Message from the Chair
A
s we welcome Summer 2018 we are reflecting on a year of dynamic clinical and programmatic advances in the LSU Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Michael Hartman, M.D., associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, has been named assistant team physician for the beloved New Orleans Saints. In addition to those responsibilities, Dr. Hartman remains at the helm as our program residency director; Abhishek (Abe) Kumar will contribute his talents in the role of assistant program director. This year’s residency match was very rewarding as we were able to secure four outstanding residents into our program: Drs. Scott Barnett, Rocio Crabb, Stuart Schexnayder, and Patrik Suwak . They will hit the ground running on July 1, actually earlier at boot camp in Texas, while at the same time our department undertakes the ambitious goal of expanding our residency capacity to five—and perhaps six— positions. Further expanding the dimensions of our programs are the new faculty we have brought on board. The pace of our departmental growth is picking up while the capabilities of our specialists continue to grow. In addition, we retain a strong commitment to diversity. Among our new faculty are Meredith Warner, M.D., M.B.A., a foot and ankle surgeon, Anna Cohen-Rosenblum, M.D., a total joint surgeon, and Carter Clement, M.D., a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Kim Mix, Ph.D. is joining us on sabbatical from Loyola University, Luis Marrero, Ph.D. joins our department as research professor of orthopedics, and Jennifer Simkin, Ph.D. joins the department as an assistant professor of research. March was an especially lively month as New Orleans was the host of the 2018 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Many of our faculty and students took to “the podium” to showcase their research projects. As this newsletter is being written, the Louisiana legislature is debating the issue of funding for private/public partnerships. While we anticipate that things will be resolved in our favor, this is a challenging environment in which to function. Recruiting, retention, planning, new initiatives—to a great extent, all stand at the mercy of the legislature. Given our stable growth and the thoughtful planning of our faculty, however, the department is well-positioned to advocate for continued support. Alas, graduation is upon us and we must send four terrifically talented residents off into their futures. They will be greatly missed.
Robert Zura M.D. Robert D’Ambrosia Professor & Chair Department of Orthopaedic Surgery LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans
1