Member News

Chang Is Trustee of American Board of Urology

Sam S. Chang, MD, MBA, FACS, was elected trustee of the American Board of Urology, which establishes and maintains standards of certification for urologists. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Chang is

the Patricia and Rodes Hart Endowed Professor of Urologic Surgery and Oncology, chief of the Division of Urologic Oncology, and professor in the Department of Urology. He also is the chief surgical officer at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Rectenwald Is Promoted at UW-Madison

John Rectenwald, MD, MS, FACS, was named chair of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison. He has been a vascular surgery professor at UW-Madison since 2018, and he also is the Susan Behrens MD (Class of 1975) Surgery Education Chair and vice chair of education in the Department of Surgery.

Sands Leads Surgery in Miami

Laurence Sands, MD, MBA, FACS, is the new chair of the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida. Dr. Sands, chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery and vice chair of surgical education at the Miller School, has served as the department’s interim chair since December 2022. With the Miller School since 1997, he also is a professor in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery.

Potter Will Lead Orthopaedic Surgery at Penn Medicine

Benjamin “Kyle” Potter, MD, FACS, has been named chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, effective June 24. He also will serve as a professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Previously, Dr. Potter was the Norman M. Rich Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. He retired in 2023 from the US Army as a Colonel following 22 years of active-duty service.

Brasel Will Become VP of ABS

Karen J. Brasel, MD, MPH, FACS, has been named vice president of the American Board of Surgery (ABS). Dr. Brasel is a professor of surgery in the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, director of the general surgery residency program, vice-chair of education and professional development, and assistant dean for graduate medical education at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland. She will maintain a part-time clinical role at OHSU when she assumes her new position with the ABS on May 1.

Clarke Is AAS President

Callisia N. Clarke, MD, MS, FACS, is now president of the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS). She is an associate professor and surgical oncologist at the Froedtert Hospital Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. At the ACS, she serves on the Committee to Advance Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, as well as the Cancer Research Program Education Committee.

Varghese Takes Helm at SUS

Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS, MBA, FACS, was named president of the Society of University Surgeons (SUS). Dr. Varghese is the associate chief medical quality officer and chief value officer at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, chief of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery at the University of Utah, and professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine, all in Salt Lake City. Dr. Varghese has been an ACS Governor since 2018, and has served on the Best Practices Workgroup, the Quality, Research and Optimal Patient Care Pillar, and on the Nominating Committee.

Emami Is Associate CMO in Georgia

Pediatric surgeon Claudia Emami, MD, MPH, FACS, was named associate chief medical officer (CMO) at Memorial Health in Savannah, Georgia. In this role, she will focus on quality, evidence-based practice, and clinical outcomes. Previously, Dr. Emami was in private practice with Beverly Hills Pediatric Surgery in California and served as section chief for general surgery at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California.

Have you or an ACS member you know achieved a notable career highlight recently? If so, send potential contributions to Jennifer Bagley, MA, Bulletin Editor-in-Chief, at jbagley@facs.org. Submissions will be printed based on content type and available space.