Team cracks century-old mystery over the health struggles of explorer Ernest Shackleton
The severe nutrient deficiency beriberi is found to be the primary cause of Shackleton’s bouts of breathlessness and weakness.
Paul Firth, MBChB
Paul Firth, MBChB
About Paul Firth, MBChB
Dr Paul Firth is a Board Certified Pediatric Anesthesiologist. He received his medical degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He completed his residency in Anesthesia at the Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by a Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship at Tufts-NEMC. After working as a Specialist Registrar at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, UK, he joined the Anesthesia Staff at the MGH.
Dr Firth is head of the Division of Community and Global Health in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine. He serves on the Executive Committee of the MGH Center for Global Health. His clinical, education and research work is focused on collaborations in Mbarara, Uganda.
Departments, Centers, & Programs:
Clinical Interests:
- Global health
- Pediatric anesthesia
- Humanitarian disaster relief
- High altitude physiology
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Anesthesiology
Treats:
- Adult & Pediatrics
Languages:
- French, Zulu
Locations
Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114-2696
Phone: 617-726-3030
Phone: 617-724-2130
Medical Education
- MBCHB, University of Cape Town
- MB BCH, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Residency, Edendale Hospital
- Residency, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Fellowship, Tufts Medical Center
American Board Certifications
- Pediatric Anesthesiology, American Board of Anesthesiology
- Anesthesiology, American Board of Anesthesiology
Accepted Insurance Plans
- Aetna Health Inc.
- AllWays Health (NHP) - ACD
- AllWays Health (NHP) - PBO
- Beech Street
- Blue Cross Blue Shield - Blue Care 65
- Blue Cross Blue Shield - Indemnity
- Blue Cross Blue Shield - Managed Care
- Blue Cross Blue Shield - Partners Plus
- BMC HealthNet Mass Health MCO/ACO
- Cigna (PAL #'s)
- Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Fallon Community HealthCare
- Great-West Healthcare (formally One Health Plan)
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan - other
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan - PBO
- Health Care Value Management (HCVM)
- Humana/Choice Care PPO
- Maine Community Health Options (MCHO)
- MassHealth
- Medicare
- Medicare - ACD
- OSW - Connecticut
- OSW - Maine
- OSW - New Hampshire
- OSW - Rhode Island
- OSW - Vermont
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS)
- Railroad Medicare
- Senior Whole Health
- TriCare
- Tufts Health Plan
- Unicare
- United Healthcare (non-HMO) - ACD
- United Healthcare (non-HMO) - PBO
- Well Sense Pediatrics
Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.
Research
Dr Firth is head of the Division of Community and Global Health in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine. His clinical, education and research work is focused on collaborations in Mbarara, Uganda. Currently he is working on developing a surgical outcome database at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. The database is supported by funding from the GE Foundation, the Milton Foundation and the MGH Center for Global Health. He also is active in a variety of anesthesia partnerships between the MGH and Mbarara, including education initiatives, ultrasound guided regional anesthesia, and pain management.
Dr Firth's other published work involves pediatric anesthetic clinical practice. He has written extensively on sickle cell disease. Expedition leader of the 2004 Norwegian-American North Everest Expedition, he is interested in high altitude physiology.