Most patients meet their anesthesiologist for the first time on the morning of surgery. It is a brief window, which is sometimes as little as fifteen minutes. Within that short time, a complete stranger must establish enough trust to take over one of the most fundamental functions a person has — consciousness itself.
Dr. Andrew Hummel is a board-certified anesthesiologist and Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) who understands the weight of that moment better than many. This is because he has spent more than twelve years on the receiving end of it. He believes that what happens before the morning matters more than most patients realize.
The Information Gap Before Surgery
Surgery is well-mapped territory for patients by the time they arrive at a pre-op bay. They know their surgeon’s name, and have likely looked them up online, reviewed their credentials, and perhaps read patient reviews. What is less common is the same level of pre-operative research done into the anesthesiologist — who will actually manage their airway, consciousness, and pain for the duration of the procedure.
One part of this is structural, as anesthesiologists are often assigned rather than chosen. Another part of it is awareness, as the role of the anesthesiologist remains genuinely misunderstood by a large proportion of surgical patients.
Online patient directories like Healthgrades are beginning to change this. Dr. Hummel maintains a verified profile on the platform. This allows patients to review his board certifications, clinical background, and the experience ratings given by other patients — before ever stepping into a pre-op room.
What Patients Actually Need to Know
Dr. Hummel is direct about what matters most in a patient-anesthesiologist relationship and what a platform like Healthgrades can actually communicate.
“Patients should know whether their anesthesiologist is board-certified,” he stated. “Patient’s should know the clinical background of their anesthesiologist, and whether other patients feel that communication was clear and their concerns were taken seriously.”
Dr. Andrew Hummel’s Healthgrades profile reflects consistent patient recognition in exactly these areas — clinical thoroughness, clear pre-operative communication, and a genuine commitment to addressing patient concerns before the day of surgery arrives.
Transparency as Patient Safety
There is a patient safety dimension to this that goes beyond consumer convenience. Patients are more engaged in their own care when they arrive at surgery having reviewed their anesthesiologist’s background, credentials, and profile. They are more likely to disclose relevant medications, ask the right questions during the pre-operative assessment, and raise concerns that matter.
Dr. Hummel has observed this directly. Informed patients produce better pre-operative conversations — and better pre-operative conversations produce safer surgical outcomes. Online directories like Healthgrades don’t replace that conversation. They make it possible to start it sooner.
About Dr. Andrew Hummel
Dr. Andrew Hummel is a board-certified anesthesiologist and ABA Diplomate based in Missouri with over twelve years of clinical experience. He is a six-time 417 Top Doctor Award recipient and the founder of the Dr. Andrew Hummel Scholarship for Medical Students. To learn more or find Dr. Andrew Hummel’s Healthgrades profile, visit healthgrades.com/physician/dr-andrew-hummel-gc6sx.
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