I am saddened to inform you that Casey M. Drawert, M.D., an alum from the School of Medicine, a clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care, and the mother of two young children, died on March 11 at University Hospital. The particularly tragic circumstances of her death have been reported elsewhere.
Dr. Drawert was born in 1973 in Louisiana, trained as a nurse at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches and in 2001 entered the UT School of Medicine at San Antonio, where she was a sterling student. A 2005 graduate, she undertook residency in otolaryngology in our department, then switched to anesthesiology, also here, completing her major training in 2010. We attracted her back to San Antonio after a fellowship in critical care medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. She was appointed to the faculty in 2011. Dr. Drawert worked part time in private practice and part time in critical care medicine. In her academic appointment, she provided care and taught residents in the UHS Surgical Intensive Care Unit, as well as in cardiothoracic anesthesia at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie Murphy Hospital Division. She held privileges at University Hospital, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Baptist Health System and Methodist Healthcare.
In the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, she cared postoperatively for the sickest patients of all, those who underwent complicated surgeries and presented with life-threatening medical problems. “Dr. Drawert was very beloved by the residents,” said one of her mentors, Lois L. Bready, M.D., professor of anesthesiology and vice dean for graduate medical education in the School of Medicine. “She was very bright with a nurturing manner that made her a wonderful critical care physician and educator. She was an excellent role model for the next generation of critical care physicians.”
Outside of work, Dr. Drawert enjoyed long-distance running and caring for her children. Her passing is an irreplaceable loss for her family, her colleagues and friends, and for the patients she would have served had her career not been cut short.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, especially her two children and parents. Dr. Drawert is survived by a daughter, Molly Claire Drawert; a son, Hudson Drawert; and her parents.
Francisco González-Scarano, M.D.
Dean, School of Medicine