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CONTACT: Beth-Ann Kerber
Communications & Public Affairs
732-235-9680, kerberbe@umdnj.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 4, 2013
Nationally Recognized Specialist to Lead RWJ Cardiothoracic Surgery Programs
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ -- With an eye on innovation and "pushing the envelope" on advanced cardiac surgical care, Leonard Y. Lee, MD, has been named associate professor of surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and chief of the division of cardiothoracic surgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH).
"We welcome Dr. Lee's expertise and leadership, as we continue to enhance our cardiothoracic surgery services," says Peter S. Amenta, MD, PhD, dean of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "We are confident that he will help us not only continue to deliver exceptional surgical care for cardiac patients, but also to drive efforts to keep Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at the forefront of advanced treatments, technology, and clinical research."
A board-certified, fellowship-trained cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Lee joins RWJMS and RWJUH after leadership roles at Hackensack University Medical Center, where he served as chief of the division of cardiothoracic surgery and surgical director of the Heart & Vascular Hospital. While there, Dr. Lee developed new programs involving minimally invasive surgical approaches to heart disease and repairs of complex thoracic aortic aneurysms of all types.
"We are extremely excited to have Dr. Lee join the Robert Wood Johnson team," says Stephen K. Jones, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Health System. "Dr. Lee is a talented clinician who strongly believes in our cardiothoracic surgery program and is committed to working with patients and physicians in our community to achieve superior outcomes."
Prior to his position at Hackensack, Dr. Lee was director of the cardiac surgery program and chief of the division of cardiothoracic surgery at New York Methodist Hospital, part of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell Heart Center. He also served as associate clinical professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
"I am pleased to be part of such a vibrant academic medical center steeped in tradition and excellence in patient care," says Dr. Lee. "Year after year, U.S. News & World Report rankings have evidenced that tradition of quality and innovation, and I look forward to being part of such a prestigious team. My goal is to build on what is here and to raise that public persona even more nationally."
A 1992 graduate of RWJMS, Dr. Lee completed his residency in general surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City, where he served as chief resident. He performed a research fellowship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and a clinical cardiothoracic fellowship there and at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. His numerous heart surgery and heart disease clinical research trials included one focused on reprogramming the heart using gene therapy to perform what he calls a "biologic bypass" of the heart.
Dr. Lee has been recognized nationally for his work, having published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and contemporary medical textbooks. Dr. Lee was also named one of America's Top Surgeons by the Consumer Research Council of America and a Top Doctor in the New York Metro Area by Castle Connolly.
He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Chest Physicians, and American College of Surgeons, as well as a member of all major cardiothoracic and cardiological societies.
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About UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
As one of the nation's leading comprehensive medical schools, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school's principal affiliate, they comprise one of the nation's premier academic medical centers. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region.
As one of the eight schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, with 2,800 full-time and volunteer faculty, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 22 basic science and clinical departments, hosts centers and institutes including The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels for more than 1,500 students on its campuses in New Brunswick, Piscataway, and Camden, and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community education programs. To learn more about Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, visit rwjms.umdnj.edu. Find us online at www.Facebook.com/RWJMS and www.twitter.com/UMDNJ_RWJMS.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. RWJUH is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. It is the first hospital in the nation to implant the AbioCor self-contained artificial heart since the device received FDA approval in 2006. RWJUH is one of only three sites in the nation approved to offer this groundbreaking technology.
Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women's and children's care, including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is among U.S. News & World Report's 2011 "America's Best Hospitals." It is the fifth consecutive year that RWJUH has achieved this prestigious ranking. The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated RWJUH as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified RWJUH as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. RWJUH is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for more than 10 consecutive years.
