After Princeton, Barbara graduated from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and did her residency in obstetric anesthesia at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

She was on the medical faculty of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and Washington University in St. Louis. She also served as chief of anesthesia at Garrett Regional Medical Center. She contributed to obstetric anesthesia research, publishing  55 articles and 12 textbook chapters, and receiving a patent. She served as a visiting professor across America and around the world, notably in China and Africa.

Her friends remember that during her time in St. Louis, she was active in several local choral groups and was a friend to many. She could always be counted on to share herbs or fruit from her garden, something from her kitchen, or a good story. During the winter, after a snowfall, you could find her cross-country skiing in Forest Park. They will miss her kindness and inimitable sense of humor.

She is survived by her husband, Mark A. Salsgiver; her daughter, Rachel Dowling; her husband’s children and their families; and her parents.