Welcome to our webpage regarding a Critical Care Medicine fellowship through the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. Through this letter, I hope to share a few of the reasons I feel our program will help you become a strong intensivist.

There are two fellowship opportunities offered at OHSU:

• A traditional route for prospective fellows who have completed either an anesthesiology residency (one year) or emergency medicine (two years)
• An integrated and cohesive route for prospective residents interested in both anesthesiology and critical care medicine

We are the only public academic medical center in the state and serve as the quaternary care center for the most medically complex patients in Oregon, Southwest Washington, Northern California, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada. We are a Level 1 trauma center with 576 beds, 82 of which are ICU beds in our four different specialty units:

• Cardiovascular ICU: 26 beds managing patients post-cardiac surgery including heart transplants, MCS including ECMO, advanced heart failure, and complex vascular and obstetric/gynecologic patients
• Neurosciences ICU: 17 beds managing acute stroke, status epilepticus, and post-complex neurosurgical intervention
• Trauma/Surgical ICU: 21 beds managing trauma including TBI, spinal cord injury, and solid organ injury; as well as post-surgical patients including liver transplant and esophagectomy
• Medical ICU: 16 beds managing critically ill patients with sepsis and multi-organ dysfunction, severe COPD and asthma exacerbations, and diabetic ketoacidosis

Your time spent in the ICU will be as part of a multidisciplinary team with specialists of all backgrounds working with intensivists, residents, interns, advanced practice providers and medical students to provide comprehensive care to this critically ill population. In addition to your time in the ICU, you will also have the opportunity to rotate through a variety of specialties to strengthen your knowledge. These rotations will provide you with the skillset to handle caring for your patients in the future.

As someone who has done medical school, residency and fellowship here, I have seen OHSU continue to grow. In April 2026 we welcomed the first patients to the new Vista Pavilion building, which houses 128 beds for people requiring advanced cancer treatment including cancer surgery. The building is still being built out, but plans are in progress to eventually include space for a dedicated oncology ICU to manage this vulnerable population.

One of my favorite parts of OHSU is the wonderful staff I am fortunate to learn from and work with on a daily basis. The attending physicians I have worked with have supported my professional growth, giving me the autonomy to make medical decisions, while also teaching me when I have questions. They have been genuinely interested in furthering my knowledge to take care of these medically complex patients. I know from my time in training that I will have a group of attendings that I will continue to keep in touch with as I progress in my career.

Outside of the hospital, Portland and the surrounding area has a lot to offer. We’re situated in the Willamette Valley, offering fairly temperate climates year-round (with an unbeatable summer), and short distances to the beach, mountains, and the Columbia Gorge. If you enjoy the outdoors, we have it all here. And for those that prefer other activities, I’m confident you can find things to enjoy, whether it’s the restaurants/breweries, the arts, or the various professional sports teams that call Portland home.

I believe that at the conclusion of your time at OSHU you will be able to provide comprehensive care as part of a diverse, multidisciplinary team for the most acute and critically ill patients; you will enjoy a group of friends and mentors that you can keep in touch with for years to come; and you will have the opportunity to enjoy hobbies, old and new, in Portland and the surrounding area.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about our program. I am always available.

Nicholas Rosson, MD
OSP Critical Care Chief