Anesthesiologist Accused of Underdosing Infants and Administering Saline Instead of Medication

A Washington state anesthesiologist resident has been sentenced after admitting to underdosing pediatric patients, including a newborn, while secretly siphoning their pain medication for personal use, according to court records.

Andrew Voegel-Podadera, 36, acknowledged that he misappropriated controlled substances for self-use on approximately half of the 11 days he was on duty at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He also confessed to similar misconduct at Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington Medical Center, dating back to January 2024, as detailed in his plea agreement.

In October 2025, Voegel-Podadera pleaded guilty to the federal charge of obtaining controlled substances through fraud. This week, he received a sentence of one year of supervised release and was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. He admitted to diverting pain medications for personal use while treating patients, including an 11-day-old baby.

Voegel-Podadera confessed to diverting drugs such as fentanyl, remifentanil, sufentanil, hydromorphone, dexmedetomidine, ketorolac, ondansetron, and occasionally benzodiazepines, as outlined in a federal complaint. His illicit activities were discovered after only 11 days at Seattle Children’s Hospital when colleagues became suspicious and reported his behavior.

According to a sentencing memo from the Department of Justice, Voegel-Podadera attempted to hide his theft by falsely claiming that vials of controlled substances returned to the pharmacy were unused waste, although he had refilled them with saline.

The memo further details an incident on December 27, 2024, where Voegel-Podadera treated three minors at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He began pilfering pain medications with the first patient of the day and continued to consume fentanyl and hydromorphone during his shift, even while still attending to patients.

Voegel-Podadera told investigators that “generally he would draw up a medication, administer a partial amount to the patient, and take the rest for personal use,” according to the complaint. “[Voegel-Podadera] stated he would sometimes take diverted medications during his shift, intravenously,” the complaint says. “Voegel-Podadera confirmed that he did this with adult patients and with child patients.”

The Seattle anesthesiologist resident would have saline “drawn up, labeled as fentanyl, and administered” to his patients while sneaking away the pain med to use on himself, he admitted.

“Seattle Children’s Hospital arranged for all the substances returned by Andrew Voegel-Podadera as wastage on December 27, 2024, to be tested,” the complaint explains. “Laboratory analysis found that fentanyl and hydromorphone were absent, and instead the waste syringes appeared to be filled with nothing other than saline solution.”

Prosecutors wrote in court filings that Voegel-Podadera’s behavior “put numerous people —including very young children—at risk of harm,” noting how anesthesiologists are tasked with administering “precise” doses of potent medications.

“What really happened with these and his many other patients will never be known,” the sentencing memo concludes.

“This defendant was entrusted with caring for patients, including young and vulnerable patients,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd in a press release. “It is chilling to think that he took powerful narcotics while a tiny baby needed his full and unimpaired attention.”

Voegel-Podadera’s attorney admitted in court that the consequences for the now-former physician have been significant. He was terminated, had to surrender his DEA registration that allowed him to prescribe medications, and surrendered his medical license for at least five years, per federal officials.

“Voegel-Podadera said he wished he had sought help for his addiction earlier,” officials say. “He has been speaking to groups of medical residents about the danger of addiction.”