KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine and Truman Medical Centers (TMC) are pleased to announce the appointment of Mark L. Friedell, M.D., F.A.C.S., as the new Chair of the Department of Surgery for the UMKC School of Medicine and Truman Medical Centers. Dr. Friedell will also serve as the Ralph R. Coffey Endowed Chair in Surgery at UMKC.
“The UMKC School of Medicine is pleased to welcome Dr. Friedell,” said Betty M. Drees, M.D., Dean of the UMKC School of Medicine. “Dr. Friedell brings with him an extensive background and impressive accomplishments as both an educator and clinician. We look forward to his leadership in filling this important position.”
Dr. Friedell comes to UMKC from Orlando, Florida where he currently is the General Surgery Program Director for Orlando Health and a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and the University of Florida College of Medicine. He received his medical degree at the University of Bologna, completed his surgical residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and his vascular surgery fellowship at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. He currently serves as President of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery, the organization that represents all of the surgery program directors in the country. He is also a Past-President of the Florida Vascular Society.
Dr. Friedell is a frequent presenter at national scientific meetings and has published numerous articles on subjects in vascular surgery, general surgery and surgical education, including recent articles in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, the Journal of Surgical Education and the American Surgeon. He has been elected to Best Doctors in America for the past eight years and this year is listed as a best doctor in US News & World Report.
“Dr. Friedell is a proven leader at both the local and national levels in the field of surgery who will bring new and innovative ideas to the Department of Surgery,” said Mark T. Steele, M.D., TMC Chief Medical Officer and UMKC School of Medicine Associate Dean for Truman programs.
Dr. Friedell will assume his positions as academic chair at UMKC and clinical chair at TMC in January, 2012. The UMKC School of Medicine Department of Surgery includes more than 90 faculty, the majority of whom share joint appointments at Truman Medical Centers and Saint Luke’s Hospital. Sections within the Department of Surgery include General Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Urology, Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Vascular Surgery and Podiatry.
Dr. Friedell will also provide leadership for the UMKC Surgical Residency Program. The surgical residents receive training at Truman Medical Center, Saint Luke’s Medical Center, the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital and Research Medical Center. The program has 29 residents and offers training in all major subspecialties in general surgery. Five general surgery residents are accepted each year into the five-year program. Chief residents will have participated in an average of 1,200 operating room procedures, including 800-1,000 as operating surgeon by graduation.
“An accomplished educator and clinician, Dr. Friedell is an exceptional addition to the surgical residency program at Saint Luke’s,” said Julie Quirin, CEO, Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City. “His experience and vision will ensure our residents continue to hone their skills in an environment of compassionate, state-of-the-art care.”
About Saint Luke’s Hospital
Saint Luke’s Hospital is a member of Saint Luke’s Health System, which consists of 11 area hospitals and several primary and specialty care practices, and provides a range of inpatient, outpatient, and home care services. Founded as a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, our mission includes a commitment to the highest levels of excellence in health care and the advancement of medical research and education. The health system is an aligned organization in which the physicians and hospitals assume responsibility for enhancing the physical, mental, and spiritual health of people in the metropolitan Kansas City area and the surrounding region.
About TMC
Truman Medical Centers is a not-for-profit two acute-care hospital health system in Kansas City. The TMC Health System includes TMC Hospital Hill, TMC Lakewood, TMC Behavioral Health, the Jackson County Health Departments and a number of primary care practices throughout Eastern Jackson County. Recently named one of the nation’s top academic medical centers, TMC is the primary teaching hospital for the University of Missouri-Kansas City Schools of Health Sciences and specializes in asthma, bariatrics, diabetes, women’s health, and trauma services. For more information, please call (816) 404-3785 or visit www.trumed.org.
About the UMKC School of Medicine
The UMKC School of Medicine was founded in 1971 as an innovative combined degree program. From its baccalaureate/MD curriculum to a docent system that emphasizes small group learning, the school has remained a trendsetter in medical education and research. For more information about the UMKC School of Medicine, visit www.med.umkc.edu/. You can also find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.