There’s a moment before every surgery when a patient’s fear is at its peak. The bright lights, the unfamiliar room, the vulnerability of it all. It’s precisely in that moment that Dr. Shivani Thakkar does her most important work and it has nothing to do with medication dosages.
“Every patient deserves to feel heard and safe,” says Dr. Thakkar, Medical Director at Olena Medical, a physician-led anesthesia services group based in New Jersey. “I take time to listen, to understand what they’re feeling, and to build trust before anything else happens.”
It’s a philosophy that has defined her career — one that spans over a decade, a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology, and experience in some of the highest-stakes surgical environments imaginable, including trauma and transplant cases at a Level I trauma center.
From the OR to the Corner Office
In 2024, Dr. Thakkar stepped into the role of Medical Director, a transition that added a new dimension to her already demanding work. But for her, leadership was a natural extension of what she’d always done at the bedside.
“Leadership means being a reliable mentor,” she says. “It’s about helping physicians turn their clinical vision into meaningful patient care.” In practice, that looks like being the colleague who picks up the phone, who sits with a difficult case, who helps a team find clarity when the stakes are high.
Her path to that corner office was anything but linear. She completed medical school at Drexel University College of Medicine, followed by residency at Loyola University Medical Center, and then fellowship training in pediatric anesthesiology at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, a program that sharpened her ability to care for some of the most vulnerable patients of all: children.
“Pediatric anesthesia teaches you to be incredibly precise and incredibly calm at the same time,” she reflects. “Children and their families are counting on you in a profound way. That never leaves you.”
The Balancing Act
Ask Dr. Thakkar how she does it all, the long OR hours, the leadership responsibilities, the on-call demands and she’ll answer the way most working mothers do: imperfectly, intentionally, and with a lot of help.
“Balancing medicine with family life is always a challenge,” being intentional and deliberate with my time is what keeps everything together.”
Outside the hospital, she recharges through movement, mindfulness, and travel and most importantly, through time with her husband and children. It’s a life she’s built with the same care she brings to her patients: thoughtfully, one decision at a time.
Why It All Matters
At its heart, Dr. Thakkar’s story is about showing up, for patients during the scariest moments of their lives, for colleagues who need guidance, and for a version of medicine that centers humanity as much as science.
“We guide patients through some of the most challenging moments in their lives,” she says quietly. “That’s not something I take lightly. It’s something I feel every single day.”
And in a healthcare landscape that can often feel rushed and impersonal, that kind of presence, steady, skilled, and deeply human makes all the difference.
Dr. Shivani Thakkar is the Medical Director of Olena Medical, a physician-owned anesthesia services organization serving hospitals and surgical centers across New Jersey. Learn more at olenamedical.com.