STS News, Summer 2020 — Innovation, knowledge, research, patient care—these principles lie at the forefront of The Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF) mission.
“The mission of the Foundation is so important. The first part is to develop cardiothoracic surgeon-scientists. They will be the investigators who help us better understand the causes of and treatments for cardiothoracic disease,” explained TSF Board Member Scott A. LeMaire, MD. “The second part of the mission is to provide better patient care. In order for us to deliver better care in the future, it is important to support the people who are in training now and their ongoing research efforts.”
TSF President Joseph E. Bavaria, MD (left), and Sibu P. Saha, MD, MBA
In an effort to continue advancing the TSF mission and the specialty, a new award will be offered for 2021—the Saha Scholarship Award—developed with the generous support of Sibu P. Saha, MD, MBA, from the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
“My mentor, who was a great teacher and generous person, took me to the STS Annual Meeting, where we shared a room because of budgetary constraints,” said Dr. Saha. “Now it is my turn to give back. Residents will benefit by learning and networking at our Annual Meeting.”
The Saha Award will allow two cardiothoracic surgery residents—one from the US and one from India—to attend the STS 57th Annual Meeting January 31–February 2, 2021, in Austin, Texas. The costs for registration, lodging, meals, and transportation will be covered.
Apply Now for a 2021 TSF Award
The Foundation is accepting applications for 2021 awards through September 15, 2020. Offerings include grants for research, education, leadership, and surgical outreach. A full menu of options, along with specific submission criteria, can be found at thoracicsurgeryfoundation.org/awards.
In 2019, more than $1.1 million was awarded to 109 surgeons. So far in 2020, TSF has already provided approximately $1.1 million in grants and scholarships. A full list of this year's award recipients is available at sts.org/2020TSFawards.
“The Foundation’s awards have been instrumental in developing hundreds of young surgeons by providing the support needed for their career advancement,” said Foundation President Joseph E. Bavaria, MD. “The contributions of these award recipients to cardiothoracic surgery and our patients will be significant.”
TSF is the charitable arm of STS. For more information on the Foundation, go to thoracicsurgeryfoundation.org or see the 2019 TSF Annual Report at thoracicsurgeryfoundation.org/2019annualreport.
Double Your Impact: Donate to TSF Today
Take part in the 2020 Surgeon Match Challenge with The Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF). STS will match all surgeon contributions up to $200,000.
So far this year, the Society’s charitable arm has awarded approximately $1.1 million in funding to support surgeon-scientists in cardiothoracic surgery.
Award recipients are investigating topics such as the predictive utility of machine learning algorithms in adult cardiac surgery, functionality of T cells in advanced lung cancer, and sphingosine-targeted therapies in heart transplants. They’re training with experts to learn new skills, including robotic esophageal surgery, cone repair, valve sparing root replacement, the Bentall procedure, and complex tracheal surgery.
The funding also has allowed surgeons to provide lifesaving care to underserved patients in developing countries, including Armenia, Honduras, India, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, and South Africa.
In addition to matching surgeon donations, the Society covers all of TSF’s administrative expenses so that 100% of each donation is applied to award programs. Plus, TSF donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Help the Foundation continue supporting such important projects by contributing today at thoracicsurgeryfoundation.org/donate.