Dr. Wilson Ko Appointed Chair of the New Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers
08/17/2009
-- Dr. Michael Zervos Named Chief of Thoracic Surgery --
Contact: Michael Fagan
(212) 604-7965
New York, NY - August 17, 2009 - Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers today announced the formation of a new Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan to be chaired by Dr. Wilson Ko. The new Cardiothoracic Surgery Department greatly expands St. Vincent's capabilities and expertise in the treatment of heart and lung disease. Also, Dr. Michael Zervos has been named Chief of Thoracic Surgery.
Dr. Wilson Ko comes to St. Vincent's from the State University of New York- Downstate Medical Center, where he served as professor and chief of cardiothoracic surgery. Previously, he was director of cardiothoracic surgery at New York Hospital Queens.
'St. Vincent's continues its tradition of excellence and meeting the needs of the community with the formation of the new Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery,' said Henry Amoroso, President and CEO, Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers. 'Dr. Wilson Ko is an outstanding surgeon, who along with his colleagues will provide patients with the most advanced surgical treatments.'
Dr. Ko has a wide range of cardiac surgical specialties including coronary artery bypass, valve repair and replacement, aortic aneurysm repair, and atrial fibrillation ablation; his lung and thoracic disease specialties include lung tumor, cancer and bleb resection, video-assisted thoracoscopy, bronchoscopy, mediastinoscopy, chest tumor resection, and esophageal surgery. In addition, Dr. Ko has special interest in off-pump coronary artery bypass, complete arterial revascularization, complex mitral valve repair, and minimally invasive approaches for cardiac and thoracic surgery.
'We will develop a world class cardiothoracic surgery program that will reach out to all New Yorkers," said Dr. Wilson Ko, St. Vincent's Chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery. "It will be a team effort from all those involved to provide the most innovative and minimally invasive approaches with respectful and compassionate care that reflects the ultimate values of Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers."
Dr. Ko is an accomplished researcher, serving as principal investigator on a wide range of clinical studies. He is widely published in academic, research and clinical journals, including Annals of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Circulation, and The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He has won numerous awards and honors, and is a member of leading professional societies, including as a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Heart Association, and American College of Chest Physicians. He is active with many Chinese-American community services, and is president of the Chinese American Medical Society and a founding member of the National Council of Asian Pacific Physicians.
Dr. Ko received his medical degree from The Chicago Medical School. He completed an internship and a residency in general surgery at The New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center, a research fellowship in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Laboratory at Cornell University Medical College, and a thoracic and cardiovascular surgery fellowship at The New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He has also held academic, clinical and research appointments at The New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Medical College at Cornell University, Cornell University Medical College, and The Chicago Medical School.
In addition to Dr. Ko, the department includes Dr. Christos Stavropoulos, a cardiothoracic surgeon currently at St. Vincent's, and Drs. Kamellia R. Dimitrova and Adam Evan Saltman, cardiothoracic surgeons who will be joining the department. Dr. Dimitrova received her medical degree from Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria. She completed her internship at Georgetown University Hospital and general surgery residency at University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Dimitrova concluded her cardiothoracic surgery training at New York University Medical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Colvin. Her medical/surgical interests include minimally invasive mitral and aortic adult valvular surgery, complete arterial coronary revascularization and surgery on the ascending and thoracic aorta. Dr. Dimitrova is fluent in Russian, Bulgarian, and French.
Dr. Michael Zervos joins St. Vincent's as the Chief of Thoracic Surgery from NYU Langone Medical Center, where he is an attending cardiothoracic surgeon and an assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at New York University School of Medicine.
Dr. Zervos is known for his skill with high-risk cases and minimally invasive approaches to thoracic surgery. His areas of interest include all aspects of thoracic oncological surgery, including esophageal cancers and mediastinal tumors, chest wall deformities and tumors, video-assisted thorascopy, and minimally invasive procedures as frontline treatment and options for palliative care. Dr. Zervos completed his cardiothoracic fellowship at New York University Medical Center.
Saint Vincent's
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (Saint Vincent's) is anchored by St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, an academic medical center located in Greenwich Village, St. Vincent's Westchester, a behavioral health hospital in Westchester County, and continuing care services that include two skilled nursing facilities in Brooklyn, another on Staten Island, a hospice, and a home health agency serving the Metropolitan New York area. Its behavioral health services also provide supportive housing programs for people with mental illness throughout the Metropolitan area. Saint Vincent's is the designated provider for the New York and New Jersey region of the US Family Health Plan sponsored by the US Department of Defense.
Saint Vincent's serves as the academic medical center of New York Medical College in New York City. The healthcare organization is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn and the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York.
