FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               

For more information, contact:

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Sheila Champlin – (901) 448-4957, schampli@uthsc.edu

 

First Colon, Rectal Surgery Fellowship in Tennessee Approved by

 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education

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New Fellowship Program Launched at

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

College of Medicine, Chattanooga

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           Chattanooga, Tenn. (January 7, 2011) – David C. Seaberg, MD, dean for the UT College of Medicine, Chattanooga, and R. Phillip Burns, MD, chair for the Department of Surgery, are pleased to announce that in October 2010, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and its Residency Review Committee approved accreditation for the first Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship in Tennessee at the UT College of Medicine, Chattanooga.  The one-year fellowship program will train one board-certified general surgeon or board-eligible general surgeon each year in the specialty area of colon and rectal surgery.  The first fellow is being recruited to begin training in July 2011.

            The Department of Surgery is the core sponsor for the program, and the primary affiliated training site will be Erlanger Health System.  Funding will be provided from the UT College of Medicine, Chattanooga, and Erlanger. 

            Three board-certified colon and rectal surgeons -- affiliated with University Surgical Associates, the southeast region's largest general surgery and general surgery subspecialty practice -- will provide teaching and supervision for the program.  These physicians hold faculty appointments in the Department of Surgery in Chattanooga: Richard A. Moore, MD, PhD, program director; J. Daniel Stanley, MD, associate program director, and Shauna Lorenzo-Rivero, MD.

            According to Dr. Moore, "Surgical subspecialization has been shown to improve outcomes in several ways.  It has led to increased lymph node harvest in oncologic resection, decreased recurrence of rectal cancer with total mesorectal excision, decreased operative time in both open and laparoscopic cases, and decreased length of stay due to decreased ileus."  Dr. Stanley added, "Surgery and surgical training are moving toward subspecialization.  An improved academic environment will enhance the development of quality centers, including research and innovation, data bases, improved care in the area of colon and rectal cancer, and incontinence and pelvic floor disorders."

            In acknowledging the newly accredited program, Dean Seaberg stated, "The university fully appreciates the efforts of those leading the fellowship and our partner, Erlanger Health System.  We are proud to have the first accredited Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship within the UT system as well as in Tennessee."

            For more information about the Colon and Rectal Surgery Program, contact Dr. Richard Moore or Dr. J. Daniel Stanley at (423) 778-7695.  Also visit www.utcomchatt.org for more information about our residency and fellowship programs.

            The University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga is part of the statewide academic health system: The University of Tennessee Health Science Center.  The Chattanooga campus is separately accredited by the ACGME to sponsor residency and fellowship programs in a variety of specialties.  The primary clinical affiliated institution is Erlanger Health System.

            For more information about the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga, visit:  www.utcomchatt.org or e-mail emcghee@uthsc.edu.

            As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service.  In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrates its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care.  Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.  UTHSC has additional colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy plus an Allied Health Sciences unit in Knoxville, as well as a College of Medicine campus in Chattanooga.  Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state.  For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu.

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