Physician - Business Owner - Servant Leader - Family Man - Man of Faith

About Dr. Mike

Dr. Mike Katz has dedicated thousands of hours in the operating room, overseeing the care of tens of thousands of patients during his medical career as an anesthesiologist. His patients span the spectrum of society, from the tiniest infants to resilient centenarians, from the affluent to the impoverished living under bridges, and from CEOs to hardworking individuals laboring to make ends meet. Despite their apparent differences, they share a more profound commonality – their humanity. When faced with surgery, they share the fear of not seeing their loved ones again. In these critical moments, Mike has been a steady presence, explaining risks and procedures with a compassionate touch to both patients and their families. Remarkably, he never lost a patient in his 20 years in the operating room.

To Mike, the divisive state of our nation is like a cancer eating away at the body of our democracy. Addressing critical issues like healthcare access, inflation, our economy, quality education, and the dysfunction in our government demands unity, like the team that assembles in the operating room, guided by the values of honesty and integrity.

Dr. Mike Katz isn’t just a seasoned physician, he’s a business owner, family man, and a man of faith. Throughout his life, Mike has sought ways to help others, from humble beginnings cleaning offices with his Dad at the age of eight, to championing legislation allowing leftover cafeteria food to be donated to the needy instead of being discarded.

Early Beginnings

(Mike with his Dad, Len Katz, on a carpet cleaning job, summer 1984)

Raised in a working-class family, Mike viewed medicine as the most impactful way to assist others. After graduating from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1989, he completed his Anesthesiology Residency as Chief Resident at Maine Medical Center, and then moved into pediatric anesthesiology and critical care medicine with a fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Boston Children’s Hospital. Recruited by Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children (Nemours)/Jefferson Medical College, Mike served in clinical and teaching roles settling into the Wilmington community with his wife Trish.

Anxieties run high with any prospect of surgery, especially when it involves a child. Dr. Mike recalls a harrowing moment with a one-year-old girl in the ICU with a massive life-threatening neck mass that was obstructing her airway. Rushed into the operating room late one night, her throat nearly closed, there was one chance to insert a life-saving breathing tube – while she was awake. Her parents were huddled in the waiting area, worried and fearful. When Mike approached them and said “we got it in”, they cried. He didn’t know them before that moment, but years later he saw the little girl, who had been given a chance to live.

Making an Impact

(Dr. Mike in the Operating Room early in his medical career)

Transitioning from the operating room to broader healthcare issues, Dr. Mike Katz recognized the inefficiencies within hospitals, especially in operating rooms. He took on more management roles at duPont, conducting a series of studies that focused on ways to enhance patient care while optimizing hospital resources. In 2000, he earned an M.B.A. in international business from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. The healthcare industry was undergoing tremendous change at the time, with new technologies and medications offering opportunities to rethink how medical services were delivered.

The following year he took advantage of these advances by developing a business plan and founding an anesthesiology services company as a complement to the newly emerging outpatient surgery centers. Patient-centric, these centers offer a calm waiting room, convenient parking, and personalized attention from arrival to departure. With Mike’s leadership, the business flourished, providing perioperative care to over 30,000 patients annually.

Delaware's Advocate and Public Servant

Elected to Delaware’s State Senate in 2008, Dr. Mike embarked on rooting out corruption and ensuring government served its citizens’ best interests. In the face of opposition, he successfully shepherded a bill legalizing LGBTQ civil unions, positioning Delaware as one of the first states to pass such legislation.

Defying many in power, Mike’s dedication to driving transformative change was highlighted when he overhauled the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN). Marred by rampant corruption, the DHIN, the first state-wide searchable database of patient medical records, underwent a remarkable restructuring under Mike’s leadership, evolving into a self-sustaining public-private partnership.

When a Delaware pediatrician who had molested children as young as three months old was prosecuted, the state legislature went into overdrive to toughen oversight of the state’s medical practitioners. Dr. Mike provided valuable input as the only physician in the General Assembly and served as the liaison to Delaware’s Attorney General Beau Biden, the medical community, and the General Assembly. After passing a package of bills, Delaware was ranked first in the nation for comprehensive legal protections for patients, especially children.

(Senator Mike Katz with Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden)

Dr. Mike Katz’s dedication to Delaware extends beyond healthcare. His commitment to protecting and preserving Delaware’s treasured farm land and open spaces led him to establish The Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway Advisory Board. The Advisory Board is a robust public-private advisory board reporting to the General Assembly charged with the protection, preservation and management of Delaware’s only National Scenic Byway. Mike’s legislation became a blueprint for future open space and land preservation initiatives.

(Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway Advisory Board Bill Signing at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science: seated Halsey Spruance (Executive Director Delaware Museum of Nature & Science), Governor Jack Markell, Senator Mike Katz)

Mike negotiated a cross-state agreement between Delaware and Pennsylvania that solved a long-standing infrastructure problem (Beaver Dam Road), confronted entrenched politicians about conflicts of interest (elected officials bloated pensions, politicians holding state jobs, and lobbying), created improved tax structures to attract new businesses to Delaware, challenged the entrenched and corrupt party leadership, and irritated those in power so much that he was gerrymandered out of his seat during redistricting. Mike’s fearless advocacy and “stomach of steel” demonstrated his dedication to Delaware’s well-being.

Dr. Mike’s Journey to Delaware

Born in Hartford, CT, on January 16, 1962, Mike grew up in Madison, CT, where his Dad was a town police officer and owned a cleaning company, and his Mom was the editor of the town newspaper. Mike graduated from Daniel Hand High School where he was a three time varsity football letterman, student council president, drummer, and where he received numerous leadership, academic, scholar athlete, and community service awards. Mike became the first man in his family to attend college, earning a degree in economics from Bates College. His academic journey continued at Georgetown University, where he earned his Medical Degree and MBA in international business. He completed his anesthesia residency at Maine Medical Center and his pediatric anesthesia and critical care medicine fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School before joining the faculty/staff at duPont Hospital for Children (Nemours)/Jefferson Medical College in 1996.

(Abigail, Trish, Sander, Mike, Emily, Fall 2007 family photo)

In 1987, Mike married Trish, and their family has since grown to include three children – Abigail, Emily, and Sander – all born and raised in Delaware. Mike’s contributions have earned him state and national leadership and service awards from state medical societies and the American Medical Association. In his Service as a Delaware State Senator, he chaired the Administrative Services/Elections Committee, and served on the Education, Energy & Transit, Small Business, Banking, and Sunset Committees.

Dr. Mike Katz’s life is a testament to his unwavering commitment to healing and serving others, both in the operating room and in the corridors of public service.

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