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7:00AM - 9:00AM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 408A
Business Summit: I Need More – Empowering Surgeons to Negotiate More Effectively*
Daniel Boffa, Yale New Haven
I am a thoracic surgeon in New Haven Connecticut, who focuses on the surgical managment of benign and malignant diseases of the lung and esophagus. I conduct research in health policy, comparative effectiveness and biomarkers. I am interested in quality in complex care and work with the Commission on Cancer's quality improvement effort.
- Moderator: Daniel Boffa, Yale New Haven
Multi-Specialty -
7:00AM - 9:00AM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 403B
Controversies in Valve and Complex Reconstructions
Richard Kim, Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Professor of Cardiac Surgery, the Director of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery, and the Surgical Director of the Guerin Congenital Heart Program at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. Long standing Principal Investigator in the NIH/NHLBI Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium focused on understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying human congenital heart disease.
David Kalfa, Columbia University
David Kalfa, MD, PhD, is a Florence Irving Associate Professor of Surgery, in the Section of Pediatric & Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center. He is the Director of the Pediatric Heart Valve Center at Columbia and Surgical Director of the Initiative for Pediatric Cardiac Innovation. He is a NIH and AHA-funded surgeon scientist and an Irving Scholar at Columbia University. His clinical interests center around neonatal cardiac surgery, congenital valve repair, biventricular intracardiac reconstruction and minimally invasive surgery. Dr Kalfa also leads international research programs, focusing on development of innovative medical devices, tissue and mechanical engineering, computational modeling studies and precision medicine. Dr Kalfa's clinical and research expertise has been recognized and honored by many awards and grants. He is a AATS, STS, CHSS, EACTS, AHA member and a NIH reviewer.
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7:00AM - 9:00AM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 408B
Long Days in the Cardiac OR: Management of Iatrogenic Emergencies
Thoralf Sundt, Massachusetts General Hospital
Thoralf M. Sundt, III, M.D.
Thor Sundt, MD, is the Churchill Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. He co-directs the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center at MGH, and has been appointed the Director of the Cardiac Surgery Clinical Service for Mass General Brigham.
Dr. Sundt's clinical focus has been on surgery for the correction of acquired cardiovascular conditions in adults. He is an internationally recognized thought-leader on thoracic aortic diseases, having written and lectured extensively on the subject. He is also widely recognized as an expert in reparative procedures for valvular heart disease as well as the use of arterial conduits to improve the long term durability of coronary bypass procedures.
His research interests have ranged from organ transplantation to the genetics and genomics of bicuspid aortic valve disease. He has received funding by the National Institutes of Health, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Mayo Foundation for this work. Most recently, he collaborated with investigators in the disciplines of human factors and systems engineering to improve the safety and efficiency of healthcare delivery. On a national level, he was the first chair of the Workforce on Patient Safety for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
He has served in numerous executive roles, including surgical director for cardiac transplantation at Washington University in St. Louis, surgical director of the Thoracic Aortic and Marfan Clinic at the Mayo Clinic and vice-chair of the Department of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Dr. Sundt is a Past-President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.Craig Smith, Columbia University Irving Medical Center of New York Presbyterian Hospital
Craig R. Smith, M.D.
Valentine Mott Professor of Surgery
Johnson & Johnson Distinguished Professor
Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University
Chair, Department of Surgery
Columbia University Irving Medical Center of New York Presbyterian HospitalDr. Smith received his baccalaureate degree from Williams College (Phi Beta Kappa), and received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. He received his postgraduate training in general surgery with a Fellowship in vascular surgery at the University of Rochester. After completing his residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Columbia Presbyterian, Dr. Smith joined the Columbia faculty in 1984 as Associate Director of the Columbia Presbyterian Heart Transplant Program, which grew to be the most active program in the United States. He later inaugurated a successful program in heart-lung and lung transplantation that remains the major program in the region. Dr. Smith was appointed Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Columbia in 1996. In June 2004, Dr. Smith was honored as NewYork Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center’s “Practitioner of the Year”. On February 28th, 2007 Dr. Smith was the recipient of the “Heart of New York Award for Achievement in Cardiovascular Science & Medicine” from the American Heart Association. In January 2010, Dr. Smith was named the Chairman of the Department of Surgery.
Dr. Smith’s clinical practice is focused on valve repair and replacement, coronary bypass procedures, and operations involving the thoracic aorta. Dr. Smith is the Surgical Principal Investigator of the PARTNER Trial, a major, international trial comparing conventional aortic valve replacement to percutaneous valve replacement.
In May 2011, Dr. Smith became the 92nd President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.
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7:00AM - 9:00AM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 406AB
Subsolid Nodules: Take it or Leave it!*
Anthony Kim, Keck Hospital of USC
Anthony W. Kim M.D., M.S. is the Chief of Division of Thoracic Surgery and Professor of Clinical Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine and the Vice Chair, Clinical Operations for the Department of Surgery at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. He is also the Co-Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at the Keck and Norris Hospitals of the University of Southern California.
Joseph Shrager, Stanford Health Care
Dr. Shrager is Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery; Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine; and co-Director of the Thoracic Oncology Clinical Care Program within Stanford Cancer Institute. He also runs the Stanford Respiratory Muscle Research Laboratory.
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7:00AM - 9:00AM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 409AB
Facing Disappointment, Loss & Failure – How to Recover
Ross Ungerleider, Institute for Integrated Life, LLC
Ross Ungerleider, MD, MBA graduated from medical school at Rush Medical College in Chicago, where he was elected to membership in Alpha Omega Alpha as a junior. He received surgical training at Duke University Medical Center, where he rose to the level of tenured professor. After nearly twenty-five years at Duke, he took leadership roles at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR; Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH; Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, NC; and Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi, TX; helping build children’s heart programs and teaching leadership, teamwork, and interpersonal and communication skills at each organization. He is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters as well as an editor of two major textbooks on cardiac surgery. He has been named to America’s Best Doctors, Cambridge’s Who’s Who, Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors (receiving their distinction as being among the top 1 percent nationally in his field), and by Good Housekeeping as one of the best pediatric cardiac surgeons in the US. In 2000, he was the recipient of the James Carreras International Humanitarian Award. He served as a member of the task force on Professionalism for the American College of Surgeons and is currently a member of the committee for wellness for the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons. He was recognized by his peers for his leadership and contributions to cardiac surgery with election to the presidency of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association in 2006. He received an MBA in 2006 from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where his colleagues and peers elected him as their Physician Leader of the Year. He has had extensive training in leadership development, conflict resolution, negotiation skills, and change management, and in April 2016, he completed a certification as a professional coach.
Jamie Ungerleider, Institute for Integrated Life Skills, LLC
Jamie Dickey Ungerleider, MSW/LCSW, PhD, grew up in Laurel, MS. She received a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Mississippi (UM) in 2001, a MSW from Tulane University in 1991, and a MA in counseling in 1977 (UM). She has spent over forty years as an educator, psychotherapist (for individuals and couples), organizational consultant, and relationship coach. Her work in these areas has helped her guide important changes for clients that has translated into more-effective business practices and more-fulfilling interpersonal relationships and life experiences. She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters on teamwork, personal and occupational wellness, leadership, adult learning, and conflict management. She has also been an invited speaker at numerous national and international meetings. Since 2001, she has worked for academic medical centers (Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, and Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC) as an associate professor of psychiatry and director of wellness for faculty, residents, students, and staff. She also served as a consultant and coach for the pediatric residency training programs at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, and at Driscoll Children’s Hospital, Corpus Christi, TX. She has served on national physician wellness committees (including currently on the AATS wellness committee) and was a member of the task force for professionalism for the American College of Surgeons.
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Moderators:
Ross Ungerleider, Institute for Integrated Life, LLC
Jamie Ungerleider, Institute for Integrated Life Skills, LLC
Multi-Specialty -
Moderators:
Ross Ungerleider, Institute for Integrated Life, LLC
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9:00AM - 9:15AM PDT
Break
Multi-Specialty -
9:15AM - 11:45AM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 408B
Adult Cardiac Masterclass Video Session: Teaching the Next Generation
Leonard Girardi, Weill Cornell Medicine
Professor and Chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine
Cardiothoracic Surgeon-in-Chief, New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center
Duke Cameron, Massachusetts General Hospital
Duke Cameron is an adult and pediatric cardiac surgeon with special interest in aortic disease and connective tissue disorders. At the Massachusetts General Hospital from 2017 to 2023, he recently returned to Johns Hopkins, where he began his cardiac surgery career in 1984. He is a former president of the AATS.
Rosemary Kelly, University of Minnesota Medical Center
Rosemary Kelly, MD currently serves as the Secretary of the AATS. She is the C. Walton and Richard C. Lillehei Professor and Executive Vice-Chair of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the University of Minnesota. She completed medical school at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine and General surgery training at Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center. She completed Thoracic surgery residency at the University of Minnesota and joined the faculty of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Division. She is Program Director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency and Vice-Chair of Clinical Faculty Development for the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota. In addition, she is Chief of the Heart and Vascular Service Line for M Health Fairview.
Dr. Kelly is actively involved in basic and translational research. Her basic science work uses in vitro and in vivo models of chronically ischemic myocardium to study molecular and physiologic recovery following revascularization as well as in response to cell based reparative therapies. Clinically, she has been involved in numerous trials in coronary revascularization and lung transplantation. She participated in the CARP, RAVE, REGROUP, and VALOR trials, serving on the Executive Committees for RAVE and REGROUP. She also participated in ex vivo lung organ preservation INSPIRE and EXPAND trials. For the AATS, Dr. Kelly has served on the Membership Committee for 6 years and as Chair for two years. She is a current member of the AATS Foundation Board, the Leadership Academy Board, Publications Committee and Cardiothoracic Residents Committee. In these roles, she strives to improve educational experiences and professional opportunities for the next generations of cardiothoracic surgeons.
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9:15AM - 11:45AM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 403B
Congenital Masterclass: Choices Amongst Options
Christopher Baird, Boston Children's Hospital
TBD
S. Adil Husain, Primary Children's Hospital
Dr. Husain obtained his Medical Degree from the University of North Dakota as an Ray Duggan Scholar and completed general surgical training at the University of Iowa where he was an Administrative Chief. He then completed and Adult Cardiothoracic Fellowship at the University of North Carolina which included time at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, England. He subsequently completed his Congenital Heart Surgical training at Riley Children's Hospital - Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Husain joined UT Health San Antonio in 2008 and became Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2009. At UT Health San Antonio, he held the title of Surgeon-In-Chief for the Children’s Hospital and was the William Randolph Hearst Chair in Congenital Heart Disease. He was honored by his undergraduate alma-matter, Carleton College in 2016 with the Alumni Association Distinguished Achievement AwardDr. Husain joined the University of Utah as a Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics as well as Section Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He is also the Co-Director for the Heart Center at Primary Children's Hospital. He has undergone formal leadership training at both The Wharton School of Business where he was an Aresty Scholar as well as with the Intermountain Healthcare Leadership Institute. As a result, his professional focus is upon a surgical as well as multidisciplinary approach towards enhancing Heart Center culture and obtaining excellent clinical outcomes. His current research interests are in the areas of single ventricle physiology and the use of steroids in the perioperative time period. His primary clinical focus is with neonatal cardiac surgery and the patient and family experience within the in-patient setting. He also has a strong interest and degree of experience with international humanitarian surgical mission work with multiple trips over the past 15 years.
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9:15AM - 11:45AM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 408A
Thoracic Masterclass: The World of Segmentectomy
Scott Swanson, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Dr. Scott J. Swanson is a thoracic surgeon and director of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is associate chief of surgery at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and is a professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Swanson received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his general and cardiothoracic surgical residencies at the Brigham. He completed a fellowship in vascular biology at Harvard Medical School and a thoracic oncology fellowship at the Brigham. Dr. Swanson is board certified in surgery and thoracic surgery. He has been listed as one of America’s Top Doctors by Castle Connolly and named a top thoracic surgeon by Boston Magazine.
Dr. Swanson’s clinical interests include minimally invasive thoracic surgery and lung cancer. His research is focused on better understanding early stage lung cancer, its biologic fingerprint and clinical behavior.
Haiquan Chen, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center
Dr. Chen is the chairman and a professor in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, where he is also the director of the Institute of Thoracic Oncology and the Lung Cancer Center.
He is the vice chief editor of the Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology and an editorial board member of various other publications, including the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Chen is the principal investigator of over 10 programs, including two key programs of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. He has authored more than 210 SCI papers in academic journals, including Cancer Cell, JCO and CCR. Innovative findings in 17 of his papers have been cited in 11 international guidelines of lung cancer such as ASCO, ESMO, ACCP and IASLC.
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9:15AM - 11:45AM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 406AB
Transplant Masterclass: It's Complicated*
Varun Puri, MD, MSCI, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Primary Academic Title
Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine
Clinical Expertise
Lung and esophageal cancers, Lung transplantation
Research Interest
Predictive modeling in lung cancer outcomes and organ donor optimization
Ashish Shah, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Dr. Ashish S. Shah is the Alfred Blalock Director and Chair of Cardiac Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He trained at Duke University Medical Center and served on the faculty of The Johns Hopkins Hospital for 10years before joining the faculty at Vanderbilt.
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Moderators:
Varun Puri, MD, MSCI, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Ashish Shah, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Multi-Specialty -
Moderators:
Varun Puri, MD, MSCI, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
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9:30AM - 12:00PM PDT Los Angeles Convention Center, 409AB
Perioperative Care Masterclass: ECMO - Well That Could Have Gone Better
Jonathan Haft, Michigan Medicine
Dr. Jonathan Haft is an adult cardiac surgeon specializing in advanced heart failure, including heart transplantation and ventricular assist devices. He served as President of the American Society of Artificial Internal Organs, currently serves as the Chair of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Workforce on end stage cardiopulmonary disease, and chairs the Technology Committee for the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. He is the Medical Director of the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Program at the University of Michigan and currently serves as the Associate Section Head for Quality in the Section of Adult Cardiac Surgery at Michigan Medicine. His clinical practice includes surgical treatment of advanced heart failure, coronary bypass grafting, heart valve repair or replacement, and treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms. Additionally, he initiated the pulmonary endarterectomy program for patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, one of the largest programs in the Midwest.
HelenMari Merritt, Methodist Health Systems
HelenMari Merritt-Genore is an adult cardiothoracic surgeon in Omaha, NE. She specializes in minimally invasive techniques and surgical ablation. She is the creator of NERD- the Nebraska ECMO Research Database- and has been author and collaborator in numerous research and innovative efforts for ECMO support. Dr Merritt serves in several leadership roles within our speciality, and continues to mentor students and residents who are interested in the field.
Perioperative Care
*non-CME