Eugene S. Wiener Endowed Chair of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
Chair, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
University of Pittsburgh
As our Department moves forward into the next decade, we are grateful to come to work every day on the cutting edge of clinical care, research, scholarship, education, and service.
Clinical outcomes are at the true heart of everything we do. To achieve optimal clinical outcomes, the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery has invested in integrated models of care that will allow us to deliver individualized, comprehensive, and longitudinal care to patients throughout their journey with diseases of the heart, aorta, lungs, and esophagus. In partnership with cardiothoracic anesthesia, critical care medicine, pediatric and adult cardiology, vascular surgery, hematology/oncology, radiation oncology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nursing, and many more, we are building a gold-standard model that utilizes hospital systems, staffing, technology, and more to deliver the best care and best outcomes. This model extends beyond the inpatient hospital setting and into the community, where we are devoting resources to facilitate equitable, accessible care across of the communities in our Western and Central Pennsylvania, Southwestern New York, and Western Maryland footprint. These outpatient investments include improvement in patient access mechanisms for appointment scheduling and follow up, patient referral systems built with ease and convenience for the referring provider at top of mind, and bringing new clinical services to more communities through new outreach clinics staffed by our surgical experts and virtual, multi-expert consultations.
While integrated care models are proven to deliver best-in-class clinical outcomes today, what about tomorrow? Our Department's talented investigators are dedicated to unlocking the next field-altering advances in cardiothoracic surgical care through basic and translational science and clinical outcomes research. Current research endeavors include exploration surrounding organ preservation, xenotransplantation, cancer biology, environmental factors in cancer advancement, and much more. Our surgeon-scientists work hand in hand with the National Institutes of Health, entrepreneurs, robotics and artificial intelligence experts, and medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers to drive our field forward.
Lastly, the true impact of clinical advancement and scientific discovery cannot reach its fullest potential without equipping the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons and scientists with the knowledge, tools, skills, and support to continue and further advance our mission. The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery is committed to training the next generation of cardiothoracic surgical leaders by maintaining a robust portfolio of educational programs that attracts learners from around the world. Our educational efforts aim to reinforce and strengthen the pipeline of diverse and inclusive talent into our specialty, with programs designed for all education levels ranging from pre-college to continuing medical education and advanced training.
As 2023 comes to a close, there has never been a more exciting time in academic cardiothoracic surgery than today. Our Department's legacy has a strong foundation in both cardiac and thoracic surgery - engineering the first-generation ventricular assist device prototypes, performing the first heart/kidney transplant in the United States, being among the first to perform video assisted thoracic surgery, and making history with over 1,000 minimally invasive esophagectomies. However, the journey is not over, and our drive to innovate, educate, and deliver world-class cardiothoracic surgical care and clinical outcomes, only continues to grow.
I look forward to updating you regularly on the important work underway in our Department and the many forthcoming accomplishments of our talented faculty. We warmly invite all former faculty, alumni, and friends of the program to engage with us both online and in-person at our specialty's national meetings as we continue to grow.
Victor O. Morell, MD
Chair, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery