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A NEWSLETTER FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY
at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
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McNutt Named Chief Medical Officer for Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center | |
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Michelle McNutt, MD, FACS, professor in the Department of Surgery and holder of the Memorial Hermann Endowed Chair in Surgery at McGovern Medical School, has been appointed the Chief Medical Officer for Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (TMC). This appointment is part of a new medical leadership team recently announced at Memorial Hermann-TMC and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, aimed at enhancing inpatient services and academic initiatives within the Texas Medical Center.
McNutt will focus on leading strategic efforts to enhance patient care outcomes and drive continuous improvement initiatives at Memorial Hermann-TMC. She joins a distinguished group of faculty members dedicated to advancing the university's mission through collaborative healthcare strategies across adult and pediatric services. McNutt's expertise and leadership will be pivotal in fostering interdisciplinary programs and ensuring high-quality care delivery.
This appointment reflects McNutt's commitment to advancing healthcare excellence at Memorial Hermann-TMC, recognizing her significant contributions to surgery and patient outcomes in the Texas Medical Center.
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Thosani & Wadhwa Named Among Top 1% of GI Surgeons Nationally | |
Stewart Appointed Co-Medical Director of LBJ SICU | |
Exciting news at Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital! Melissa K. Stewart, MD, FACS, Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, has assumed the role of Co-Medical Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) effective May 1, 2024. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to David Kim, MD, FACS, for his exceptional leadership in this role over the years. Stewart completed her general surgery training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and her surgical critical care fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine. She later joined UTHealth Houston in 2022 after serving on the faculty at Washington University. The SICU co-director is George Williams, MD, a Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology. Join us in warmly welcoming Stewart to her new position and anticipating her valuable contributions to this role!
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Surgeons Discuss the Future of Surgical Education | |
Innovations Shine at Annual Quality Symposium | |
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The UTHealth and Memorial Hermann-TMC Annual Quality Symposium and Clinical Safety & Effectiveness (CSE) Graduation were held on May 3, 2024. Surgery was well represented. In the morning, new CSE graduate Michelle Scerbo, MD, MS, FACS, presented her CSE project on "Improving the Transfer of Patients with a Traumatic Injury to a Level III Trauma Facility". Lillian S. Kao, MD, FACS, Professor, Chief of Acute Care Surgery, and Jack H. Mayfield, MD, Chair in the Department of Surgery, gave the keynote address. She herself graduated from the CSE program in 2007. Her talk was entitled “Taking Quality Improvement to the Next Level” and discussed an action plan to become a learning health system and improve quality at a community and societal level.
The Department of Surgery was well represented at the Annual Quality Symposium. Gabrielle Hatton, MD, first-year Acute Care Surgery Fellow, received a second place Graham Award for Patient Safety and Quality Improvement for her multidisciplinary project with interventional radiology:
Leveling the Field: Decreasing Time to Angioembolization and Improving Outcomes After Hours with a STAT Interventional Radiology System for Severely Injured Trauma Patients
Gabrielle E Hatton, Anna K Mydlowska, Rodrick C. Zvavanjanja, Ahmed K. Abdel Aal, Anil K Pillai, Michelle K. McNutt, Lillian S. Kao, Laura J Moore
Dr. Anna Mydlowska, second-year Acute Care Surgery Fellow, received a learning healthcare award for her project:
Ten Thousand Repetitions: Getting VTE Prophylaxis Right
Anna K. Mydlowska, Gabrielle E. Hatton, Morgan P. Baker, Lauren C. Haley, Michelle K McNutt, Lillian S Kao, David H Kim, Laura J Moore
Other posters that were on display included:
Navigating Health Literacy: Comparison of Assessment Tools in a Surgical Safety-Net Population
Mokunfayo Fajemisin, Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, Gabrielle E Hatton, Jackson Burns, Lillian S. Kao, Krislynn Mueck
Activating Early, Activating Often, and Delivering Blood Quicker: The Impact of Massive Transfusion Activation Volumes on Time to Delivery of the First Cooler
Devi Bavishi, Carter Kaminski, Michael Van Gent, Thomas C. Clements, Lillian S. Kao, Robin Hobbs, Yu Bai, Bryan A. Cotton
Optimizing the Management of Patients Requiring Gastrostomy Tube: Overcoming Institutional Frustration Using Change Management, Lean, and Six Sigma
Rya Clark, Ahmed K. Abdel Aal, Kristen Abraham, Shahroz K. Aziz, Brooks D. Cash, Matthew Drews, Elizabeth G. Holt, David H. Kim, Madison Shcrimsher, Andreea S. Xavier, Michael W. Wandling
Congratulations to all who successfully completed their patient safety and quality improvement projects!
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UTHealth Houston at SAGES Annual Meeting | |
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The Society for American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) annual meeting took place in Cleveland from April 17th - 20th. The theme of this year's meeting was Innovate and Collaborate for a Sustainable Future. As usual, the meeting was packed with presentations on emerging surgical technologies, incorporating new innovations into practice, and expert-led "how-I-do-it" video-based education.
Erik Wilson, MD, FACS, professor and Lynn and Oscar Wyatt Chair in Metabolic Research and Director of the Division of Elective Surgery at McGovern Medical School, Co-Chaired a hands-on session on the Endo Sleeve procedure. The session's goal was to teach participants endoscopic suturing techniques from the experts and apply these skills to the endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty procedure.
Many from UTHealth Houston were in attendance, including a large number of the MIST Faculty and Ricardo Collazo, PGY5, who touted it as a "fantastic learning experience".
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Real-world Utilization of Active Surveillance After GPS Testing for Localized Prostate Cancer | |
Steven E. Canfield, MD, professor and chief of the Division of Urology in the Department of Surgery, shares the results of his recent study looking at the real-world utilization of active surveillance among men with localized prostate cancer who were tested with the genomic prostate score assay.
Canfield presented his results at the 2024 European Association of Urology Congress.
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Texas Surgical Society Spring 2024 Meeting Highlights | |
The Spring 2024 Texas Surgical Society Meeting convened this year in Waco, Texas, from April 5th to 7th. It was a remarkable event for our department, marked by noteworthy achievements and scholarly contributions.
Sasha D. Adams, MD, FACS, associate professor in the Department of Surgery and the program director and vice-chair of Surgical Education, showcased exceptional prowess by clinching the Texas Surgical Society Running Style Champion title.
Marianne Cusick, MD, FACS, associate professor and director of Colorectal Surgery, and Jeffrey L. Van Eps, MD, FACS, assistant professor, both presented insightful papers during the event, enriching the academic discourse.
Furthermore, the induction of Michael J. Snyder, MD, FACS, professor and program director of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency Training Program, as a new member of the Texas Surgical Society, emphasized our department's commitment to excellence and leadership.
These achievements highlight the dedication and expertise of our faculty, contributing to our department's standing as a center of innovation and academic excellence within the Texas Surgical Society.
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Sutton Delivers Inspiring Grand Rounds | |
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Dr. Beth Sutton, President-Elect of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), gave Grand Rounds for the Department of Surgery at UTHealth Houston on April 25, 2024. Dr. Sutton is in private practice general surgery in Wichita Falls, Texas. She has held multiple past leadership roles, including but not limited to being the Past President of the Association of Women Surgeons and the Past President of the Texas Surgical Society. With regards to the ACS, she is the past Chair of the Board of Regents and a past member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors. The department was extremely honored to have hosted her for Grand Rounds.
In honor of Dr. Sutton, UTHealth Houston co-sponsored an event with other local institutions- Houston Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the University of Texas Medical Branch - on the night preceding her talk. There was even a mariachi band! There was outstanding representation from all institutions for this special occasion.
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On April 27, 2024, Casey B. Duncan, MD, MS, FACS, Assistant Professor of Surgical Oncology with the Department of Surgery, participated in the Texas MS150, an annual ride to support research and services for patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Duncan biked 75 miles across Texas and raised over $1,200. Thank you to all who donated! Fundraising is still ongoing to help end MS. | |
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Cotton BA. Facing futility in hemorrhagic shock: when to say 'when' in children and adults. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2024;9(Suppl 2):e001448. doi:10.1136/tsaco-2024-001448. PMID: 38646027. PMC11029276.
Kao LS. Towards a learning trauma system: Aligning quality improvement and research strategies. Injury. May 2024;55(5):111515. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2024.111515. PMID: 38575395.
Kessler DA, Webber HE, de Dios C, Yoon JH, Schmitz JM, Lane SD, Harvin JA, Heads AM, Green CE, Kapoor S, Stotts AL, Motley KL, Suchting R. Opioid Risk Tool, in-hospital opioid exposure, and opioid demand predict pain outcomes following traumatic injury. J Health Psychol. Apr 19 2024:13591053241242543. doi:10.1177/13591053241242543. PMID: 38641873.
Lubkin DT, Mueck KM, Hatton GE, Brill JB, Sandoval M, Cardenas JC, Wade CE, Cotton BA. Does an early, balanced resuscitation strategy reduce the incidence of hypofibrinogenemia in hemorrhagic shock? Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2024;9(1):e001193. doi:10.1136/tsaco-2023-001193. PMID: 38596569. PMC11002398.
Maiga AW, Snyder RA, Kao LS, Raval MV, Patel MB, Blakely ML. Advancing Randomized Clinical Trials in Surgery: Role of Exception From Informed Consent, Central Institutional Review Board, and Bayesian Approaches. J Surg Res. 2024 Apr 25:S0022-4804(24)00167-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.03.048. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38670847.
Salim A, Cotton BA. Victory out of tragedy: organ donation. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2024;9(Suppl 2):e001408. doi:10.1136/tsaco-2024-001408. PMID: 38646028. PMC11029243.
Van Gent JM, Clements TW, Lubkin DE, Kaminski CW, Bates JK, Sandoval M, Puzio TJ, Cotton BA. 'Door-to-prophylaxis' as a novel quality improvement metric in prevention of venous thromboembolism following traumatic injury. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2024 Apr 22;9(1):e001297. doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2023-001297. PMID: 38666014; PMCID: PMC11043729.
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Date: May 9, 2024
Presentation Topic: Operative Liver Trauma: A History from Then to Now
Speaker: Matt Leatherman, DO
Date: May 16, 2024
Presentation Topic: I look like a surgeon…but does a surgeon look like me? Past, present, and the future?
Speaker: Anna Mydlowska, MD
Date: May 23, 2024
Presentation Topic: TBA
Speaker: Naila Dhanani, MD, Ashley Dawson, MD, and Nicholas Zhou, DO
Date: May 30, 2024
Presentation Topic: TBA
Speaker: Carter Kaminski, MD
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Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, was mentioned in a USA Today article about how semaglutide works for weight loss. The story was picked up by 23 other publications.
Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, talked to the Houston Chronicle about how semaglutide and tirzepatide work for people trying to lose weight.
Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, was included in a USA Today article about how semaglutide works for weight loss. The story was picked up by AOL and 60 other publications.
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Editorial Team: Dr. Lillian S. Kao, Dr. Casey B. Duncan, Dr. Peter A. Walker, and Dr. Elias A. Chamely
For content submissions, email Sophia.M.Solis@uth.tmc.edu.
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