Chairman`s Message - Weill Cornell Medical College
Transcription
Chairman`s Message - Weill Cornell Medical College
NEWS Vol. 1, No. 3, 2012 Chairman’s Message The Department of Surgery at NewYork Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell Medical Center continues to be on a strong growth trend. The complement of full-time faculty has grown by nearly 60% since 2004. The Department is now 400 faculty members strong, including full-time/part-time, voluntary, adjunct, secondary and affiliated. Many of our full-time faculty are master surgeons and leaders in their respective fields. Our surgeons who publish widely receive many honors and awards in recognition of their contributions to advancing the field of surgery. Over the last six months, our surgeons had 94 papers published or in press and have earned 87 honors and awards. I am proud to report that 47% of our full time faculty were recognized as among the nation’s top doctors in 2012. This represents a 220% increase over the number of surgeons selected in 2006. This year, 15 surgeons were named as “America’s Top Doctors”; 21 were recognized as among the “Top Doctors NY Metro Area”; and 8 were cited as “America’s Top Doctors for Cancer,” by Castle Connolly. US News & World Report selected 18 of our surgeons as “America’s Top Doctors,” and 16 were chosen as “New York Super Doctors.” The 43rd Annual Benjamin S. Park Jr., MD 2012 Visiting Professor Lectureship and Banquet - pg. 2-3 The 43rd Annual Benjamin S. Park, Jr., MD 2012 Visiting Professor was Leigh Neymayer, MD, Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah. At the traditional black tie banquet dinner, held on March 19th, we honored alumni from the classes of 1982 and 1992. Over the past few years, the dinner has been quite successful in creating and strengthening the sense of continuity between old and new generations, all of whom share an appreciation of the high quality surgical training they received in the NYP/ Weill Cornell surgical residency training program. The 1st Annual Keith A. Kelly MD Lectureship and Visiting Professorship at the Mayo Clinic - pg. 4 Division Profile: Vascular and Endovascular Surgery - pg. 5-6 To learn more about our outstanding faculty, new programs, services and our educational and research programs, please view our new video about the Department of Surgery, “A Time of Transformation” at http://www.youtube.com/user/CornellSurgery. Sincerely yours, New Faculty Appointments - pg . 7-8 Surgery In the News - pg. 9-10 Fabrizio Michelassi, MD Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor of Surgery Chairman, Department of Surgery Surgeon-in-Chief NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center Save the Dates - pg. 10 Bringing Burn Care Center to Weill Bugando - pg. 11 Surgery Service Milestones - pg. 11 Surgical Notes - pg. 12-13 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Visiting Professor Lectureship: The 43rd Annual “NSQIP: The Holy Grail or Another Administrative Exercise?” Monday, March 19, 2012 8:00-9:00 am Uris Auditorium BENJAMIN S. PARK, JR., MD Memorial Lecture and Banquet The Department of Surgery’s 43rd Annual Benja- Dr. Neumayer served as visiting professor and has spoken na- min S. Park Jr., MD 2012 Visiting Professor Lec- tionally and internationally on numerous occasions, and received tureship was held on Monday, March 19, 2012. many awards and honors. She has written over 112 peer-reviewed The lecture “NSQIP: The Holy Grail or Another articles, 2 books, 14 book chapters and 106 abstracts/presenta- Administrative Exercise?” was presented by the tions. She serves on the editorial board of 2 surgical journals, is renowned surgeon and researcher, Leigh A. Neu- a reviewer of 5 journals and serves as editorial advisor of the ACS mayer, MD, MS, Professor of Surgery and Pro- Bulletin. A member of many prestigious national and international gram Director in the Department of Surgery at surgical societies, she has held office in several societies includ- the University of Utah. Dr. Neumayer is also the ing President of the Association of VA Surgeons, the Association Huntsman Presidential Professor of Cancer Re- of Women Surgeons and the Association for Surgical Education. search and Co-Director of the Integrated Breast She has been Governor of the ACS and a Director of the ABS; cur- Program at Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt rently she is a Regent of the ACS. Lake City, Utah. Dr. Neumayer was also the guest speaker at the black tie Ben Park Leigh A. Neumayer, M.D., M.S. Professor of Surgery and Program Director Department of Surgery University of Utah Huntsman Presidential Professor of Cancer Research and Co-Director, Integrated Breast Program Huntsman Cancer Institute Salt Lake City, Utah Dr. Neumayer’s clinical research interests are in Banquet Dinner held the evening of March 19th at the Regency clinical trials and outcomes research. She is cur- Hotel in New York City. This year, the Department of Surgery rently co-investigator on an NIH-funded project honored alumni from the classes of 1982 and 1992. Nearly 100 to develop an NSQIP-based program to predict faculty, residents and alumni joined together to commemorate risk for individual patients in contrast to NSQIP’s Benjamin S. Park Jr., who was a resident of the surgical education traditional retrospective risk adjustment program. program in 1968, and was killed in Korea serving his country in Dr. Neumayer has a long term interest in surgical 1969. Dr Park’s wife and daughter attended the dinner. It was also education and faculty development. She received an opportunity to celebrate the success of the surgical education funding to evaluate teaching in the ambulatory setting and has conducted and published sev- program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, eral studies analyzing perceptions about mentoring. and the achievements of the Department of Surgery. Alumni from the graduating classes of 1982 and 1992 were recognized and She received her undergraduate degree with high honors from Colorado State University in honored by NYP/Weill Cornell faculty member and alumnus Dr. 1981 and her MD degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 1985, where she received the Eugene Nowak, who served as emcee and Alumni Ambassador Outstanding Medical Student award. Dr. Neumayer completed her internship at the University at the dinner. of California, San Francisco and her general surgery residency training at the University of Arizona, Tucson. In 1993, Dr. Neumayer received her MS in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and joined the faculty at Salt Lake City VA Medical Center. Within two years, she was appointed Chief of Surgery, a position which she held for five years. In 2004, Dr. Neumayer became the first woman fulltime faculty member in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah and also the first The Benjamin S. Park, Jr., MD Visiting Professor Lectureship is supported by the Department of Surgery. The Department of Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center established this Visiting Professor Lectureship in 1969 as a reminder of the importance of surgical education. woman to hold the rank of tenured Associate Professor and tenured Full Professor. Page 2 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY BENJAMIN S. PARK, JR., MD Black Tie Banquet Page 3 Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi (center) is joined by (from left) alumni Michael Silane, William Mackey (honored class of 1982) , Veronica Webb (honored class of 1982), Howard Beaton, Alexandra Simkovich-Heerdt (honored class of 1992), Anthony Antonacci, John Whitsell, II, and David Danforth. Dr. Leigh Neumayer and Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi (from left) Drs. Veronica Webb, Eugene Nowak and Howard Beaton (from left) Dr. Eugene Nowak with class of 1982 alumni Drs. Thomas J. Fahey III and Alexandra Simkovich-Heerdt (from left) Drs. Mia Talmor, Nitsana Spigland, Eleni Tousimis, Alexandra Simkovich-Heerdt, Faith Menken and Leigh Neumayer Drs. Christina Angeles, Tracy-Ann Moo and Philip S. Barie NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY 1st Annual Keith A. Kelly, MD Lectureship and Visiting Professorship at the Mayo Clinic Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor and Chairman of Surgery at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center was the invited guest lecturer at the 1st Annual Keith A. Kelly, MD Lectureship and Visiting Professorship at the Mayo Clinic’s Department of Surgery. Dr. Michelassi presented surgical grand rounds on “Management of Complex Small Bowel Crohn’s Disease” on February 10, 2012, at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and was the guest of honor at a black tie dinner hosted by the Department of Surgery. Drs. Kelly and Michelassi at the Mayo Clinic Dinner The Keith A. Kelly, MD Lectureship and Visiting Professorship was a lectureship created in honor of Dr. Kelly, an internationally renowned clinician, clinical investigator, teacher and mentor and a Mayo Clinic emeritus physician. A recognized expert in gastrointestinal surgery and gastrointestinal motility, Dr. Kelly served as the Chair of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester from 1986-1993 and Chair of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona from 1993-1996. Prominent surgeons from around the world are asked to speak at the lectureship which includes a grand rounds presentation, meetings with department physicians, a lunch with surgery residents and fellows and a department black tie dinner. Page 4 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Dr. Darren Schneider The Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery team offered free state-of-the-art peripheral artery disease screening to the community at the Third Avenue Fair, including ankle bracial index (ABI) with pulse volume recordings (PVR) and carotid duplex ultrasound. The Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery is thriving under the leadership of Dr. Darren Schneider, adding new faculty and launching new programs. Known for providing excellent comprehensive medical and surgical treatments for patients with vascular disorders at the NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, the Division is also recognized for its innovative clinical research and an outstanding fellowship training program. With the recent additions of Dr. Susie Rhee and Dr. Andrew Meltzer this year, the Division’s faculty team will soon include seven highly-skilled vascular surgeons who offer expert treatment for the full spectrum of arterial and venous diseases. Using a comprehensive, patient-focused approach towards the treatment of vascular problems, the Division’s vascular specialists rely on both established surgical techniques and new minimally invasive (or “endovascular”) techniques to tailor treatments to each patient’s specific clinical situation. The Division’s faculty are leaders in the development and performance of endovascular procedures, which use specialized catheters and stents to treat blocked blood vessels and aneurysms. Endovascular approaches eliminate the need for surgical incisions, often enabling treatment of major vascular problems like carotid artery blockages, aortic aneurysms and leg artery blockages under local anesthetic with minimal recovery time. Cutting-edge techniques performed by the Division’s vascular specialists include endovascular repair of complex aortic aneurysms and dissections using fenestrated and branched stent graft technology, carotid artery stent placement for prevention of stroke, and endovascular treatment of leg artery blockages to prevent amputations. Page 5 NewYork-Presbyterian /Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Some of the new and exciting programs that are currently being launched by the Division are a comprehensive Vein Center and a multidisciplinary Limb Preservation Program: • The Weill Cornell Vein Center will focus on comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of all forms of venous disorders, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), venous ulcers, and varicose and spider veins. This unique Center will bring together experienced vascular surgeons and state of the art treatment rooms and equipment in a relaxing office setting. Over 80 million people have varicose veins, and using innovative new technology, most patients can be successfully treated with minimally-invasive outpatient procedures. Some of these new minimally-invasive treatment options include endovenous laser and radio frequency ablation, sclerotherapy and microphlebectomy that are both highly effective and produce outstanding cosmetic results. • The Weill Cornell Limb Preservation Program will build on the Division’s expertise in the treatment of patients with severe peripheral artery disease (PAD) by establishing an integrated and collaborative team of specialists to prevent amputations in patients with PAD and diabetes. Every year in the United States, 120,000 patients lose limbs due to PAD, diabetes, or both; and diabetes affects 26 million people in the US. The Limb Preservation Program will combine the expertise of vascular surgeons, podiatrists, plastic surgeons, and various other specialists to reduce the need for amputations through advanced clinical treatment, research and education. The Division’s accredited Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory, which provides high quality, non-invasive diagnostic, preventive and screening exams for all vascular disorders, will also play a key role in the Limb Preservation Program. Research and education are also core missions of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. Some of the Division’s clinical research trials include use of innovative fenestrated and branched stent grafts for endovascular treatment of complex aortic aneurysms, new stents for minimally invasive treatment of carotid artery and leg artery blockages, and stem cell treatments for severe PAD. Within the past year, the Division’s faculty and fellows have presented their research at national and regional scientific meetings and have published their findings in leading vascular journals. These efforts will continue to expand with the development of a dedicated patient-centered vascular outcomes research program, in collaboration with researchers from the Weill Cornell Department of Public Health and the School of Operations Research and Information Engineering. Recently, Drs. Schneider and Meltzer and their colleagues were awarded a 2012 Cornell Intercampus Pilot Grant. The project, entitled “Modeling Reliability and Failure After Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair,” will utilize reliability engineering and operations research principles to evaluate outcomes of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. The objective of this project is to optimize clinical decision-making with respect to patient suitability for endovascular therapy, and develop an evidence-based, post-operative surveillance program that detects impending device failure in a cost and time-sensitive manner. The investigators anticipate that this collaborative effort will result in an improved understanding of the nature of endovascular device failure, and ultimately improve the patient care. Finally, to develop future leaders in vascular surgery and to improve the treatment of patients with vascular disease, the Division partners with the NYP/Columbia University Medical Center’s Division of Vascular Surgery to offer an ACGME-accredited 2-year vascular and endovascular surgery fellowship training program. This NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital fellowship is considered one of the most sought after and unique vascular training programs in the country and each year admits two candidates who have completed general surgery residency training to pursue advanced training in vascular and endovascular surgery. For more information about our Division’s programs and services, please call 212-746-5192 or email: [email protected] Page 6 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Faculty Appointments and Promotions Bhaskar C. Das, PhD Office Telephone: 212-746-3290 Office Fax: 212-746-0201 Email: [email protected] Bhaskar C. Das, PhD, was appointed Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology in Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Das was previously an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Developmental & Molecular Biology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine since 2006. Dr. Das has over 40 papers published in peer-reviewed journals, has filed 10 patents, and has received many honors and awards, including several Young Investigator Awards. He is a member of several professional societies, including The Association for Advancement of Science, The American Chemical Society, and the New York Academy of Science. Dr. Das has several NIH research grants, with a research focus on designing and synthesizing small molecules and foldamer probes that interact with key signaling pathways to modulate cell differentiation. Dr. Das is working collaboratively with other surgery researchers to develop new therapeutic and diagnostic agents through the use of multidisciplinary tools. Dr. Das received his BS degree in Chemistry from Utkal University, Orissa, India in 1987 and his MS degree in Organic Synthesis from Berhampur University, Orissa, India in 1990. He was a lecturer at Chemistry Science College, Khallikote, Orissa, India from 1990-1992. He received his MPhil degree in Organic Synthesis from Delhi University, Delhi, India in 1993 and his PhD degree in Organic Synthesis from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, in 1999. Dr. Das completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in November 2001. He worked as a research associate at Tufts University, Massachusetts from November 2001 through May 2002, and went to the University of Pittsburgh in June 2002 through May 2004 as a research associate. He was awarded an NIH fellowship in June 2004 through June 2006 at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and was a Visiting Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology from January 2005-May 2006. Page 7 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Faculty Appointments and Promotions Jim Kim, MD Office Telephone: (212)746-5330 Office Fax: (212) 746-8720 Email: [email protected] Website: : http://www.weillcornell.org/physician/jimkim/index.html Jim Kim, MD, was appointed Assistant Professor of Surgery (Transplantation Surgery) at Weill Cornell Medical College and an Assistant Attending Surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Kim specializes in kidney, pancreas, and liver transplantation, laparoscopic donor nephrectomies, and minimally-invasive kidney transplantation. His clinical interests also include islet cell transplantation and dialysis access surgery. He is actively involved in clinical research, and has received several research honors, including the Resident Research Award from the Association of Academic Surgeons and the Julia Burke Research Award. His research interests include allorecognition and mechanisms of rejection, and donor factors as it relates to transplant outcomes. He has been an invited lecturer, published in peerreviewed journals, contributed to book chapters, and has given presentations at medical conferences. Dr. Kim is an active member of several prestigious medical societies, including the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and is an associate fellow in the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Kim received his BA degree from the University of California at Berkley in 1996 and his MD degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in 2002. He completed his internship and general surgery residency at the University of California, San Francisco, East Bay Program, while taking two years away from the residency to work in the UCSF Transplantation Laboratory. Dr. Kim completed a multi-organ abdominal transplantation fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in June 2011. He was appointed as a Clinical Instructor in Surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison as well as working in the UW Organ Procurement Organization prior to joining NYP/ Weill Cornell Medical Center. Page 8 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Surgery in the News Top Doctors Recognition 16 of our full time faculty were named “New York Super Doctors”, 2012 15 of our full time faculty were named “America’s Top Doctors 2012” by Castle Connolly Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA, Palmer Q. Bessey, MD, Daniel Cherqui, MD, Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD, Sandip Kapur, MD, Michael D. Lieberman, MD, Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, Jeffrey Milsom, MD, Alfons Pomp, MD, Francesco Rubino, MD, Darren B. Schneider, MD, Rache M. Simmons, MD, Nitsana Spigland, MD, Alexander J. Swistel, MD, Roger W. Yurt, MD 18 of our full time faculty were named “America’s Top Doctors, 2012” by US News & World Report Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA, Palmer Q. Bessey, MD, Daniel Cherqui, MD, Thomas J. Fahey III, MD, , Sandip Kapur, MD, Michael D. Lieberman, MD, Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, Jeffrey Milsom, MD, Alfons Pomp, MD, Francesco Rubino, MD, Darren B. Schneider, MD, Rache M. Simmons, MD, Toyooki Sonoda, MD, Jason Spector, MD, Nitsana Spigland, MD, Alexander J. Swistel, MD, Mia Talmor, MD, Roger W. Yurt, MD 21 of our full time faculty were named “Top Doctors NY Metro Area, 2012” by Castle Connolly Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA, Palmer Q. Bessey, MD, Daniel Cherqui, MD, Thomas J. Fahey III, MD, Sandip Kapur, MD, Sang Lee, MD, Michael D. Lieberman, MD, Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, Jeffrey Milsom, MD, Alfons Pomp, MD, Francesco Rubino, MD, Darren B. Schneider, MD, Rache M. Simmons, MD, Toyooki Sonoda, MD, Nitsana Spigland, MD, Jason Spector, MD, Alexander J. Swistel, MD, Mia Talmor, MD, Eleni Tousimis, MD, Roger W. Yurt, MD, Rasa Zarnegar, MD Daniel Cherqui, Thomas J. Fahey III, MD, , Sandip Kapur, MD, Sang Lee, MD, Michael Lieberman, MD, David Leeser, MD, Fabrizio Michelassi, Jeffrey Milsom, MD , Alfons Pomp, MD, Francesco Rubino, MD, Darren Schneider, MD, Toyooki Sonoda, MD, Jason Spector, MD, Nitsana Spigland, MD, Eleni Tousimis, MD, Roger Yurt, MD. 8 of our full time faculty were named “America’s Top Doctors for Cancer, 2012”, by Castle Connolly Daniel Cherqui, MD, Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD, Michael Lieberman, MD, Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, Jeffrey Milsom, MD, Rache Simmons, MD, Nitsana Spigland, MD, Alexander J. Swistel, MD. In the aggregate, 47% of the full-time clinical faculty of the Department of Surgery were recognized as top doctors. NYP/Weill Cornell Dept of Surgery Faculty named Best Doctors 25 20 15 10 5 2006 Page 9 2012 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Surgery in the News cont... SAVE THE DATES Monday, October 8, 2012, 8:00am NEJM Diabetes Surgery Study 2012 Hassan Naama, MD, Memorial Lecture Dr. Francesco Rubino, Chief of GI Metabolic Surgery was the senior author, and Dr. Alfons Pomp, Chief of Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery was a co-author of a recent study in the March 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, “ Bariatric Surgery vs Conventional Medical Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes. A Randomized Clinical Trial”. In the first published study of its kind, it showed that bariatric surgery dramatically outperforms standard treatment for Type 2 diabetes and that the effects of the surgery are independent of weight loss. The study’s authors report that most bariatric surgery patients were able to discontinue all diabetes medications and maintain disease remission for the two-year study period, while none of those randomly assigned to receive standard medical treatment did. The study received widespread international media attention, generating over 800 million impressions, including being featured on CBS-TV’s 60 Minutes. Guest Lecturer: NYP/Weill Cornell Burn Center Discharges Firefighter after Extraordinary Recovery A Brooklyn firefighter, Robert Wiedmann, who was critically injured and suffered burns on more than 50 percent of his body, walked out of the NYP/Weill Cornell Burn Center on March 26th with his wife and young children to the cheers of hundreds of NYC firefighters and to the sound of FDNY bagpipes. For over three months, Mr. Wiedman showed great fortitude as he underwent more than 13 operations. More than 40 media outlets covered the press conference, which was attended by the NYC Fire Commissioner Salvaldor Cassano, Dr. Roger Yurt, Chief of Burns, Critical Care and Trauma, Dr. Laura Forese, Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Medical Officer of NewYork-Presbyterian, Dr. Palmer Bessey, a renowned burn surgeon who performed most of the operations on Mr. Weidmann and the entire Burn Center health care team, all of whom played an instrumental role in Mr. Wiedmann’s long and miraculous recovery. Andrew M. Lowy, MD, FACS Professor of Surgery and Chief Division of Surgical Oncology UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. Uris Auditorium For More Information contact: Patti Jakubauskas Email: [email protected] Thursday, October 11, 2012, 11:00 am 11th Annual Department of Surgery Golf Tournament to Benefit Surgical Education and Research Pelham Country Club For More Information contact: Karen Zipern Email: [email protected] Friday, November 16th, 2012 8:30am – 12:00pm American College of Surgeons Surgical Quality Forum, “Improving Surgical Quality: A Data Driven Approach” Uris Auditorium For More Information contact: Karen Zipern Email: [email protected] Page 10 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Bringing Burn Care Center to Weill Bugando Dr. James Gallagher, Assistant Professor of Surgery and a burn surgeon at the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center in the Department of Surgery at NYP/Weill Cornell and Dr. Katrina Mitchell, a research fellow and surgical resident at NYP/Weill Cornell, recently travelled to Mwanza, Tanzania to bring urgently needed burn care training to Weill Bugando surgeons. During their 2 week visit, the Weill Cornell surgeons performed 7 operations on burn victims and trained Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences faculty on skingrafting procedures through didactic lectures and surgical training in the OR. More than $100,000 worth of equipment was also donated to the hospital to ensure improved burn care for burn patients. Dr. Gallagher has a strong interest in global health and previous experience in providing surgical care in Africa, having volunteered in Cameron, Africa in the past. Dr. Mitchell served as a surgical teaching fellow in the Weill Bugando Department of Surgery, and has established a strong relationship with the faculty and the institution over her previous 2 years spent there doing research to develop a surgical curriculum for local medical students at Weill Bugando. (from left) Drs. James Gallagher, Geofrey Giiti and Katrina Mitchell perform a skin-grafting procedure on a pediatric burn patient at Weill Bugando Under their leadership, Weill Cornell Medical College and the Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences have agreed to work in partnership on the development of a multidisciplinary burn care center at Weill Bugando. The 15 million patient population that Weill Bugando serves and the high incidence of burn injuries support the need for a dedicated burn care center in East Africa. Weill Cornell Medical College would provide continued support and guidance, with emphasis on bi-directional academic exchange. At the ABA conference in Seattle, Washington in April, Drs. Gallagher and Mitchell’s poster, “Survey of Burn Care and Proposal for Burn Center in East Africa: An International Academic Burn Center Exchange,” won a Best in Category award. Surgery Service Milestones After 22 years of dedicated patient service at the front desk of the surgery outpatient clinic, Estrella Guimet retired on March 31, 2012. She received a certificate of appreciation and gifts from Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, Chair of Surgery and from the Department of Surgery, in recognition of her many years of contributing to providing outstanding, compassionate patient care. From left to right: Flor M. Montero-Suero, Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, retiree Estrella Guimet, Patricia Jakubauskas, Anita Rodriguez Page 11 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Surgical Notes New York Surgical Society’s President’s Night The New York Surgical Society’s President’s Night was held at Griffis Faculty Club at Weill Cornell Medical College on March 28th. The event was hosted by Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, Chairman of Surgery, who serves as President of the NYSS. The guest lecturer was Mark A. Malangoni, MD, Associate Executive Director of the American Board of Surgery, who presented “Maintenance of Certification: What and Why?”. Xavier Keutgen, MD, a PGY 4 surgical resident at NYP/Weill Cornell, won the NYSS’s 2011-2012 Henry Sands Award for the Best Paper by a Surgical Resident, for his paper, “A Panel of four MicroRNAs accurately differentiates Malignant from Benign Indeterminate Thyroid Lesions on Fine Needle Aspiration.” 1. Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi and Dr. Mark Malangoni 2. Dr. Pierre Saldinger , Chair of Surgery, New York Hospital Queens and Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi 3. Dr. David Leeser and Dr. Xavier Keutgen, Henry Sands Award winner 4. Drs. Soumitra Eachemapti, Michael Silane, Gary Giangola, Chief of Vascular Surgery, North Shore/LIJ and Darren Schneider, Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 5. Drs. Michael Kluger, Daniel Cherqui, Chief of Hepatobiliary Page 12 Surgery and Liver Transplantation, and Roger Yurt, Chief of Burns, Critical Care and Trauma NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Surgical Notescont American Medical Women’s Association Meeting Dr. Eleni Tousimis, Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery and breast surgeon at the Weill Cornell Breast Center, played a leadership role in the American Medical Women’s Association’s 97th Annual Meeting called “Achieving Success as Women in Medicine” in Miami, Florida on April 13-15th. Dr. Tousimis is on the AMWA board and the program committee, and served as program director of this year’s meeting. The conference focused on both career and personal development, as well as women’s health issues. In addition to nationally renowned speakers, the keynote address was given by Gloria Steinem. Over 300 medical students, residents and physicians attended. In addition to the conference, students participated in a suturing workshop, poster presentations and mentoring breakfasts. Next year’s AMWA conference will be held in New York City. Jason Spector, MD, FACS, performs successful toe to thumb transplant Dr. Jason Spector, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, performed a unique and complex toe to thumb transplant on a 40 year old Con Edison worker who lost his thumb due to an electrocution accident at work. Only a few dozen of these rare procedures are done nationally each year. The patient benefited from a multidisciplinary approach--his initial post injury care was provided by surgeons in the NYP/Weill Cornell Burn Center. Dr. Spector performed the reconstructive surgery in collaboration with Steve Lee, MD, an orthopedic hand surgeon from Hospital for Special Surgery. The patient is currently doing well, has begun his post-operative hand therapy and his new thumb is expected to have both excellent functionality and a good cosmetic outcome. Nutrition Lecture at Cornell University Gladys Strain, PhD, Associate Research Professor of Surgery in the Laparoscopic and Bariatric section was an invited lecturer at Cornell University’s Nutrition Department on April 16. The title of her lecture was “Effects of Bariatric Surgery on the Mind and Body.” Her talk was part of a lecture series hosted by Cornell’s Nutrition Department to inform students about the diversity of fields in which nutritionists can work. Page 13 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center NEWS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Department of Surgery WAYS TO GIVE The Department of Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell is committed to our three-fold mission of education, research, and patient-centered care. Philanthropy plays a vital role in realizing our vision of excellence in these three areas. Whether it be for the ground-breaking research that will treat and cure the scourge of disease, teaching the next generation of top doctors, or providing the most advanced care in a truly compassionate, patient-centered way, philanthropy is critical to our success. Secure Ways to Give Form http://www.cornellsurgery.org/patients/give/index.html We ask that you partner with us in our mission, and consider a tax-deductible gift to the Department of Surgery. You may also make a check payable to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Department of Surgery and mail to: Mr. Tom Maness Office of Development, Box 123 NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065 For more information about the Department of Surgery, please visit our website at www.cornellsurgery.org NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center