Karl A. Poterack MD

Karl A. Poterack, M.D., is a board-certified anesthesiologist and clinical informaticist at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. He serves as Professor of Anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and is widely recognized for his leadership in clinical informatics, electronic health record (EHR) optimization, neuroanesthesiology, and transplant anesthesiology. His work bridges perioperative medicine and healthcare technology to improve patient safety, clinical workflows, and healthcare quality.

Dr. Poterack earned his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees from the University of Michigan. He completed a residency in General Surgery followed by a residency in Anesthesiology and a fellowship in Neuroanesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is board certified in Anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology and in Clinical Informatics by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.

At Mayo Clinic, Dr. Poterack provides anesthetic care for patients undergoing complex surgical procedures, with particular expertise in neuroanesthesiology and transplant anesthesiology. In addition to his clinical practice, he has played a central role in developing and implementing clinical informatics solutions that enhance electronic health record usability, clinical decision support, and perioperative quality improvement across the Mayo Clinic enterprise.

A retired Major in the United States Air Force, Dr. Poterack served as a staff anesthesiologist and Chief of Neuroanesthesiology at Wilford Hall Medical Center before joining the Medical College of Wisconsin and later Mayo Clinic Arizona in 1997. Throughout his career, he has held numerous institutional leadership positions, including directing anesthesiology residency education, chairing quality assurance initiatives, leading accreditation and regulatory programs, and serving on enterprise committees overseeing health information technology, EHR governance, clinical quality, and digital transformation.

Dr. Poterack is an accomplished researcher and educator with numerous peer-reviewed publications focusing on clinical informatics, electronic health records, transplant anesthesiology, patient safety, quality improvement, neuroanesthesia, and perioperative medicine. His scholarly work has helped advance the application of health information technology to improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes.