About the Michigan Society of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgeons
The Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons (MSTCVS) was founded in 1965, originally as the Michigan Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
The mission of the Society, from the beginning, has been to promote the highest standards of practice among Michigan’s thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons, to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care, and to bring their members together annually to foster a cohesive group and single voice in order to face the changing socioeconomic issues of the times.
The MSTCVS annual meeting brings its mission to fruition by scheduling the finest of surgeon speakers, emphasizing a Quality Assurance initiative, presenting innovative products and services, and cultivating future thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons by sponsoring an annual Resident Surgeon Competition.
Board of Directors
Charles Schwartz, MD
President
Edward Murphy, MD
President Elect
Shelly Lall, MD
Immediate Past President
Andrew Popoff, MD
Secretary Treasurer
Raed Alnajjar, MD
Director, Education and Quality Committee Chairperson
David G. Cable, MD
Director
Omar Habib, MD
Director
Frederic Joyce, MD
Director
Mohan Kulkarni, MD
Director
Kiran Lagisetty, MD
Director
James Martin, MD
Director
Jerry W. Pratt, MD
Director
Hisham G. Qandeel, MD
Director, Membership Committee Chairperson
Committees
Quality Collaborative
The MSTCVS Quality Collaborative (MSTCVS-QC) was formed in 2001 by active members of the MSTCVS. It has become a model to promote quality improvement and create educational opportunities for the specialty of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. The Quality Collaborative is made up of two components, The Collaborative Quality Committee and The Quality Collaborative Coordinating Center.
Michigan Perfusion Society
he Michigan Perfusion Society is dedicated to promoting the highest standards in quality of patient care and furthering the professional interests of our members. The standards will be achieved through offering continuing education sessions, fostering open forums for the exchange of viewpoints and continuing the ongoing collaboration and monitoring of perfusion practices in the State of Michigan. The Society recognizes the need to be an active force reflecting the ever-evolving challenges and opportunities of perfusion science.
Advanced Practice Provider Committee
Formed in 2024, the Advanced Practice Provider Committee under the MSTCVS supports initiatives and quality collaboration set forth by the MSTCVS Quality Collaborative and Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) to promote the highest standards of practice for advanced practice providers (APPs) in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.
Education & Quality Committee
An educational committee was formed from existing Society members, including Drs. Rishi Reddy, Tomaz Timek, Alan Silbergleit, Richard Prager, and Robert Jones, with Dr. Reddy serving as the first chairman of the committee. The mission of the committee is to offer the best in surgical research to our members and attendees and to attract new surgical talent to work in the state of Michigan. In addition, it is our hope that through the resident and medical student engagement, more talented individuals will enter our specialty.
History of The Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons
From its inception in 1965, The Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons has devoted itself to the goal of maintaining the highest standards of quality in our profession and specialty.
Our annual summer meeting is held each year in August, and advances this goal through education and discussion of important issues in our field. It also encourages camaraderie, and engenders collaboration and cooperation among its members. In addition, the annual meeting attracts national and international leaders not only in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery but in other disciplines to present their topics of interest in some of the most beautiful sites Michigan has to offer. Anyone involved in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery is welcome.
Recognizing the importance of quality improvement, the MSTCVS Quality Collaborative began in 2001 with a volunteer effort focused on encouraging and energizing Michigan cardiothoracic surgeons and their teams to examine their surgical data and participate in quality improvement, creating a large-scale statewide learning process. The Quality Collaborative initially focused on adult cardiac surgery and now also examines general thoracic surgical procedures, transcatheter valve replacements, and perfusion practices. In 2006, the MSTCVS Quality Collaborative became Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan third supported group for quality improvement. Using audited clinical data at quarterly meetings, all 33 programs in Michigan actively participate in the Collaborative’s Quality initiatives.
MSTCVS surgeons work closely with their perfusionists on a day-by-day basis and through collaboration with the Michigan Perfusion Society (MPS), whose mission statement appears on its website. Our annual meeting coincides with the MPS meeting in the same location, and we often share joint lectures and discussions.
In an effort to improve the quality and safety of cardiac surgical care, the MSTCVS Quality Collaborative has developed the Perfusion Measures and Outcomes (PERForm) Registry. PERForm is a multi-institutional cardiovascular perfusion database focusing on the practice and outcomes of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Participating centers receive quarterly benchmarking reports, which serve as the foundation for multi-institutional quality improvement initiatives.
An Illustrated History of the Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons
by C. Douglas Lees, M.D. and Steven S. Demos, M.D.
MSTCVS History Articles
A Brief History of the Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons (MSTCVS)
From its inception, the mission of the Society has been to promote the highest standards of practice among the relatively small number of certified thoracic surgeons in the state.
A 50th Anniversary for the Chest Surgeons of Michigan
With the introduction of tracheal intubation and positive pressure ventilation of the lungs, true advances in the field of thoracic and cardiac surgery occurred after World War I.
MSTCVS Past Presidents
| Past Presidents | |||
| 1965-1967 | Cameron | Haight, MD* | University of Michigan |
| 1968-1969 | Paul | O'Rourke, MD* | Detroit Medical Center/St. Joseph Pontiac |
| 1970 | Richard A. | Rasmussen, MD* | Blodgett/Butterworth Hospital |
| 1971 | Conrad | Lam, MD* | Henry Ford Hospital |
| 1972 | Richard A. | Rasmussen, MD* | Blodgett/Butterworth Hospital |
| 1973 | Richard A. | Rasmussen, MD* | Blodgett/Butterworth Hospital |
| 1974 | Rodman E. | Taber, MD* | Henry Ford Hospital |
| 1975 | Forest Dewey | Dodrill, MD* | Harper Hospital |
| 1976-1980 | Rodman E. | Taber, MD* | Henry Ford Hospital |
| 1981 | Jack H. | Hertzler, MD* | Children's Hospital |
| 1982-1983 | Robert | Harrison, MD* | Blodgett Hospital |
| 1985-1986 | Joseph W. | Lewis, MD | Henry Ford Hospital/St. John Hospital |
| 1987-1988 | Luis | Tomatis, MD* | Butterworth Hospital |
| 1989 | Otto | Gago, MD* | University of Michigan |
| 1990 | Allen | Silbergleit, MD, PhD* | St. Joseph Mercy Hospital |
| 2004-2005 | Joseph | Bassett, MD* | Beaumont Hospital |
| 1991 | Marvin M. | Kirsh, MD* | University of Michigan |
| 1984 | Joseph | Morris, MD* | St. Joseph Mercy Hospital |
| 1992 | Moufid | Mitri, MD | Crittenton Hospital/St. Joseph Hospital |
| 1993 | Robert J. | Porter Jr., MD | Spectrum Hospital |
| 1994 | Agustin | Arbulu, MD | Wayne State University/St. Joseph Hospital |
| 1995 | Joseph W. | Lewis, MD | Henry Ford Hospital/St. John Hospital |
| 1996 | Lawrence | Patzelt, MD | Spectrum Hospital |
| 1997 | Richard L. | Prager, MD | St. Joseph Mercy Hospital/Michigan Medicine |
| 1998-1999 | Shahrokh | Mansoori, MD | Crittenton Hospital |
| 2000-2001 | Daniel | Drake, MD | Munson Medical Center |
| 2002-2003 | Ingida | Asfaw, MD | Detroit Medical Center/St. Joseph Pontiac |
| 2006-2007 | Frederick | Armenti, MD | McLaren Hospital |
| 2008-2009 | J. Charles | Heiser, MD | Spectrum Hospital |
| 2010-2011 | Eric | Hanson, MD | Beaumont Hospital |
| 2012-2013 | Timothy L. | Sell, MD | Beaumont Hospital |
| 2014-2015 | C. Douglas | Lees, MD | St. John Hospital/Beaumont Hospital |
| 2016-2017 | Alonso | Collar, MD | MyMichigan Medical Center |
| 2018-2019 | Robert N. | Jones, MD, MHA | St. Mary's/MyMichigan Medical Center |
| 2020-2021 | Reza | Dabir, MD | Ascension St. John Hospital |
| 2022-2023 | Andrew | Chang, MD | Michigan Medicine |
| 2022-2023 | Andrew | Chang, MD | University of Michigan |
| 2024-2025 | Shelly | Lall, MD | Munson Medical Center |
| * Deceased |