Lui Promoted at Stanford Natalie S. Lui, MD, recently was appointed associate medical director for surgical services as part of the cancer destination service line (DSL) at Stanford Health Care in California. She will work collaboratively with cancer DSL leadership and key stakeholders throughout Stanford Medicine to ensure consistent representation of surgical oncology. Dr. Lui also is an assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Stanford University. She has been an STS member since 2014. Thompson Is President at Nebraska Heart Richard B. Thompson, MD, MBA, took over as president of CHI Health Nebraska Heart in Lincoln. In addition to this new leadership role, he will serve as cardiothoracic surgeon, specializing in complex coronary revascularization, advanced surgical therapy for heart failure, and robotic lung surgery. Previously, Dr. Thompson worked at Bryan Heart in Lincoln, Nebraska. He has been an STS member since 2010. Kaneko Leads Cardiac Surgery at WashUMed Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD, has been named the Shoenberg Professor and chief of cardiac surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, both in St. Louis, Missouri. He previously worked as surgical director of the Structural Heart Program at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and associate professor in surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. An STS member since 2014, Dr. Kaneko chairs the STS/ACC TVT Research and Publications Subcommittee and is vice chair of the STS Workforce on Technology and Innovation. Argote-Greene Begins Position in Florida Luis M. Argote-Greene, MD, is the new regional director of thoracic and esophageal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach, Florida. Most recently, he was a thoracic surgeon with University Hospitals and clinical assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University, both in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Argote-Greene has been an STS member since 2011. Steliga Is Named Endowed Chair Matthew A. Steliga, MD, has been named the Kent Westbrook Distinguished Chair in Surgical Oncology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)-Rockefeller Cancer Institute in Little Rock. Dr. Steliga—the division chief of thoracic surgery at the University of Arkansas and professor of surgery—led the development of the UAMS lung cancer screening and integrated tobacco cessation programs, and he is involved in the development of the UAMS mobile lung screening program. Dr. Steliga also will continue to serve as associate program director for the UAMS Surgery Residency Program. He has been an STS member since 2010. Han Honored for Exceptional Patient Care Jason J. Han, MD, received the Don Liu Humanism Hero in Surgery Award from Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This award recognizes a member of the Penn surgical staff who exhibits compassion and sensitivity in the care of the surgical patient in a collegial, collaborative, selfless, and ethical manner. Dr. Han was selected by the chairman and vice chair of education based on peer and faculty nominations. He has been an STS member since 2018. Hoff Moves to Miami Steven J. Hoff, MD, has joined the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute in Florida. Previously, he served as chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Orlando Regional Medical Center and associate professor of surgery at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando. Dr. Hoff also was part of the team at the Orlando Health Heart & Vascular Institute. He has been an STS member since 2000.
Sep 30, 2022
3 min read
Opportunities for professional development and career growth for advanced practice providers, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
Duration
9 min.
Event dates
Jan 21–23, 2023
Location
San Diego, California

STS 2022 Preview — Amidst rising COVID cases and the Society’s decision to convert STS 2022 to an all-virtual program, one aspect remains paramount—delivering the finest, most relevant, and most current science to the cardiothoracic surgical community.

“Although it is disappointing for all that we could not meet in person in Miami, I am appreciative of the outpouring of support we have received in favor of this very difficult decision,” said STS President Sean C. Grondin, MD, MPH, FRCSC. "I am so pleased with the high-quality virtual conference our STS staff and volunteer physician leaders have been able to put together on such short notice. We have been able to retain or reschedule the key elements, including groundbreaking science and research, thought-provoking plenaries, and industry symposia. I also am grateful for the adaptability and flexibility of our talented speakers, faculty, and technology partners.”

From the beginning of the planning process, STS leadership made clear its stance that all registrants, faculty, exhibitors, and staff attending the meeting in person should be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. However, as STS began making preparations for the approaching meeting date, it learned that legislation had been enacted that prohibited businesses in Florida from requiring any patrons to show proof of vaccination as a requirement of entry. This applied to events hosted in Florida. 

While the vast majority of STS 2022 registrants, and all STS staff, already were fully vaccinated or planning to be fully vaccinated in time for the meeting, the legislation created a roadblock for registrants and faculty whose institutions had instated travel restrictions to events where vaccination was not required—or for those who simply weren’t comfortable traveling to Florida in the grip of a pandemic.

“The rising COVID cases created additional issues in crafting in-person scientific sessions in a safe, reasonable environment,” said John D. Mitchell, MD, Chair of the STS Workforce on Annual Meeting. “This would not be an ideal experience for attendees, and certainly not what we had in mind for being ‘Together Again.’”

STS leadership and staff waited in the wings as the Omicron wave surged at the end of 2021, greatly exacerbating safety concerns for all attendees, and in early January the STS Board of Directors unanimously voted to pivot to a virtual meeting in recognition that the dramatic worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic made such a move necessary for the health and safety of attendees, faculty, exhibitors, and staff. Those staff stood ready to manage the logistics of presenter schedules, exhibitor showcases, attendee communications, and—most importantly—the attendee experience. 

“As you can imagine, it’s challenging to take a 3-day meeting and pare it down to an experience that will be well received and effective,” Dr. Mitchell said. “We’re not simply taking the whole meeting and placing it in a virtual environment. We have to keep in mind attendees’ personal and professional schedules, and present highly engaging content that won’t contribute to ‘Zoom fatigue.’”

STS has condensed the program to 2 days, retaining the most critical scientific presentations, technology demonstrations, and discussions of current issues affecting the specialty. Plenary sessions—including Dr. Grondin’s Presidential Address, the Thomas B. Ferguson Lecture, the Vivien T. Thomas Lecture, and the C. Walton Lillehei Lecture—remain cornerstones of the event, as will highly anticipated sessions such as “It’s Not in the Books … So How Do They Do It?”, new technologies sessions, and “Same Toys, New Indications.” 

Parallel sessions will form the meeting’s core, with the concurrent presentation of four tracks—adult cardiac, general thoracic, congenital, and a track combining wellness and cardiopulmonary failure topics. See “Scientific Program at STS 2022 Represents the Finest in Every Discipline” for more details on program highlights.

An additional 19 sessions will be available as on-demand content, allowing registrants to browse and learn at their own pace. Popular immersive experiences, including “In the OR with …” and “Deep Dives” sessions will become separate offerings and are expected to make an appearance later this year.

“We’re certainly disappointed that we won’t be able to see each other in person in Miami, but with the reconfiguration of STS 2022 we’ve kept in mind the best ways to have the crucial discussions we need to have in the virtual setting, and to bear witness to the science that drives us,” Dr. Mitchell said. “We’re confident that the meeting will reflect all the strengths of our specialty and of STS.”

Jan 19, 2022
4 min read

Cardiothoracic surgeons from the US and Italy receive practice-changing funding support

CHICAGO (January 19, 2022)—Through a collaborative effort between The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), two standout young surgeons recently each received $20,000 in fellowship grants to learn new techniques used by institutions across the world.

Jan 19, 2022
The STS Boot Camp is designed to provide an experiential foundation and hands-on practice in basic cardiothoracic operating skills. Resident participants will receive expert instruction and utilize simulators that enhance the learning experience by replic
Event dates
Sep 29 – Oct 2, 2022
Location
Chicago, Illinois

Hosted by Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS, the “Beyond the Abstract” program explores the “whys” behind articles in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and discusses next steps with authors and thought leaders.

30 min
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Career Development Blog
In the field of cardiothoracic surgery, a failure to continue training, pursue new skills or techniques, or acquire new knowledge in the face of the rapid changes we see in medical and surgical technology is to the peril of us and our patients.
1 min read
Damien J. LaPar, MD, MSc
Event dates
Jan 29–30, 2022
Location
Virtual
While social media engagements may seem fleeting, the authors agreed that durable scholarly impact of social media exists.
31 min.
Dr. Sade mentions the application of ethical principles and ethical concerns with regard to limited resource allocation.
18 min.