Andrew Costandi, MD, MMM, Named Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 29, 2026--

Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has appointed Andrew Costandi, MD, MMM, as Anesthesiologist-in-Chief and Department Chair of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine (ACCM), effective Aug. 1. In this leadership role, Dr. Costandi will oversee multiple clinical divisions at CHLA, including the Divisions of Clinical Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, Palliative Care, and Critical Care Medicine, which includes the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. In addition to ensuring high-quality clinical care across these teams, he will be responsible for advancing research and education programming; guiding strategic growth and quality improvement; leading recruitment and faculty development; managing financial priorities; and strengthening interdisciplinary partnerships with other teams across the enterprise. Dr. Costandi also serves as Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

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“Since joining CHLA in 2015, Dr. Costandi has taken on progressively significant leadership roles within the Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine. Significantly, while leading the Pediatric Liver Transplant Anesthesia Program, he established enhanced recovery pathways that have contributed to CHLA’s nation-leading liver transplant outcomes for the fourth year in a row,” says Children’s Hospital Los Angeles President and CEO Paul S. Viviano. “I thank him for the institutional knowledge, clinical expertise, and clear commitment he brings to advancing CHLA’s mission and look forward to working in close partnership with him as a member of CHLA’s enterprise leadership team.”

Most recently, Dr. Costandi served as Executive Vice Chair of the Department of ACCM and Division Chief of Anesthesiology—first as interim and then full-time. As Division Chief, he led numerous initiatives that have strengthened clinical operations in the operating rooms, workforce planning and faculty development. He has overseen anesthesia staffing redesign, perioperative operations, quality improvement initiatives, and strategic growth across multiple service lines.

A Board-certified and internationally recognized pediatric anesthesiologist, Dr. Costandi’s expertise is in pediatric abdominal solid organ transplantation; acute perioperative pediatric pain management; and perioperative systems improvement. He graduated with honors from Cairo University School of Medicine in Egypt before completing pediatric residency at the National Research Center and Cairo University Children's Hospital. He subsequently completed an anesthesiology residency at Brookdale University Hospital in New York and a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and later earned a master’s degree in Medical Management from the USC Marshall School of Business. As a research, educator, mentor, and scholar, he authored or contributed to a wide array of studies, peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, national presentations, invited lectures, and professional society work. Beyond CHLA, Dr. Costandi is an active member and leader in several national organizations, including the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, American Society of Anesthesiology, Society of Academic Associations of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Society for the Advancement of Transplant, and the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease.

About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is at the forefront of pediatric medicine and is the largest provider of hospital care for children in California. In the 125 years since its founding in 1901, CHLA has delivered a level of pediatric care that is among the best in the world. Ranked one of the top ten children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provides comprehensive and compassionate care to one of the largest and most diverse pediatric patient populations in the country. The hospital is the top-ranked children’s hospital in California and the Pacific U.S. region for 2025-26. A leader in pediatric research, CHLA is among the top ten children’s hospitals for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles supports the full continuum of research, translating scientific discoveries into life-changing treatments for patients around the globe. As a pediatric academic medical center, CHLA is also home to the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute, which encompasses education programs throughout the institution. The hospital’s commitment to building stronger, healthier communities is evident in CHLA’s efforts to enhance health education and literacy, introduce more people to careers in health care, and fight food insecurity. To learn more, follow CHLA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X, and visit CHLA.org.

Andrew Costandi, MD, MMM, Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The starting quarterback audition that will shape this season for the Minnesota Vikings and perhaps define multiple careers is clearly the featured attraction during training camp.

For as consequential as this competition will be, Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy and their teammates have no interest in intensifying the spotlight or indulging in feelings about the process. The players themselves are trying to keep things as cool as they can.

“I’m not really too focused on the long-term vision of it,” Murray said Wednesday before the team's first formal practice of camp. “I’m really just focused on process, and that’s day to day, trying to put my best foot forward, and proving to the guys and the coaches what I’m capable of.”

McCarthy brings a decidedly different resume, style and personality to this derby, but his public stance on his approach to trying to keep the same job he had last year sure sounded similar to Murray's.

“It’s just refining every little detail, leaving no stone unturned and just trying to get better in every aspect,” said McCarthy, whose injuries have limited him to 10 starts in two seasons since he was drafted with the 10th overall pick in 2024. “That’s a constant battle with yourself every single day until you hang ’em up.”

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell was remarkably transparent in his news conference this week about the plan for dividing up drills in practice between the two. Murray went first with the first team Wednesday, but the repetitions were equally split.

“It’s going to be more by certain periods. Maybe a guy’s gotten a little bit more third down work, so then we’ll make sure we try to even it out,” O'Connell said. “But I will say this, and I told the quarterbacks: ‘We don’t need to make this 50-50.’ It’s going to be that way to start when we’re on a time crunch, but when we get into some longer practices and some move-the-ball periods, there’s some periods where the amount of plays is unknown sometimes as you really start to get into what real football is.”

The Vikings made a series of moves to address their problems on offense last season, hiring former Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith as the assistant head coach with a particular focus on the running game, promoting Keith Carter to offensive line coach, and shoring up their offensive line depth after injuries frequently ravaged their 2025 lineup.

Murray, of course, was the most seismic change after McCarthy's rocky debut. As the first overall pick in the 2019 draft with 87 starts and more than 20,000 passing yards in his career, Murray is the clear favorite to win this competition. But O'Connell has committed to opening it up, and McCarthy has said he believes him.

“My job’s to make it right for either of them, so that’s kind of all I can focus on,” right tackle Brian O'Neill said. “It’s just like any other guy and any other position battle. That’s really what it is from my perspective.”

Murray mentioned earlier the challenge of mastering a new offense without taking all of the turns with the first team, but he said Wednesday he feels much better about the playbook after going through spring practices and continuing to immerse himself in it over the last six weeks.

McCarthy, too, said he has recovered from the time lost and the rhythm interrupted by his late-season injuries.

“I felt like I was hitting that upward trajectory, and I’m certain it’s still been going up since then,” he said.

The five-time captain and two-time Pro Bowl pick O'Neill will enter his ninth season with the security of a $96 million contract extension that stretches through 2030, a deal he signed Tuesday as players reported. He savored the commitment from his only NFL team but said he wasn't ready to reflect yet on his journey.

“I want to be most proud of when I’m done here that we went on a couple runs and gave ourselves a chance at the big one and turned this thing around and got over the proverbial hump,” O'Neill said.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) takes part in drills during the team's NFL football training camp Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray talks to reporters at the team's NFL football training camp Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy talks to reporters at the team's NFL football training camp Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (1) takes part in drills during the team's NFL football training camp Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy (9) and Kyler Murray (1) take part in drills during the team's NFL football training camp Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)