Irina M Murray Casanova, MD

I am a general surgeon with certified specialties in surgical critical care and acute care surgery, and I am a clinical assistant professor in the University of Florida Division of Acute Care Surgery. I mainly practice at the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center, where I am the medical director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and site director for the Anesthesia Critical Care Fellowship program. In my role, I facilitate and oversee the care of our 12 bed ICU, promote the institution of ICU protocols, initiate quality improvement projects, and coordinate the education of the UF anesthesia critical care fellows and general surgery residents who rotate monthly in our SICU.

We treat veterans from all surgical specialties, including cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, urology and ENT that require ICU level of care. Our unit has a concentration of cardiothoracic surgery patients and specializes in the post-op care of open-heart surgery such as valve replacements and coronary artery bypass surgery. We also take care of a large number of robotic lung resections and transcatheter aortic valve replacements weekly. I am an active member of the VA general surgery group and participate in call and elective general surgery cases.

My career started in Puerto Rico, where I completed medical school and a general surgery residency program at the University Puerto Rico School of Medicine in 2013. I became a clinical assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine and started my journey as an acute care surgeon doing mostly emergent general surgery cases and trauma cases. Eventually, I decided to pursue critical care and trauma fellowships, which I was fortunate to land at the UF and completed in 2018. Since then, I have been in love with acute care surgery and critical care. They provide a constant source of excitement and an atmosphere that is ever changing and challenging – Things that I have always been drawn to.

Becoming the medical director of the VA Medical Center SICU has given me the ability to successfully manage a surgical ICU and improve my ability to lead and enact change. In my current role, I am confident that it will equip me with the necessary tools needed to lead larger intensive care units. I look forward to becoming an experienced educator and mentor by continually engaging with my trainees, medical students and pre-med students who rotate and shadow at the VA.

In my free time, I love spending time with my family. I also love spending time with my two English labradors, Logan and Hero. I try to stay as active as possible enjoying frequent jogs, trail hikes and engaging in strength training exercises at the gym.

• General Surgery

  American College of Surgeons
• Surgical Critical Care

  American College of Surgeons

0000-0002-4719-387X

• Education