The national Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has approved a new Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency Program hosted by Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC), administered by Long Island Plastic Surgical Group (LIPSG) and in collaboration with Stony Brook Medicine.
“Plastic and reconstructive surgery is an essential medical service for people recovering from severe burns, cancer surgery, major traumatic injuries and babies with birth defects,” said Victor Politi, MD, FACP, FACEP, president and CEO of NuHealth/NUMC. “LIPSG, NUMC and Stony Brook each have a long and respected history as committed educators of skilled plastic surgeons and this new program is an important extension of that.”
NUMC is a teaching hospital with a Level I Trauma Center and a highly acclaimed, state-of-the-art regional burn center, and LIPSG is the oldest and largest plastic surgery private practice in the U.S., with its own plastic surgery residency program since 1954. This new residency program also benefits from the addition of Stony Brook Medicine as a partner.
“The robust support and participation of the three institutions will guarantee residents diverse experiences in state-of-the-art settings with devoted faculty who hold in the highest regard the mandate to teach everything from surgical basics to the most innovative surgical techniques,” said Dr. Roger L. Simpson, president of LIPSG and director of the LIPSG residency training program. At NUMC, Simpson serves as director of the hospital’s residency program in plastic and reconstructive surgery, director of the renowned NUMC Burn Center, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery and chief of hand surgery.
“Residents admitted to this program will have the unique opportunity to get their plastic surgery training across three major institutions with approximately 30 different plastic surgeons,” said Alexander Dagum, MD, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery, executive vice chair of surgery and co-director of the cleft palate-craniofacial center at Stony Brook Medicine. There are many ways to reconstruct tissue after traumatic injury or surgery, and many ways to treat and solve reconstructive and plastic surgery challenges. This collaborative approach, and the wealth of knowledge and experience it offers, will create one of the most diverse programs in the country.”
Residents accepted to the new program will receive six years of training in all aspects of surgery with specialization in plastic and reconstructive surgery under the guidance and mentorship of faculty from all three organizations. In addition, they will have the unique opportunity to also train in a large private practice (LIPSG) and residency opportunities at numerous other locations including NYU Winthrop Hospital and Mercy Medical Center.
Medical and surgical residencies are a vital component of healthcare, with residents providing the 24-hour on-site MD coverage found only in teaching hospitals.
