Alpharetta, GA, March 15, 2011 - Premier Anesthesia, a national anesthesia management company that builds cutting edge anesthesia services, proudly announces the appointment of President Kerry Teel to The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions Dean's Advisory Board (SHP Dean's Advisory Board).  The board is comprised of business and community leaders, drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds, who have demonstrated unusually high achievement and excellence in the healthcare industry, and guides the creative development of the School of Health Professions.  Appointment to the SHP Dean's Advisory Board is an official recognition that Kerry Teel embodies the values and qualities that are sought in board members, and that his contributions will be integral in preparing future generations of successful healthcare leaders.

"We look forward to Kerry's insights and contributions to the Advisory Board," said Harold Jones, Ph.D., dean of the School of Health Professions.  "The Advisory Board provides us with important guidance as we seek to shape our programs to lead in the preparations of the health care leaders of the future.  Kerry's professional experiences and his current leadership role in an outstanding organization brings to us a valuable perspective to incorporate in both our planning and day-to-day operations."

Teel earned his master's in Healthcare Administration from The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions and has made significant contributions to the field of healthcare for over 35 years.  With his track record of building and managing complex, multi-facility healthcare organizations, Teel has over three decades of experience and knowledge to benefit the SHP Advisory Board.  Most recently, as president of Premier Anesthesia, Teel has developed a unique and transformational anesthesia management company that creates innovative programs and anesthesia services.  Premier Anesthesia's primary goal is to improve the quality of anesthesia care and operating room efficiencies.

"The education I received at The UAB at Birmingham School of Health Service Administration has been invaluable to me throughout my career," said Kerry Teel.  "I have continued to draw upon the school as a resource by creating the Leadership Management Education Program (LMEP), a joint venture between Premier Anesthesia and The UAB School of Health Service Administration, in order to provide graduate level education to Premier Anesthesia's medical directors in order to enrich their management skills."

In the 2011 U.S. News and World Report's listing of Top United States Universities and Colleges, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions master's degree program in health services administration ranked No. 5 in the nation.  UAB was elevated from a Tier 2 University to a Tier 1, National University representing the top 25 percent of all Universitites and Colleges in the country.  The school is highly renowned for its medical research, health professionas and natural sciences programs.  UAB ranks among Top 20 nationally in federal research and development funding and first in the state of Alabama, receiving more funding than all other Alabama universities combined.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM -
Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is the state of Alabama's largest employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic health center whose professional schools and specialty patient care programs are consistently ranked as among the nation's top 50; find more information at www.uab.edu and www.uab.edu/shp.