James L. Walker Jr, M.D.

Professional Background

Dr. James Walker earned his medical degree at the University of Kansas in Kansas City in 2001. He began residency training in neurosurgery at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He ended up completing a residency in anesthesiology and obtaining fellowships in critical care and neurocritical care at the same institution. Dr. Walker is now a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology with a secondary appointment in Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine- Wichita. He serves as Chair (since 2023) and Program Director (since 2011) of the Department of Anesthesiology where he is responsible for the education and training of 20 anesthesiology residents per year. He is board certified in Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Neurocritical Care. Since 2010, Dr Walker has also served as medical director of Neurocritical Care and Stroke at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital where he oversees their Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center and a 20-bed neurocritical care ICU. Since 2007, he has worked with Anesthesia Consulting Services providing anesthesiology at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital and Kansas Surgery and Recovery Center.

A Nickerson, Kansas native, Dr. Walker earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas, where he played baseball. In 1993, he was voted an All-American Pitcher after leading his team to KU’s first and only appearance in the College World Series. He was also voted an Academic All-American while completing his pre-medicine degree. That same year, he was selected in the third round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles and played 3 years of professional baseball before moving on to a career in medicine. He and his wife, Kaely, have two children who share their parents’ love of family and sports. Brandt is studying finance and accounting at the University of Kansas. Brooke is also studying finance while playing basketball at the University of Utah.

• MD, Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
• BGS, Human Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
• Clinical Fellowship, Neurocritical Care , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati , OH
• Clinical Fellowship, Anesthesiology critical care, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
• Residency, Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati , OH
• Residency, Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH

• Anesthesiology, American Board of Anesthesiology
• Critical Care Medicine, American Board of Anesthesiology
• Kansas State Medical License, Kansas Board of Healing Arts
• Nebraska State Medical License, State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
• Neurocritical Care Medicine, American Board of Anesthesiology
• Neurocritical Care, United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties
• Ohio State Medical License, State Medical Board of Ohio

• Society of Academic Associations of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Member, 2011 - Present
• Neurocritical Care Society, Member, 2008 - Present
• Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists, Member, 2008 - Present
• Society of Critical Care Medicine, Member, 2006 - Present
• American Society of Anesthesiologists, Member, 2003 - Present
• Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society , Member, 2000 - Present

Research

Overview

Dr Walker's research interests are derived from his clinical experiences and center on quality improvement initiatives and neurologic diseases. His position as Medical Director of a 20-bed NeuroICU has afforded him multiple opportunities to participate in both industry-sponsored stroke research including the LIBREXIA, ReMEDy 2, and MASTERS-2, and locally-initiated research studies including the use of Lidocaine infusion for treatment of aneurysmal SAH headache, rapid identification of post-operative stroke, and the use of an innovative technology to evaluate the effect of physical therapy on brain blood flow in stroke patients. He is also a Sub-Investigator serving as a dedicated neurologic consultant (specifically for the assessment of perioperative stroke) for multiple minimally invasive cardiac valve replacement studies at our institution.
The hospital where he primarily works, Ascension Via Christi St Francis Hospital, partners with other Ascension Ministries to participate in other research projects related to stroke.

• Malinovic, Matea, Walker, James, Lee, Felecia. 2021. Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury After Posterior Cervical Laminectomy. Cureus
• Smith, Matthew, Walker, James, Pradhan, Sukruta, Newton, Felecia. 2022. Spontaneous Postpartum Intracranial Hemorrhage: A Case Report. Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia and Critical Care
• Layton , Brandon , Walker, James. 2023. Necrotizing Pneumonia Causing Arterial Air Embolism Resulting in Acute Ischemic Stroke. AIM Clinical Cases
• Walker, James, McLaughlin, Jared, Dickerson, John, Pradhan, Sukruta, Lee, Felecia. 2023. Unique Etiology of Trigeminal Neuralgia After Acute Ischemic Stroke. Kansas Journal of Medicine
• Parikh, Ayaan, Kitzerow, Collin, Walker, James. 2023. Severe Laryngeal Edema after extubation with prior use of ACEi Medications. Kansas Journal of Medicine
• Rogachov, Anton , Kitzerow, Collin , Peterson, John, Walker, James . 2023. Suspected Hyperkalemia Induced Cardiac Arrest and Recovery Following Succinylcholine Used in a Trauma Patient. Kansas Journal of Medicine
• Bouddhara, Tiffany, Persondek, Leighann, Ablah, Elizabeth, Okut, Hayrettin, Lu, Liuqiang, Walker, James. 2023. Post-stroke pneumonia: Factors associated with readmission within 90 days of stroke discharge. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases
• Parikh, Ayaan, Krogman, William , Walker, James . 2023. The Impact of Volatile Anesthetics and Propofol on Anionic Phospholipids 4,5 - bisphosphate Signaling. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics