Dr. Nate Painter is the Medical Director of the Ambulatory Surgery Center and the Division Chief of UNC Ambulatory Anesthesia. Dr. Painter spends the majority of his clinical time in the surgery center, a physically separate but hospital-affiliated, state-of-the-art facility with 8 operating rooms located in the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC). At the ACC, he assists a core group of ambulatory and regional anesthesia specialists who provide daily anesthetic care for our day-surgery patients.  Preoperative holding and recovery rooms are at the ACC, as well as a 23-hour extended-stay observation unit.

The ACC facilitates a diverse range of procedures performed on a broad patient population by array of surgical subspecialists. Our team collaborates with surgical subspecialty teams at the ACC and employs the anesthesia-care team model, pairing an attending anesthesiologist with either a resident, CRNA or anesthesia assistant to provide all perioperative patient care. Ranging from intravenous sedation to general anesthesia, a variety of anesthetic techniques are utilized and integrated at every opportunity with ultrasound-guided regional anesthetics (peripheral nerve blockade) to optimize patient safety and comfort and to facilitate early discharge. Postoperatively, patients recover in a two-phase recovery area where they are prepared for discharge. 

Residents in anesthesiology typically spend a minimum of two months during their residency on their ambulatory rotation, during which time they have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of regional anesthetics. Residents rotating at the ACC additionally hone skills that are critical for artfully performing intravenous sedation and general anesthesia in a fast-paced, outpatient setting. Residents also become learned in appropriate patient and procedure selection for this ambulatory setting. They are additionally challenged with the important task of establishing efficient home-readiness prior to discharge, addressing such issues as pain control, prevention of nausea, and wakefulness.

It is our distinct mission, responsibility, and privilege to ensure the highest level of ambulatory perioperative care for our patients. We facilitate an educational atmosphere that fosters intellectual growth, technical development and a pleasant working environment for both our residents in anesthesiology and for all staff members at the ACC. Whether you are a prospective patient or a prospective clinical faculty member, resident, or staff-member recruit, we invite you to come and experience our institution first-hand with the fine men and women that ensure our daily success. We hope to see you soon!