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.
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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.
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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.
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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]
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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.
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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.
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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
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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]
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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
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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.
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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