University of Arizona Department of Surgery

Is a bandage with fewer infections and faster healing on the horizon? KGUN9 interviewed department chair of surgery, Geoffrey Gurtner, MD, FACS, to learn more about the transformative research the team, , and Stanford Plastic Surgery have collaborated on.


https://youtu.be/M5u1ASbUbEE?si=4Wcye4CDJDJn1fAr

Community Outreach: Clarissa Romero, Senior PFS, Our Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Kenneth Liechty, MD, Angelina Price, NNP, and Marisol Canez, RN, served dinner at the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Arizona.

The Ronald McDonald House provides housing, transportation and support to hundreds of families when they have to travel to Tucson for their children's treatment. We're so grateful to have an impactful resource available for our patients, and their families, seeking treatment by the Division of Pediatric Surgery team at Banner Children's Diamond Children's Medical Center.

It’s the most wonderful time of year!

Family, faculty and staff spent the evening celebrating our Chief residents. The journey has been incredible, and we are excited to watch all the great things to come for these surgeons.

Congratulations to everyone!

Happy Graduation Day to our outstanding General Surgery Residents! 🎓 We're excited to celebrate their achievements and the culmination of their rigorous training journey this evening. Each graduate has demonstrated unwavering commitment, resilience, and expertise in their respective fields, embodying the highest standards of surgical excellence.

We know that wherever their journeys take them, they will leave an indelible mark on their next medical community as they have on ours. Congratulations, graduates!

An incredible honor for our Division Chief of Trauma Surgery, Bellal Joseph, MD, to be invited by the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention for a thoughtful discourse on addressing gun violence nationally. We're proud our trauma division was invited to join the table at this leadership meeting, which is a true testament to our commitment of making a difference on a national level from Southern Arizona.

National Reach: Upon Trauma Surgery AZ receiving a Proclamation from Tucson's Mayor, Regina Romero, for the Banner Tucson’s Gun Violence Intervention Program on National Gun Violence Day, our Chief of Trauma Surgery, Bellal Joseph, MD, FACS, heads to The White House today to meet with the The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention convening with leaders from the National Health Care CEO Council on Gun Violence.

Tune into 's Making the Rounds podcast featuring surgical oncologist and clinical assistant professor, Dr. Carrie Luu. Tune in to learn about innovative treatment in abdominal cancers-hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, known as HIPEC surgery.

🎙️Listen: https://apple.co/44QX26U
💻 Watch: https://bit.ly/3KcSrCM

Join us tomorrow for the annual Department of Surgery Research Symposium featuring keynote speaker, Hasan Alam, MD, Chair of Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The Symposium consists of invited faculty speakers, oral sessions, quick shot presentations, and networking. It enables the sharing of research and accomplishments as well as the review of research being conducted by peers.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4bBZssC

Banner – University Medical Center Tucson's Vascular team earns the 25-year Intersocietal Accreditation Commission Vascular Testing Silver Milestone for demonstrating its long-term commitment to continuously improving patient outcomes and safety since 1997.

Vascular testing procedures enables early detection of critical heart disorders, stroke and other diseases, conducted across various health care settings. The accreditation evaluates factors such as technologist expertise, equipment quality and facility performance metrics, ensuring accurate diagnoses.

Recognized as the gold standard, the IAC seal signifies excellence in vascular testing, offering assurance to patients, referring physicians and insurers of top-tier patient care standards.

Huge congratulations to our members in our Division of Vascular Surgery for continuing this achievement.

We’re pleased to announce our new Cardiothoracic Fellow, Dr. Asija. Welcome to the Wildcat family!

Join us tomorrow for Surgery Grand Rounds with guest speaker, Dr. Liana Tsikitis, presenting on, "Total Neoadjuvant Treatment and 'Watchful Waiting' for Re**al Cancer: Where are we today?"

➡️ In-person at AHSC, Room 5403
💻 Join virtually: https://bit.ly/4bh4Rot

Clinically, Dr. Tsikitis specializes in the surgical management of malignant and benign colon and re**al diseases. Her primary focus is on the surgical management of patients with complex inflammatory bowel disease and advanced colon and re**al cancer. She most enjoys teaching medical students, residents, and fellows and is an active collaborator and leader on multi-institutional research projects.

Our department is pleased to welcome Dr. Scott Silvestry as our division chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Silvestry was the Co-Executive Medical Director of the Heart Lung and Vascular Institute and Surgical Director of Thoracic Transplant Program at Advent Health Orlando.

His clinical interests span surgical treatments for congestive heart failure, heart transplant, ventricular assist devices, valvular heart disease, valve replacement, valve repair, and coronary artery disease.

Welcome, Dr. Silvestry! Learn more about Dr. Silvestry here: https://surgery.arizona.edu/news/department-surgery-welcomes-new-division-chief-cardiothoracic-surgery-dr-scott-silvestry

Right off the heels of earning the STS 3-Star rating and placing the division in the top 22% globally, we're proud to share that the cardiac surgery team has been ranked No.1 over 254 programs by Vizient, a leading healthcare performance improvement company. Additionally, the team boasted a mortality index of zero in Q4 of 2023.

Congratulations to Department of Surgery members Toshinobu Kazui, MD, Scott Chicotka, MD, Dina Al Rameni, MD, Karl Damroth, MD, Michelle Worden, AGACNP, Trisha Smith, FNP, Eric Crawford, PA-C, Roy Keller, CSFA, Sarah Christiansen, PA-C, Audrie Ryan, RN, and Richard Burt, PA-C for this achievement.

Join us this year with our clinical partner, Banner University Medicine Tucson, for the Southern AZ American Heart Association Heart Walk! If you join, we will save lives together. Funds raised from the Heart Walk have led to scientific breakthroughs like pacemakers, cardiac stents, and artificial heart valves that keep people alive longer.

There is still time to be a part of all the FUN. Feel free to donate, sign up to walk and share with colleagues, friends, and families! Let's do this! ❤️

American Heart Association Heart Walk The Heart Walk is the American Heart Association's premiere event for raising funds to save lives from USA's #1 and #5 killers - heart disease and stroke.

This morning, Department of Surgery researchers had the privilege to be a part of the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson Research Day. This is an event for basic scientists, clinicians and trainees to share their science and explore the possibilities of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Department Chair, Geoffrey Gurtner, MD, hosted Surgery's Clinical Data Blitz session and several researchers across the department's labs shared their latest, innovative research findings.

We're incredibly proud to share our providers who were named 2024 Castle Connolly Top Doctors! These physicians are carefully selected through peer nominations followed by a rigorous screening process, and the directory is the largest network of peer-nominated physicians in the U.S.

Our 2024 Top Docs represent the excellence in care our physicians provide across our specialities. Congratulations on this recognition!

We are pleased to have Dr. Julie Freischlag as our guest speaker this week for Surgery Grand Rounds, presenting on "Clinical and Personal Comparative Effectiveness."

➡️ Join us Wednesday, April 10, in person at AHSC, Room 5403
or
💻 Join virtually:
📚CME Credit Provided by University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson

Dr. Freischlag is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from her expertise in vascular diseases, teamwork and patient safety, leadership and work-life balance to women succeeding in health professions. She has dedicated her career to serving as a role model for her students, a respected colleague across health professions, a strong community leader and a national voice for improving health and health care.

It’s official ☑️ We’re an AATS Thoracic Surgery Oncology Group (TSOG) site! We’re proud to have Section Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Stephanie Worrell, MD, FACS, as our site PI. [REPOST from TSOG]

TSOG’s goal supports North American thoracic surgery clinical trials, focusing on enhancing patient care and the understanding of thoracic oncologist diseases through recent advancements in precision medicine, immunotherapy, and intraoperative imaging.

Registration is open for this year's Southwest Regional Trauma Conference! Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your skills, connect with experts, and stay at the forefront of trauma care. Join us for a fun, transformative learning experience! Register now: https://swtrauma.com/

Hotel booking discount deadline: May 5
Group Registration discount deadline: May 25

We are thrilled to share that our Vascular Surgery Integrated Residency Program matched with current College of Medicine - Tucson student Daniel Nguyen! We can't wait for Dr. Nguyen to join to our vascular family!

A big warm Tucson welcome to our 2024-2025 General Surgery interns! We couldn't be more excited for you to join our Wildcat family! 🌵

Only one week left until Match Day! The anticipation is building as we prepare to welcome our incoming class. Get ready for a new chapter filled with passion, dedication, and endless possibilities! What's your favorite memory as an intern?

Last week, five faculty members in the Department of Surgery received six honorable awards recognizing their outstanding service in clinical care; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and teaching at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson Faculty Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to all the awardees!

🏆Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award: Lourdes Castañón, MD, FACS

🏆Clinical Excellence Award: Mohammad Khreiss, MD, FACS, FSSO

🏆WIMS GRACE Excellence Award: Taylor S. Riall, MD, PhD, FACS

🏆Specialty Advisor Awards in General Surgery: Lourdes Castañón, MD, FACS, Kenneth Fox, MD, MBA, FACS, and Bellal A. Joseph, MD, FACS

For more information about the ceremony and awards: https://bit.ly/4bXTAuz

Countdown to Match Day is on! 🎉 In just two weeks, we'll be introducing our next class of talented, general surgery residents. We invite you to share your best advice for incoming interns in the comments below! ⬇️

And, take a trip down memory lane with us and some of our current residents' respective Match Day moments. Residents shown: Lindsey Butts, DO, Banan Otaibi, MD, Diaa Soliman, MD, and Ivy Stejkal, DO.

Located within Southern Arizona’s only ACS-Certified Level-1 Trauma Center, the Burn Program at Banner — University Medical Center Tucson
has helped eliminate the need for residents to travel hours for treatment.

Led by, the director of the burn program and our clinical associate professor, Lourdes Castañón, MD, FACS, the program offers comprehensive care for all types of burns, leveraging a multidisciplinary team and cutting-edge technology. Tune into the KGUN story below to see how the program's life-changing impact is providing hope and healing closer to home for patients.

https://bit.ly/3uLOcdg

We are thrilled to have Dr. Shari Meyerson as our guest speaker this week for Surgery Grand Rounds. She will be presenting on the topic "Teaching in a One-Room Schoolhouse."

➡️ Join us Wednesday, February 28, in person at The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson., Room 5403
or
💻 Join virtually: https://bit.ly/42Tosbk
📚CME Credit Provided by: University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson

Meyerson’s academic focus is training surgical residents, and she is widely recognized for her innovation in surgical education. Her current work focuses on developing autonomy in surgical residents, teaching technical and cognitive skills, and enhancing career longevity among surgeons.

Today, and every day, we extend our deepest gratitude to our incredible residents who tirelessly dedicate themselves to patient care, learning, and innovation. Your unwavering commitment and compassion inspires us all. Thank you for your invaluable contributions to healthcare!⚕️ ❤️

In honor of the kicking off, our department staff wrangled up some wellness at our Staff Wellness Committee's Event, "Rodeo Roundup!" 🌵☀️ Our committee members roped in some fun, complete with a sizzling chili cook-off and plenty of outdoor games under the Tucson sun for a great day of camaraderie, delicious food, and refreshing treats.

A huge thank you to our amazing committee members and everyone who joined in to support staff wellness! Yeehaw! 🤠

Let's give a big round of applause to our outstanding General Surgery Residents for their exceptional presentations at last week! 👏 With 8 residents presenting their research, we couldn't be prouder of their dedication and hard work.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the mentors who provided invaluable guidance and support. Your mentorship plays a crucial role in shaping the success of our residents. Together, you've showcased the power of collaboration and excellence in advancing our field. Here's to many more achievements ahead!