Nussbaum Named Interim Chair of UC's Surgery Department

CINCINNATI—The University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine has appointed Michael Nussbaum, MD, interim chair of the department of surgery following the resignation of Jeffrey Matthews, MD.

Matthews, who served as Christian R. Holmes professor and surgery chair for five years, will assume chairmanship of the department of surgery at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine on Oct. 1. A search to replace him will begin this fall. 

“Seeing someone like Jeff leave is always bittersweet,” says David Stern, MD, dean of the College of Medicine, “but I know Mike will step in where he left off and maintain the momentum for superb patient care and research excellence that the department of surgery has achieved under Jeff’s direction.”

During his UC tenure, Matthews doubled the department's research funding—elevating UC’s department of surgery to 13^th in funding from the National Institutes of Health. He also doubled clinical revenue through an expanded clinical trials program, increased surgical weight loss and cosmetic surgery procedures, and multidisciplinary specialized care clinics for pancreatic, liver and vascular disease. The number of UC medical students choosing surgery as their specialty quadrupled as the result of specific initiatives to attract women and other minorities.

Matthews was also instrumental in establishing the Center for Surgical Innovation. This $9.5 million, state-of-the-art research and teaching center brings together military, academic and industry experts to tackle unmet medical needs. Its work focuses specifically on minimally invasive robotic surgery and telesurgery techniques.

Nussbaum, a 26-year faculty member, is professor and vice chairman of clinical affairs in UC’s surgery department and chief of staff at University Hospital. Stern says the gastrointestinal surgeon is a proven leader locally and nationwide, most recently in his role as a member of the board of directors of both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

“This department is about innovation in health care,” says Nussbaum, “improvements that will make a daily impact on the lives of our patients and teach aspiring surgeons to become better caregivers. Moving forward as a team, we’ll continue that strong vision reinforced under Jeff’s leadership and work to propel UC’s department of surgery to an even greater future.”