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Jill Zafar, MD, MBA, FASA

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
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Additional Titles

Clinical Chair of Anesthesiology, Bridgeport Hospital, Anesthesiology

Director, Pre-Surgical Evaluation Center, Anesthesiology

Contact Info

Anesthesiology

PO Box 208051

New Haven, CT 06520-8051

United States

About

Titles

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology

Clinical Chair of Anesthesiology, Bridgeport Hospital, Anesthesiology; Director, Pre-Surgical Evaluation Center, Anesthesiology

Biography

Jill Zafar, MD MBA is the inaugural Clinical Chair of Anesthesiology at Bridgeport Hospital. During her time at Yale she had had many leadership roles, including Medical Director of Pre-Surgical Evaluation and Interim Section Chief of Ambulatory Anesthesia. She is an experienced anesthesiologist, collaborative leader and change agent. Dr. Zafar has been instrumental in transitioning the anesthesia department and surgical services at Bridgeport Hospital as well as developing many innovative perioperative guidelines.

Prior to joining Yale in 2014, Dr. Zafar was on the faculty at Roswell Park Cancer Institute as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and the Director of the Anesthesia Perioperative Evaluation Center. She graduated from University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2004 and completed her Anesthesiology residency at the University at Buffalo in 2008 as Chief Resident.

Dr. Jill Zafar’s area of expertise is in preoperative optimization. She holds the position of Director of Pre-Surgical Evaluation for the Yale New Haven Health system. She also has a strong interest in sponsoring and mentoring women physicians and is the Yale Department of Anesthesiology liaison for the Committee on the Status of Women in Medicine (SWIM).

Appointments

Education & Training

MBA
University of Massachusetts, Amherst (2022)
Chief Resident
University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Residency
State University of New York-Buffalo (2008)
MD
SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine (2004)
BS
State University of New York at Geneseo, Biochemistry (1999)

Research

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Jill Zafar's published research.

Publications

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

  • Bag-Mask Ventilation during Tracheal Intubation of Critically Ill Adults
    Charchaflieh J and Zafar J: F1000Prime Recommendation of [Casey JD, et al., NEJM. 2019 02 28; 380(9):811-821]. In F1000Prime, 24 October 2019; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1812405.
    Commentaries, Editorials and Letters
  • Association Between Elevated Mean Arterial Blood Pressure and Neurologic Outcome After Resuscitation From Cardiac Arrest: Results From a Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study
    Charchaflieh J and Zafar J: F1000Prime Recommendation of [Roberts BW et al., Crit Care Med. 2019 Jan; 47(1):93-100]. In F1000Prime, 15 March 2019; DOI: 10.3410/f.734212486.793557428
    Commentaries, Editorials and Letters

2018

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    Yale University School of Medicine

  • activity

    Yale School of Medicine Status of Women in Medicine Chair Search Committee

  • activity

    Yale University School of Medicine

  • activity

    Yale University School of Medicine

Clinical Care

Overview

Jill Zafar, MD, is an anesthesiologist who cares for patients undergoing all types of surgical procedures, specializing in ambulatory surgery and perioperative medicine (which covers the patient’s needs from admission through recovery). She is medical director of presurgical evaluation for Yale New Haven Health (YNHH) and clinical chair of anesthesiology for YNHH Bridgeport Hospital.

Dr. Zafar became an anesthesiologist partly because she was fascinated by pharmacokinetics, the term for the movement of drugs within the body. She was intrigued by the way the right medications can give the anesthesiologist the ability to make someone fall asleep and then wake up quickly, or change a person’s heart rate or blood pressure.

“I am also humbled by the fact that patients put their life and trust into my hands at one of the most vulnerable times of their lives,” says Dr. Zafar. It helps that anesthesiology is safer than ever before, she says. Efforts such as several “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery” programs at YNHH that aim to maintain organ function and reduce stress for patients are making a difference, she says, as is multimodal pain management, including nerve blocks, that allow people to get back on their feet quickly.

An assistant professor of anesthesiology at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Zafar wants people anticipating surgery to know that they can always speak to an anesthesiologist in the YNHH preadmission testing center. “There is no question too simple,” she says. The anesthesiologist also can provide valuable advice on healthy eating, exercise, and quitting smoking before surgery, she adds. “There is a lot that patients can do to help us provide them with a speedy recovery.”

Clinical Specialties

Anesthesiology

Board Certifications

  • Anesthesiology

    Certification Organization
    AB of Anesthesiology
    Latest Certification Date
    2020
    Original Certification Date
    2009

Yale Medicine News

Get In Touch

Contacts

Appointment Number
Clinic Fax Number
Mailing Address

Anesthesiology

PO Box 208051

New Haven, CT 06520-8051

United States

Administrative Support

Locations

  • Patient Care Locations

    Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.