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association of va surgeons 

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Welcome to the AVAS

The Association of VA Surgeons was established in 1967. We are dedicated to improving healthcare for veterans, medical education and research conducted by surgeons within the VA.

Our goals are:

  • to promote the interchange of ideas and issues that affect VA surgeons
  • to provide a forum for discussion of issues of concern to the membership
  • formulation of an organized representation


Officers (2023 - 2024)


President: Mary Hawn, MD

President-Elect: Danny Chu, MD

Past President: George Sarosi, MD

Vice-President: Edith Tzeng, MD

Secretary: Nader Massarweh, MD

Treasurer: Kathleen Raman, MD

Recorder: Brian Smith, MD

Governor, ACS: Seth Spector, MD

Committees

Archives Committee

Chair: Kenneth Lipshy, MD

Members:

  • Gordon Telford, MD - Milwaukee, WI
  • Bill Cheadle, MD - Louisville, KY
  • Bob Kozol, MD - Lakeworth, FL
  • Kamal Itani, MD - West Roxbury, MA
  • John Tarpley, MD - Nashville, TN
  • Aaron Fink, MD - Sarasota, FL
  • Kenneth Lipshy, MD - Salisbury, NC

Audit Committee

Chair: George Sarosi, MD, Gainesville, FL (2024)


Members:

    • Ronnie Rosenthal, MD - New Haven, CT (2024)
    • Jason Gold, MD - Boston, MA (2024)


    Awards Committee

    Chair: Michael Amendola, MD - Richmond, VA (2026)


    Members:

    • Rachel Danczyk, MD - Albuquerque, NM (2024)
    • Scott Damrauer, MD - Philadelphia, PA (2024)
    • Mary Carr, MD - Columbia, MO (2026)
    • Louisa Pecchioni, MD Dayton, OH (2026)

    Bylaws Committee

    Chair: Dan Hall, MD - Pittsburgh, PA (2026) 

    Members:

    • Vivienne Halpern, MD - Phoenix, AZ (2024)
    • Konstantin Makris, MD - Houston, TX (2024)
    • ​David Heffernan, MD - Providence, RI (2024)
    • Alan Dardik, MD - New Haven, CT (2026)

    • Ronnie Rosenthal, MD - New Haven, CT (2026)

    Communications Committee

    Chair: Edward Jones, MD - Aurora, CO  (2025)
    Members:
    • Alejandro Bribiesco, MD - Cleveland, OH (2024)
    • Viraj Pandit, MD - Fresno, CA (2025)
    • Tom Masterson, MD - Miami, FL (2025)

    AVAS Council of Chiefs

    Chair: Jason Johanning, MD - Omaha, NE (2024)

    Vice-Chair: Lindsay Goldstein, MD - Gainesville, FL (2024)

    AVAS Foundation

    Chair: Seth Spector, MD - Miami, FL (2004)

    Members:
    • Alan Dardik, MD - New Haven, CT (2025)
    • Jason Johanning, MD - Omaha, NE (2025)
    • Melissa Perkal, MD - New Haven, CT (2025)
    • ​James Maloney, MD - Madison, WI (2025)
    • Kathleen Raman, MD - Boston, MA (2025)

    Local Arrangements Committee

    • ​2024 - Seth Spector, MD (Miami, FL)
    • 2025 - Nader Massarweh (Atlanta, GA)


    Membership Committee

    Chair: Robert Krouse, MD - Philadelphia, PA (2025)

    Members:

    • Daniel Hall, MD - Pittsburgh, PA (2024)
    • ​Iraklis Pipinos, MD - Omaha, NE (2024)
    • Courtney Balentine, MD - Birmingham, AL (2025)
    • Kelly McCoy, MD - Pittsburgh, PA (2025)
    • Ex Officio: Nader Massarweh, MD, Atlanta, GA (2025)

    Nominating Committee

    Chair: George Sarosi, MD - Gainesville, FL (2024)

    Members:

    • Ronnie Rosenthal New Haven, CT 2024
    • Olamide Alabi Atlanta, GA 2024
    • Preeti John Baltimore, MD 2024
    • Eric Ballert Lexington, KY 2024


    Program Committee

    Chair: Jacquelyn Quin, MD - West Roxbury, MA (2024)

    Vice-Chair: Shipra Arya, MD - Stanford, CA (2024)

    ​Members:

    • Sunil Tholpady, MD - Indianapolis, IN (2024)
    • Brooke Trainer, MD - Richmond, VA (2024)
    • Naixin Kang, MD - Miami, FL (2025)
    • Melissa Perkal, MD - New Haven, CT (2025)
    • Elizabeth Paulus, MD - Miami, FL (2025)
    • Brad Schmit, MD - Gainesville, FL (2026)
    • Mathew Hiro, MD - Bay Pines, FL (2026)
    • Ex Officio: Nader Massarweh, MD - Atlanta, GA (2025)
    • Ex Officio: Brian Smith, MD - Long Beach, CA (2024)

    Research Committee

    Chair: Jonathan Mitchem, MD - Cleveland, OH (2026)

    Members:
    • Andrew Eppstein, MD - Indianapolis, IN (2024)
    • Emily Spangler, MD - Birmingham, AL (2025)
    • Courtney Balentine, MD - Birmingham, AL (2025)
    • Scott Robinson, MD - Gainesville, FL (2026)
    • Syed Ammer Shah, MD - Richmond, VA (2026)
    • Tamara McKenzie-Jophnson, MD - Atlanta, GA (2026)


    ACS Committee on Trauma Representative

    • Ken Lipshy, MD - Salisbury, NC (2024)

    Diversity and Inclusion Committee 

    Chair: Olamide Alabi, MD - Atlanta, GA (2025)

    Members:

    • Reynold I. Lopez-Soler, MD, PhD - Hin es, IL (2024)
    • Fatima Wilder, MD - West Roxbury, MA (2025)
    • Amelia Maiga, MD - Nashville, TN (2025)

    Publications Committee (Ad Hoc)

    Chair: Gale Tang, MD - Seattle, WA (2026)

    • Vice-Chair: James Maloney, MD - Madison, WI (2026)
    • Ex-officio (President) Mary Hawn, MD - Stanford, CA (2024)
    • Ex-officio (Program Chair) Jacquelyn Quin, MD - West Roxbury, MA (2024)
    • Ex-officio (Recorder) Brian Smith, MD - Long Beach, CA (2024)

    Members:

    • Daniel Hall, MD - Pittsburgh, PA
    • Vanita Ahuja, MD - West Haven, CT
    • Jussuf Kaifi, MD - Columbia, MO
    • Jacquelyn Quin, MD - West Roxbury, MA
    • Nader Massarweh, MD - Houston, TX
    • David Berger, MD - Brooklyn, NY
    • Leila Mureebe, MD - Durham, NY
    • Christopher Larocca, MD - Minneapolis, MN
    • Elizabeth Paulus, MD - Miami, FL
    • Bard Cosman, MD - San Diego, CA

    2024 © Association of VA Surgeons

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