Physician Support Provides Education and Opportunities

By Lea Witkowski-Purl | Photo: Stephen Legendre

With most gifts provided by Ochsner physicians, the Surgical Education Support Fund is used to provide financial sponsorship of needed continuing education of nurses, non-medical staff, residents and senior attending staff working within both the clinic and hospital departments of Surgery.

“The Surgical Education Fund is critical to the department’s ability to conduct adjunctive educational activity,” said George Fuhrman, MD, Senior Physician in Surgery at Ochsner.

Donor support provided access to educational resources such as membership dues for all eight first year Surgery residents for the American College of Surgeons Fundamentals of Surgery in March 2022.

In addition, the fund provided support for all women residents in the Department of Surgery to attend the Women in Surgery Reception at the 70th annual meeting of the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Surgeons in March 2022. The annual meeting featured Deiadra Garrett, MD, PhD, FACS, pediatric general surgeon from Lafayette, who shared her story as the eighth Black woman pediatric surgeon trained in the United States.

The fund also provides resources for the Grand Rounds Visiting Professor in Surgery. Recent speakers include Richard E. Kirscher, MD, FACS, FAAP in February 2022, Carlos A. Galvani, MD, in June 2022, Ali Azizzadeh, MD, FACS in September 2022, Kelly M. McMasters, MD, in October 2022 and Suzanne Klimberg, MD, PhD in March 2023.

“The interaction with thought leaders in American surgery helps elevate the stature of the department and provides opportunities for advanced fellowship training for our residents,” Dr. Fuhrman said.