Meeting Our Founder's Challenge to Achieve Excellence in Patient Care, Research and Education
In a previous article (Stony Brook Surgery at 50: Honoring Founding Department Chair Harry Soroff's Legacy and Challenges for the Future), we looked back at Dr. Harry S. Soroff's challenges for the future of Stony Brook's Department of Surgery. He asked, "What of the future? Will the name of Stony Brook be associated with excellence and innovation? Will our faculty be at the forefront of surgical progress?"
After a 15-year term as the Chair of Surgery, Dr. Soroff stepped down and passed the torch to a continuing line of strong leaders who have built upon the steadfast foundation that was forged in our early years.
Felix T. Rapaport, MD (1989-1992)
In 1989, Dr. Felix T. Rapaport (SUNY Distinguished Professor) assumed leadership as Acting Chairman of the Department of Surgery. Dr. Rapaport arrived at Stony Brook in 1977 and was the founder of our Division of Transplantation.
Before Dr. Rapaport’s arrival at Stony Brook, Long Islanders who needed a lifesaving kidney transplant were forced to go to New York City for surgery. More than 400 transplants were performed at Stony Brook during his tenure as chief of the transplantation service.
In October 2000, Dr. Rapaport retired after 23 years of service at Stony Brook.
Naji N. Abumrad, MD (1992-1996)
In January of 1992, Dr. Naji N. Abumrad joined the Stony Brook faculty and assumed the chairmanship. Dr. Abumrad (Chair, Professor of Molecular Physiology and Acting Dean of the School of Medicine) continued the development of the department, overseeing a number of successful achievements including: establishment of the comprehensive Breast Center that became the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Care Center, ACGME accreditation the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ENT) residency program and Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) gaining Suffolk County Regional (Level I) Trauma Center designation, all in 1993.
In 1994, the Department of Surgery expanded its services to the East End of Long Island with the establishment of the Life Care Center in Hampton Bays. The following year saw the opening of the Skull Base Institute (the first on Long Island) to provide multidisciplinary cranial base surgery. The Skull Base Institute began performing the county's first cochlear implant surgery (providing the only service of this kind in the area).
The Divisions of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Surgical Research (which provided "core" laboratories to facilitate research efforts) were also created during the Abumrad years.
Wayne C. Waltzer, MD (1996-1997)
Dr. Wayne C. Waltzer (Professor of Surgery and Chairman of Urology) assumed leadership of the department in 1996. Dr. Waltzer, who had joined the Stony Brook Surgery faculty as an instructor in 1979, served as acting chairman until June 1997, when John J. Ricotta, MD, joined the faculty as chairman.
Dr. Waltzer is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Urology. He has overseen the departments great expansion and developed a robust urology residency program.
John J. Ricotta, MD (1997-2008)
Dr. John J. Ricotta (Chair, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Vascular Surgery) led the department during a period of consequential growth. His term saw the creation of the multi-specialty Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery and the expansion of diverse programs in minimally invasive surgery. The Education Division was also created to boost resident and medical student teaching programs; and the implementation of the ACGME-accredited Surgical Critical Care residency, Colon and Rectal Surgery residency and integrated (five-year) Vascular Surgery residency programs further strengthened the department's training abilities.
Dr. Ricotta also greatly grew the department's faculty, hiring several of our current surgical leaders who continue to distinguish the department's clinical and academic excellence, including:
- Allison J. McLarty, MD - Interim Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Chief of Surgery, Northport VA Medical Center; Co-Director, Ventricular Assist Device Program; Head, Lung Cancer Program; Professor of Surgery
- David A. Schessel, MD, PhD - Former Chief of the Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Associate Professor of Surgery
- Richard J. Scriven, MD - Pediatric Medical Director, Trauma Center; former Director of the General Surgery Residency Program, Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics
- Apostolos K. Tassiopoulos, MD - Chair of the Department of Surgery, Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Director, Vascular Center; Co-Director, Aortic Center; Professor of Surgery
- James A. Vosswinkel, MD - Chief of Trauma, Emergency Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care; Medical Director, Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU); Medical Director, Trauma Center; Assistant Professor of Surgery
In addition, former faculty who made significant contributions to the Department of Surgery, included:
- Marvin L. Corman, MD - Former Professor of Surgery, authored/edited Corman's Colon and Rectal Surgery, which Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) called "the gold standard in its discipline."
- Alexander B. Dagum, MD - Former Interim Chair of the Department of Surgery, former Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, former Director of the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Center and the Cleft Lip/Palate and Craniofacial Team, former Professor of Surgery
Several of Dr. Ricotta's faculty recruits have been recognized as national and international leaders in their fields.
In 2015, the John J. Ricotta Professorship in Surgery was established to honor the excellent legacy of Dr. Ricotta's tenure at Stony Brook.
Todd K. Rosengart, MD (2009-2012)
After Dr. Ricotta's departure, Dr. Todd K. Rosengart, who had joined Stony Brook Surgery in 2006 as the Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, served as Interim Chair for a year before being appointed Chairman of the Department of Surgery in 2009. Dr. Rosengart continued as the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery during his time as chairman.
At the beginning of Dr. Rosengart's term as chairman, the Department of Surgery had grown to 36 full-time faculty members. By the end of his term, the department had recruited numerous highly skilled faculty members and had grown to almost 50 physicians. This growth allowed for advances in clinical care and translational research.
Dr. Rosengart also oversaw the continued accreditation of our general surgery residency program. The department now had five ACGME-approved residency and fellowship programs: General Surgery, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery, Vascular Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. Nearly 200 surgeons had been trained in our general surgery residency since the first graduating class in 1975.
Research and education flourished during Dr. Rosengart's term as evidenced by:
- The creation of the high-tech Surgical Skills Center, which served as a state-of-the-art training resource for all of our surgery residents.
- The establishment of our annual Research Day, department research seed grant program, and the appointment of the department's first vice chair for research helped to advance scientific knowledge to improve patient care.
Other achievements under Dr. Rosengart's leadership included:
- The creation of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Division and the formation of the Upper Gastrointestinal and General Oncologic Surgery Group to address complex GI tumors and other diseases of the GI tract with the use of minimally invasive surgery.
- A new outpatient office in Smithtown opened to provide wider access to our clinical services.
- The appointment of the department's first vice chair for clinical affairs.
Dr. Rosengart's term ended in August 2012 when he accepted the position of chairman of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.
Alexander B. Dagum, MD (2012-2013)
Dr. Alexander B. Dagum, Chief of Stony Brook Surgery's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Division and Professor of Surgery, was named Interim Chair upon Dr. Rosengart's departure. Dr. Dagum served as interim chairman for nearly a full year, continuing the progress the department had seen under his predecessor. This included hiring new faculty, advancing patient care, education, research and community service.
Dr. Dagum retired from Stony Brook Surgery's Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2024.
Mark A. Talamini, MD (2013-2021)
A national leader with a reputation for surgical innovation, Dr. Mark A. Talamini became our fifth chairman in October of 2013. One of his first accomplishments was expanding our faculty (to more than 60 full-time members including our current Chief of Surgical Oncology Aaron Sasson, MD; and our current Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Deborah Nagle, MD) and growing our residency and fellowship programs (a new Plastic Surgery integrated six-year residency, a Podiatric Surgery residency, a Venous and Lymphatic Medicine fellowship and a Mastery in General Surgery fellowship).
There was also expansion in making the Department of Surgery's services available to a wider community with the opening of multiple offices in Centereach (Vascular Center/Center for Vein Care and the General/Gastrointestinal Surgery Bariatric & Metabolic Weight Loss Center), the establishment of hernia, gastroparesis, pancreatic cancer, and pancreatitis centers; and new practice locations throughout Suffolk County, including Advanced Specialty Care in Commack, Southampton Hospital and Long Island Community Hospital. And in 2017, SBUH became Suffolk County's only Adult and Pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center (the highest-level designated by the American College of Surgeons). SBUH also achieved another first that year when it opened two fully-equipped state-of-the-art hybrid operating rooms, becoming the first hospital in the Northeast to have such technology.
Apostolos K. Tassiopoulos, MD (2021-Current)
After having joined the Stony Brook Department of Surgery's Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery in 2006, and being named Chief of that division in 2012, Dr. Apostolos K. Tassiopoulos assumed Surgery's leadership position upon Dr. Talamini's departure in 2021. The department has continued its growth (now consisting of ten divisions and more than 60 full-time faculty members) and breadth of providing exceptional patient care and cutting-edge treatments (we currently have locations strategically situated throughout Suffolk County, from Commack to The Hamptons and The North Fork).
Under Dr. Tassiopoulos, the Department of Surgery has furthered its commitment to advancing our residents’ clinical and academic skills. Utilizing ground-breaking surgical interventions, advanced simulation training (in our Clinical Skills Center and Surgical Skills Lab) and innovative research, Stony Brook Surgery ensures that our residents are prepared to deliver the highest quality, patient-centered care to their patients.
Other accomplishments and innovations overseen during Dr. Tassiopoulos' current term as chair include advances in fighting COVID-19, expanded use of minimally invasive and robotic surgeries, the adoption of ultra-high definition surgical video and new treatments for cancer and other diseases.
Looking back at the strong leadership of the Department of Surgery over its 50-year history reveals a dedication to providing advanced patient care, education, research and community service. Continuing this pattern of excellence is a fulfillment of Dr. Harry Soroff's challenge for the future and legacy of success begun five decades ago.