2012

US News & World Report names Top Doctors

December 18, 2012 — U.S. News & World Report, in collaboration with Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., released its 2012 list of the nation’s top physicians.

Schultz awarded SUNA President’s Trophy

December 14, 2012 — Heather Schultz, a Nurse Practitioner in the Division of Urology, was awarded the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates (SUNA) President’s Trophy in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the specialty of urologic nursing.

The Best Doctors in America 2013

December 7, 2012 — Congratulations to the following Department of Surgery physicians who are identified as being among the best in the nation, as compiled by the Boston-based Best Doctors, Inc.

Surgery appoints vice-chairs

December 6, 2012 — Department of Surgery Chair Anthony A. Meyer, MD, PhD, has announced the appointment of four Department vice-chairs.

DeMore receives Murray F. Brennan Award for Sarcoma Research

December 4, 2012 — Nancy DeMore, MD, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been selected to receive the Murray F Brennan Award for sarcoma research from the Kristen Ann Karr Fund.

Nelson Castillo, MD Joins the Division

December 3, 2012 — Please join the Division of Plastic Surgery in extending a very warm welcome to Nelson Castillo, MD, who joins our faculty as Assistant Professor.

Service awards presented to Surgery employees

December 3, 2012 — Several staff members were recognized for their dedication to the Department at today’s cupcake reception.

Burn Center approved for re-verification

November 8, 2012 — On Oct. 23 – 24, the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center underwent a site review for re-verification as a Center of Excellence.

Rich Promoted to Full Professor

November 6, 2012 — Dr. Preston Rich, Chief of the Division of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery, was promoted to Full Professor effective August 1, 2012.

Williams into Semi-Finals of Promise Idol

November 6, 2012 — Shamelah Williams, a Medical Support Assistant in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, has been selected as a semi-finalist in the UNC Hospitals and School of Medicine’s Promise Idol.

Founder and first Chief of UNC Plastic Surgery Dr. Erle Peacock Jr. 1926-2012

November 6, 2012 — Founder and first Chief of UNC Plastic Surgery Dr.Erle Peacock Jr. 1926-2012

ACS NSQIP recognizes UNC Hospitals

November 2, 2012 – This recognition program commends a select group of hospitals for achieving exemplary outcome performances related to patient management in five clinical areas.

van Aalst Featured in Carolina Development Annual Report

November 1, 2012 — Dr. John van Aalst is featured in the 2012 Carolina Development Annual Report for his work with the Palestine Cleft Society.

Samuel Awarded K01 Grant

October 24, 2012 — The Fogarty International Center has granted Jonathan Samuel, MD, an NIH Research Scientist Development Award for treatment of sigmoid volvulus in Malawi.

Interviewing his heart surgeon, Bill Friday used his own experience to educate others

October 16, 2012 — Longtime University of North Carolina President Bill Friday, who died Oct. 12, was a friend of health care at UNC. In 2009, he used his own medical experiences at UNC to educate others.

Cairns Named Medical Director of Respiratory Care Department

October 11, 2012 — Bruce Cairns, MD, has been named the Medical Director for the Respiratory Care Department.

Kim Named 2013 James IV Traveler

October 04, 2012 — Dr. Hong Jin Kim, Associate Professor in the UNC Division of Surgical Oncology, was named a 2013 Traveler by the James IV Association of Surgeons.

van Aalst Awarded Two Grants

October 02, 2012 — Dr John van Aalst, Associate Professor and Director of Pediatric and Craniofacial Plastic Surgery, has been awarded two grants.

Dehmer Receives Robert C. Cefalo House Officer Award

October 2, 2012 — Dr. Jeff Dehmer received the Robert C. Cefalo House Award at the Annual Meeting of the Medical Staff on Monday, October 1, 2012.

Sheldon Presented American College of Surgeons 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award

October 1, 2012 — Dr. George F. Sheldon receives the American College of Surgeons (ACS) 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.

FDA Approves Endovascular Aortic Repair Devices Following UNC Trials

September 30, 2012 — Dr. Mark Farber served as the principle investigator for two endovascular aortic repair devices recently approved by the FDA.

Weiner Featured in “Stars and Stripes”

September 27, 2012 — Dr. Timothy Weiner featured in Department of Defense newspaper “Stars and Stripes.”

Thomas Presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine

September 21, 2012 — Dr. Colin G. Thomas, Jr. was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the North Carolina Memorial Hospital.

Jones Selected for ACCLAIM Program

September 20, 2012 — Dr. Samuel Jones has been selected for the inaugural Academic Career Leadership Academy in Medicine (ACCLAIM).

2012 Healthy Hearts Reunion

September 17, 2012 — UNC pediatric heart surgery patients and their families gathered on Saturday, September 15, for the annual Healthy Hearts Reunion.

Amos Awarded Claude Organ Traveling Fellowship

August 28, 2012 — The American College of Surgeons has presented Keith Amos, MD, with its 2012 Claude Organ, Jr., MD, FACS, Traveling Fellowship.

Sheldon Honored by Association of Women Surgeons

Aug. 20, 2012 — George F. Sheldon, MD, has received the Association of Women Surgeons’ Past Presidents’ Honorary Member Award.

Meyers Appointed Residency Program Director

August 20, 2012 — Dr. Michael O. Meyers has been named the new Director of the General Surgery Residency Program, a position held for the last seven years by Dr. Mark Koruda.

Marston Utilizes Unique Cell-Based Therapy

August 09, 2012 — William Marston, MD, has published a study on unique cell-based therapy.

Smith Joins UNC Urology

July 31, 2012 — The Division of Urologic Surgery welcomes Angela Smith, MD to its ranks of faculty.

Burn Disaster Program Receives Fire Prevention Grant

July 30, 2012 — Randy D. Kearns DHA, Bruce A. Cairns MD, and James R. Gusler, of the UNC School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, received a $599,920 grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide burn prevention and burn care educational programs in North and South Carolina.

5th Annual Cardiothoracic Boot Camp

July 29, 2012 —

Buckio Appointed Associate Chair for Administration

July 16, 2012 — The Department of Surgery welcomes Joellen Buckio, MHA, in her role as the Associate Chair for Administration, effective July 16, 2012.

UNC Urology Welcomes Bianchi

The Division of Urologic Surgery welcomes Gregory Bianchi, MD, MS. Dr. Bianchi received his Medical Degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois. He received his training in urology at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa and during residency … Continued

Stansfield Joins Cardiothoracic Surgery

July 1, 2012 — William E. Stansfield, M.D., joined the UNC faculty on July 1 as assistant professor of surgery in the UNC Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Dr. Stansfield, who specializes in heart surgery for adults, practices as a cardiothoracic surgeon at UNC Hospitals.

Gerber to Chair Institutional Conflcit of Interest Committee

June 27, 2012 – Dr. David Gerber, MD, FACS, Chief of Abdominal Transplant Division, has been appointed as chair of the Institutional Conflict of Interest Committee at UNC Chapel Hill.

Meyers elected to Medical Staff Executive Committee

June 21, 2012 — Michael Meyers, MD, Associate Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, was reelected to an at-large position on the Medical Staff Executive Committee.

TAVR Heart Valve Procedure Offers New Options

June 21, 2012 — Heart specialists at Rex Healthcare, part of UNC Health Care, are offering a new procedure to repair heart valves.

Farber Pioneers Use of Device in Treatment of Complex AAA

June 20, 2012 — UNC’s Aortic Disease Management Team, under the directorship of Dr. Mark Farber, became the first in the nation to successfully use the Zenith® Fenestrated AAA Endovascular Graft to treat a patient with a complex abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Boschini Awarded Fogarty Fellowship

June 15, 2012 — General Surgery resident Laura Boschini, MD, has been awarded a fellowship from the Fogarty Global Health Program for Fellows and Scholars.

Gerber and Cairns Named ASA Fellows

June 15, 2012 — David Gerber, MD, chief of the Division of Abdominal Transplant, and Bruce Cairns, Director of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, were elected as Fellows of the American Surgical Association.

New Pool of Lung Donors

Jun e 6, 2012 — Tom Egan, a professor of surgery at UNC, has spent years researching a solution to the shortage of lungs for transplant. He is now studying lungs from a previously-untapped pool of donors – people who have died suddenly, away from the hospital.

Egan Receives Grant for Transplant Research

June 6, 2012 — Thomas M. Egan, M.D., of the UNC Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, has received a $100,000 grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for his project “Is there NO solution to IRI? Nitric oxide to improve and expand lung transplant.”

Camp Celebrate Celebrates 30 Years

May 25, 2012 — Camp Celebrate, the flagship aftercare program of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospitals and the oldest pediatric burn survivor camp in the country, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary at Camp Kanata in Wake Forest.

Montgomery Appointed New SICU Director

May 24, 2012 — Effective June 1, 2012, Dr. Sean Montgomery will assume the reins of directorship of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU).

Four Surgeons Among First “Meaningful Users”

May 24, 2012 — UNC’s Practice Quality and Innovation unit submitted its first list of those providers meeting compliance with Medicare and Medicaid Meaningful Use criteria.

Dehmer Article Cited by Medscape Surgery

May 17, 2012 — Medscape Surgery’s news bulletin included an article penned by Dr. Jeffrey Dehmer on its list of popular journal readings by general surgeons.

Academy of Educators Announces Surgery Inductees

May 16, 2012 — Drs. D. Wayne Overby and Pamela Rowland were inducted into the Academy of Educators at the annual Awards Banquet held May 16th.

Demore published in latest ASCO Post

May 1, 2012 – Dr. Nancy Demore, associate professor of surgical oncology, will be published in the May 1st edition of ASCO Post.

Gerber Co-Authors Liver Transplant Study

April 30, 2012 – Dr. David Gerber, UNC Transplant Surgery, was the co-author of a study that shows that liver transplants performed at night or on weekends do not adversely affect patient or graft survival.

At Mayo Clinic, Dr. Feins talks about surgical training

Richard H. Feins, M.D. April 21, 2012 – Richard H. Feins, M.D., spoke about “How ‘Good Enough’ Became Acceptable in Surgical Training” at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, on April 21, 2012. Dr. Feins was the 2012 O.T. Clagett visiting professor at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Feins, a thoracic surgeon and professor of surgery … Read more

Surgical Oncology Hosts Bolivian Physician

April 10, 2012 — Dr. Jaime Montaño, a surgeon from Cochabamba, Bolivia, traveled to Chapel Hill for a one-month fellowship with the Division of Surgical Oncology to study its multidisciplinary breast program.

NC teen is grateful for second double-lung transplant at UNC

April 9, 2012 – Ashley McKnight, of Forsyth County, NC, was born with cystic fibrosis. She got new lungs in a double-lung transplant operation in 2009, when she was 14. However, her body began rejecting the lungs and she went … Continued

Farrell Presented with ASE Outstanding Teaching Award

March 23, 2012 — Timothy M. Farrell, MD, was recognized by the Association of Surgical Education (ASE) as the 2012 recipient of the Philip J. Wolfson Outstanding Teacher Award.

New Lungs, New Life

March 23, 2012 — Luella Love, 48, of Concord, N.C., was born with cystic fibrosis, which causes breathing and digestive problems.

Meyer Inducted Into Order of the Golden Fleece

March 19, 2012 — Anthony A. Meyer, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Surgery, was inducted into the Order of the Golden Fleece at the Order’s Public Tapping Ceremony this past Friday.

Wallen Named AUA Teacher of the Year

March 5, 2012 — The Residents Committee of the American Urological Association has named Eric Wallen, MD, the 2012 recipient of the Teacher of the Year award.

Kiser and Colleagues Establish New UNC/Rex Heart Valve Center

February 29, 2012 — Dr. Andy Kiser, chief of the UNC Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, along with several others, is working to develop a new UNC/Rex Heart Valve Center that will offer a minimally-invasive aortic valve procedure colleagues

Cairns and Kozlowski Promoted

February 20, 2012 — Promotions for Bruce Cairns, MD, and Tomasz Kozlowski, MD, are effective February 24th.

Raynor and Woods Utilize Novel Approach to Kidney Surgery

February 6, 2012 — UNC urologic surgeons Mathew Raynor, MD, and Michael Woods, MD, recently completed the first surgeries in the Triangle area to utilize a new near-infrared fluorescence imaging system that allows surgeons to capture real-time images of kidney tissue and surrounding blood vessels.

UNC Urology 2012 Match Results

January 30, 2012 — The University of North Carolina School of Medicine Division of Urology is pleased to announce their newest residency members, James “Abram” McBride, Maxim “Max” McKibben, and Josip Vukina, matched through the 2012 AUA Urology Match. They will join us as PGY1 urology residents starting June 24, 2012.

Lee and Ollila Co-author Study Featured in January ACS Journal

January 18, 2012 – A study on decision making about surgery for early-stage breast cancer treatment decision making co-authored by UNC Surgeons Clara Lee and David Ollila is featured in the January edition of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Neely Selected for St. Jude National Graduate Student Symposium

January 12, 2012 — Crystal J. Neely, an Immunology and Microbiology graduate student working under the direction of Drs. Bruce Cairns and Rob Maile in the Burn Center Research Lab, has been chosen to attend the St. Jude National Graduate Student 2012 Symposium in Memphis, TN.