SEPTEMBER, 2018 “ON THE CUTTING EDGE” NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Feature Stories: DR. JONATHAN KEITH: First Phalloplasty in New Jersey DR. STEPHANIE BONNE: Preventing Gun Violence is Personal DR. JAMES GUARRERA: Liver Transplant DR. ANNE MOSENTHAL: Program Exceeds Progress Toward Expectations Strategic Vision 1 Contents Honors & Awards Welcome Highlights GOLDEN APPLE AWARD DR. ASHLEY IGNATIUK DR. HOSSEIN SADEGHI-NEHAD AOA HONORS DR. GORE DR. DUSTIN CUMMINGS DR. ADAM FOX PROMOTIONS DR. JOSEPH OLIVER DR. JESSICA ROUAN GRADUATES NEW RESIDENTS DR. ADAM FOX & DR. FRANK PADBERG WHERE ARE THEY NOW JONATHAN BATISTA RETIREMENTS On the Scene Speakers On a Personal Note WASHINGTON ADVOCACY NATIONAL SPEAKERS AT RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM GRAND ROUNDS Have a great story to tell? SHARE IT WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES: CONTACT DONNA SHORE, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CHAIR, [email protected] SEPTEMBER, 2018 Inside this issue: People doing DR. JONATHAN KEITH: DR. ANNE MOSENTHAL: DR. STEPHANIE BONNE: First Phalloplasty Progress Toward Intervening with in New Jersey Strategic Vision gunshot victims in Page 16 Page 4 “teachable moments” Page 18 People doing ALIKAH GREEN: DR. JAMES GUARRERA: Welcome New “Big Sister” Helps Liver Transplant Surgeons Gun Victims To Program Exceeds Page 6 New Path Expectations Page 20 Page 28 U.S. Senator Cory Booker Visits NJMS U.S. Senator Cory Booker, D- New Jersey, receives a “Gun Violence is a Public Health Issue” T-shirt from Dr. Stephanie Bonne during a visit to Rutgers NJMS. SEPTEMBER, 2018 OUR STRATEGIC VISION: To Raise the Rutgers NJMS Surgery Profile in the Region Through Research, Education, and Specialty Care 4 SURGICAL NOTES FROM THE CHAIR: Progress Toward Strategic Vision By Anne Mosenthal, MD, FACS, Chair, Department of Surgery I hope you share my excitement at the ongoing results of our journey to raise the regional profile of the Rutgers NJMS Department of Surgery as you will see in this newsletter. As we expand the reach of our specialty practices out into We had many distinguished visiting professors the region, the department is seeing the impact of our efforts conduct Grand Rounds lectures this year, including to recruit more people who bring research and innovation an important talk on gun violence in The Dr. Eric such as Dr. James Guarrera. Since his arrival in February Muñoz Memorial Lecture given by Dr. Rochelle as Chief of Abdominal, Liver and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Dr. Dicker from UCLA and attended by New Jersey Guarrera has reinvigorated the Transplant program, Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz, wife of the late performing 20 liver transplants. Read more of the interview Dr. Muñoz. with Dr. Guarrera in this issue. We are excited to announce new physicians who The Rutgers Center for Transgender Health has performed are joining our team: hand surgeon Dr. Ashley gender affirming surgery on its first two patients, including Ignatiuk in Plastic Surgery, Dr. Dustin Cummings, the first phalloplasty in New Jersey. This is an exciting a minimally invasive surgeon and Dr. Joseph program for us, a collaborative center that will provide a full Oliver, one of our former graduates, in general spectrum of medical, psychiatric and surgical care for the surgery. transgender person. Read more in the story with program co-founder Dr. Jonathan Keith, assistant professor in We celebrated retirements of two longtime, stalwart the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. members of our faculty and wish farewell to Dr. Paul Bolanowski, and Dr. Anne Sheffet. As surgeons, especially in Trauma, we seek hope in efforts to reduce the impact of the epidemic of gun violence. Many I am extremely proud of our residents and they are of our colleagues participated in The Student Walkout featured throughout our newsletter. We graduated for Gun Violence Awareness in March. A new program another cohort of spectacular residents and you can within Trauma, led by Dr. Stephanie Bonne, is making see the amazing places where they are going next. gains in helping victims of gun violence find a new path. At the same time, we welcomed in the new class Read more about Dr. Bonne’s work and collaboration with —one of our most diverse groups and you can meet caseworker Alikah Green. them here. Within the past year, we have begun work on integrating our I appreciate hearing story ideas from several of practices with University Hospital as an opportunity to focus you who reached out after the first issue of “On the on delivering a consistently high-quality experience with more Cutting Edge,” which you will see published. patient-centered care. To further enhance our capabilities, we are also launching a new performance improvement initiative. 5 Welcome New Surgery Department Physicians Dr. Ashley Ignatiuk Brings “Wide Awake Hand Surgery” Ashley Ignatiuk, MD, MSc, FRCSC Dr. Ignatiuk said he is excited about looks forward to bringing new capability “Wide awake hand the opportunities “to join a great group” in “wide awake” hand surgery and a surgery is more like as part of the Division of Plastic and brachial plexus clinic to the Division of going to the dentist Reconstructive Surgery. “They are Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery as doing fantastic stuff with trauma, cancer a primary specialist in hand and wrist using local anesthesia and burn reconstruction. I look forward surgery. He is an Assistant Professor for treatment of to test my skills with the type of cases of Plastic Surgery and an Attending at carpal tunnel and that come in.” University Hospital. trigger finger.” In addition to hand surgery for carpal Dr. Ignatiuk comes to Rutgers NJMS tunnel and trigger fingers, Dr. Ignatiuk Surgery from the University of Colorado “It is better for the patients and for will perform breast reconstruction, head Hospital in Denver. Board-certified me, they can participate and talk and neck reconstruction, and treat in Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery, with me during the surgery. It is more Raynaud’s Syndrome and Spasticity. he completed a Fellowship at the cost effective and has better patient University of Texas Southwestern outcomes,” Dr. Ignatiuk said. Medical School. He completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at In partnership with orthopedist Dr. the University of Western Ontario Michael Vosbikian, Dr. Ignatiuk said and earned his medical degree at the they will launch a brachial plexus and University of Saskatchewan College peripheral nerve clinic. “It will be a big of Medicine. part of limb restoration and limb salvage programs for high energy injuries such as in motorcycle crashes.” 6 Dustin Cummings, MD, M.P.H., Joseph Oliver, MD, M.P.H Asst. Bariatric Surgeon Professor, General Surgery Dr. Dustin Cummings has joined the Former Administrative Chief Department of Surgery as Assistant Resident Dr. Joseph Oliver returns Professor, General Surgery. With to Rutgers NJMS Surgery after experience in bariatric surgery, Dr. a Fellowship at the University of Cummings will predominately provide Southern California. clinical services at New Bridge Medical Center, NBMC. Dr. Oliver, an Assistant Professor, General Surgery, will practice Dr. Cummings comes to Rutgers predominately at New Bridge Medical NJMS Department of Surgery from Center, NBMC. a fellowship in minimally invasive foregut/bariatric surgery at the Prior to completing his residency in University of Washington in Seattle. General Surgery at Rutgers, NJMS, He completed a residency in general Dr. Oliver was a Research Fellow in surgery at Icahn School of Medicine the Department of Surgery, Division at Mount Sinai Health System. of Liver Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery at Rutgers NJMS. Dr. Cummings earned his medical degree and a Master of Public Health A graduate of Rutgers New Jersey in epidemiology at the University of Medical School, Dr. Oliver earned an Michigan Medical School. MPH in Quantitative Methods, Biostatistics at Rutgers School of Public Health, and his undergraduate degree from Lafayette College. Welcome Introducing New Finance Manager JONATHAN BATISTA, MBA, MPA Jonathan Batista, MBA, MPA joins the Department of Batista said, “I was attracted to this opportunity in that it Surgery as the new Finance Manager. is a new position, Rutgers’ reputation, its leadership in the community, and the accomplishments of the Department Batista comes to Rutgers NJMS Department of Surgery from and faculty.” the Science Division of City College of New York where his nine years of service included roles as Finance Manager, Sr. Batista, who started July 2 said he will be interviewing all the Budget Advisor to the Provost and Administrative Executive division chiefs and their staff members to understand their Coordinator. Previously Jonathan was a Senior Analyst at JP needs for financial reporting for day-to-day decisions, and Morgan Chase. with the UPA staff, about their financial needs. Consolidating financial reporting efforts from others who have done the Batista earned an MPA, Masters’ in Public Management work for their own divisions will be important, Batista said. & Public Policy at Baruch College, an MBA in Accounting, and is pursuing his CPA. “My goal is to bring experience and best practices to this role to make sure we have enough resources for capital purposes, This is a new position for the Department of student aid and facilities’ needs,” Batista said. Surgery, reporting to Larry Gold, Interim Vice Chair, Administration. Batista will be responsible for overseeing the Little known fact: At CCNY Jonathan frequently saw financial management of the department, supporting and renowned theoretical physicist and professor Dr. Michio Kaku developing the annual operating budget, financial planning, in the halls or the elevator. “I noticed how often we got the reporting, analysis and forecasting. Financial oversight of same ‘M&Ms’ out of the vending machine.” sponsored and non-sponsored funds and representing the department to the school administration are also part of Batista’s responsibilities. SEPTEMBER, 2018 Welcome New Residents In June we hosted a welcome reception for our newest residents.