Member News May 2024

Gilliland Is President and Future CEO of Geisinger

Terry Gilliland, MD, FACS, a general surgeon in Steamboat, Colorado, has been named president of Geisinger Health in Danville, Pennsylvania. He also will assume the role of chief executive officer (CEO) at Geisinger once the current CEO transitions to a new position. Previously, Dr. Gilliland was chief medical officer at the artificial intelligence precision health company Cogitativo in Berkeley, California.

Woo Is Promoted in Hawaii

Pediatric surgeon Russell K. Woo, MD, FACS, is the first associate dean for clinical programs at Hawaii Pacific Health (HPH) and chief academic officer for the HPH Medical Group, both in Honolulu. Before these new roles, Dr. Woo was a professor and associate chair for research in the Department of Surgery at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) in Honolulu. He also served as the JABSOM Department of Surgery’s director of surgical education at the Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu. Dr. Woo is a Governor-at-Large on the ACS Board of Governors and holds other ACS roles.

Backhus Receives Named Professorship at Stanford

Leah Backhus, MD, MPH, FACS, was named the Thelma and Henry Doelger Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Stanford Medicine in California. Dr. Backhus—a cardiothoracic surgeon—serves as chief of thoracic surgery at the VA Palo Alto Health Care in California, as well as co-director of the Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research Program and associate program director of the thoracic track in the CT Surgery Residency Training Program, both with Stanford Medicine.

Fraser Takes Over Pediatric Surgery in Phoenix

Jason D. Fraser, MD, FACS, is the new division chief of pediatric surgery at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona. He also serves as a professor at the Mayo Clinic, Creighton University School of Medicine, and University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix, all in Arizona. Dr. Fraser previously served as medical director of the Opioid Stewardship Program, director of the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program, director of bariatric surgery, and director of general surgery residents at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri.

Hasson Leads DEI at the Brigham

Rian M. Hasson, MD, MPH, FACS, has taken on a first-of-its-kind role in the Department of Surgery at Brigham Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts—vice chair for diversity, equity, and inclusion. A cardiothoracic surgeon, she also will serve as an associate surgeon in the Division of Thoracic Surgery. Before joining the Brigham, Dr. Hasson was an assistant professor of surgery at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, both in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. She also was the director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program and the founding co-director of the Lung Health and Pulmonary Nodule Clinic at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Dissanaike Will Become Chair of Surgery in New Mexico

Sharmila Dissanaike, MD, FACS, FCCM, will take over as chair of the Department of Surgery at The University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque. She will assume the new role in August. Dr. Dissanaike currently is the Peter C. Canizaro Chair and University Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock. For the ACS, she is a member of the Board of Governors Physician Competency and Health Workgroup, a Governor of the North Texas Chapter, Vice-Chair of the Clinical Congress Program Committee, and holds other ACS roles.

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.