they are stable enough to leave the ICU but not yet ready to be moved to a regular hospital floor. The Critical Care Anesthesiology physician assistants will play an essential role in caring for patients in the Step-Down Unit and will fill a gap by providing coverage during overnight shifts.

“Continuity of care is so important for our complex and high-risk surgical patients,” Dr. Sauer said. “This physician assistant team will help us provide consistent and effective care while these patients are vulnerable to various expected or unexpected complications.”

Ms. Killeen – who came to Montefiore after working at Northwell Health Long Island Jewish Medical Center for four years – said she was drawn to Montefiore because she was interested in being part of the new Critical Care Anesthesiology team.

"Speaking to Dr. Eikermann and Dr. Sauer, it was clear they were looking for a group of physician assistants that could advocate for their patients and react in real time,” Ms. Killeen recalled. “I’m an advocate for what PAs bring to the table, and I wanted to contribute to the care and be part of creating a strong, consistent backbone in both the Step-Down Unit and the SICU.”

Dr. Sauer commended Ms. Killeen for the many contributions she has already made at Montefiore Einstein over the last few months. He noted that she will be an important asset in helping to train the additional SICU physician assistants that will begin during the remainder of 2024.

“Ms. Killeen is an effective communicator and team player, and she is very eager to improve the care of our sickest patients here at Montefiore,” Dr. Sauer said. “The RNs, residents, attendings, and SICU staff, as well as many of our patients have all said incredible things since she has joined, and she is making an immediate impact.”

Ms. Killeen has been an integral part of teaching trainees across specialties and providing continuity of coverage between trainee shifts. In addition to working with Anesthesiology residents on their Critical Care rotation, she works with General Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery residents and the Anesthesiology Critical Care and Critical Care Medicine fellows.

Ms. Killeen has been passionate about intensive care ever since her SICU rotation during her Physician Assistant Studies program at Touro College School of Health Sciences, where she served as Class President. Prior to her Master’s program, Ms. Killeen worked as Chief Scribe in the Emergency Department at Stony Brook Hospital, where she gained experience managing a group of employees and exposure to the ICU within the Emergency Department.

One of the aspects of Ms. Killeen’s role that she finds most satisfying is teaching trainees and others within the SICU to use new equipment to enhance patient care. Recently, she has been training others – including Montefiore’s team of registered dieticians – on how to use the CORTRAK post-pyloric feeding device, which helps provide early nutrition for patients with delayed gastric emptying or those who are at high risk for aspiration. In contrast to traditional nasogastric tubes, which are shorter in length and require the use of x-rays to advance the tube correctly, the CORTRAK feeding tube is 140 centimeters in length and is connected to a reader that displays exactly where the tube is during insertion.

“Ms. Killeen is a very well trained and energetic physician assistant who is dedicated to making a significant impact on the recovery of patients from surgery and critical illness,” Dr. Eikermann said. “She brings the flexibility, alignment, and commitment needed to become a leader in the field.”

In all her previous roles, Ms. Killeen has sought new learning opportunities as well as innovative ways to contribute to her team and patient care. In 2023, she participated in a surgical mission to Quito, Ecuador as part of Northwell Health’s Center for Global Health. During the mission, she gained invaluable skills working in the PACU, where she worked closely with the anesthesiologists to ensure patients had a smooth postsurgical experience. Each of Ms. Killeen’s previous experiences have been valuable learning opportunities that have led her to Montefiore and prepared her for providing exceptional care to the Bronx community.

“I’ve really enjoyed stepping into a position where I can help shape the team and the role of Critical Care Physician Assistants under Dr. Sauer and Dr. Eikermann,” Ms. Killeen said. “It’s been a good challenge and a great opportunity.”