John Abenstein MD

Dr. John P. Abenstein is a Consultant in the Department of Anesthesiology, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, and a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Mayo Clinic. He is widely recognized for his leadership in anesthesiology, healthcare technology, and perioperative patient monitoring.

Prior to joining Mayo Clinic, Dr. Abenstein served as an anesthesiologist in the U.S. Navy and was deployed with the U.S. Marines aboard the USS Tarawa as part of Surgical Team 9. His military service and engineering background helped shape his long-standing interest in medical technology, patient monitoring systems, and healthcare innovation.

Throughout his career at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Abenstein has chaired several key institutional committees, including the Capital Equipment Committee, Acute Care Monitoring Committee, and Workstation Oversight Group. He has also led the Medical Equipment Technology Standardization Committee, helping guide the adoption and evaluation of healthcare technologies across the organization.

Dr. Abenstein has played an influential role in healthcare policy and professional leadership. He served on the Minnesota Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical Policy Committee, the State of Minnesota’s Medical Education and Research Costs Committee, and chaired Minnesota’s Health Technology Advisory Committee. Nationally, he was a member of the Administrative Council of the American Society of Anesthesiologists from 2002 to 2016 and served as its President in 2015.

He earned engineering degrees from Duke University and the University of Wisconsin before receiving his medical degree from the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Dr. Abenstein completed his residency and fellowship in Cardiac Anesthesiology at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago and is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.