Christine E. Whitten, M.D., is a semi-retired anesthesiologist with 45 years of experience in both general and pediatric anesthesia. She previously served as Chief of Anesthesia and Director of Perioperative Services at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Diego, California. Dr. Whitten also held the position of Southern California Permanente Regional Coordinator of Pain Management for a decade and contributed to the national development and implementation of multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Management Programs for Kaiser Permanente. In addition, she was Physician Lead at the Kaiser School of Nurse Anesthesia for six years.

Dr. Whitten earned her medical degree from Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1979. Following her anesthesiology residency at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia, she completed fellowships in regional anesthesia and intensive care. She subsequently joined the teaching staff at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego, where she served as Director of Regional Anesthesia and Co-Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic from 1983 to 1986. Upon leaving the Navy with the rank of Commander, she joined Kaiser Permanente San Diego in 1986.

She is the author of “Anyone Can Intubate: A Step-By-Step Guide to Intubation and Airway Management,” now in its fifth edition, and “Pediatric Airway Management: A Step-By-Step Guide,” both of which have been widely used in training healthcare professionals. Her third book, Airway Management: A Step-By-Step Guide is in prepublication. Dr. Whitten’s blog, airwayjedi.com, has reached over one million readers, and she has produced numerous educational videos demonstrating various intubation and airway management techniques.

Dr. Whitten has volunteered with Operation Smile, COAD International,  and International Relief Teams, providing free surgeries to children in underserved countries. Her international work includes participation in surgical teams and instructional roles for anesthesia providers and nurses in countries such as Mexico, Vietnam, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Thailand, Colombia, India, and Egypt.

Her ongoing mission is to enhance patient safety by ensuring all healthcare providers are well-trained in airway management.

In addition to Anyone Can Intubate, Dr. Whitten’s publications include:

• 10 Common Pediatric Airway Problems and Their Solution, Whitten CE, Anesthesiology News Annual Airway Review, August 2019-2020
• Always Prepare For Failure: 10 Rules For Approaching Difficult Intubation, Whitten CE, Anesthesiology News Annual Airway Review, August 2018-2019
• Whitten, CE. Anesthesia for the Developing Countries of the World. in: A Different Kind of Diplomacy: A Source book for International Volunteers. Plastic Surgery Research Foundation, San Diego, California, 1987.
• Whitten, CE. Experiences in Third World Anesthesia: Peacetime Training for Operational Deployment. Military Medicine 1988; 153(12):629-632.
• Whitten CE. Anesthesia in Distant Places: Prevention of Anesthesia Mishaps. Seminars in Anesthesia 1993; 12(3):154-164.
• Whitten, CE; Evans, CM; Cristobal. K. Pain Management Doesn’t Have to be a Pain: Working and Communicating Effectively with Patients who have Chronic Pain. The Permanente Journal 2005; 9(2):41-48.
• Whitten, CE; Cristobal. K. Chronic Pain is a Chronic Condition, Not Just a Symptom. The Permanente Journal 2005; 9(3):43-51.
• Whitten, CE: Donovan, M; Cristobal, K. Treating Chronic Pain: New Knowledge, More Choices. The Permanente Journal 2005; 9(4):9-18.