MEDICAL EDUCATION
Graduate of Athens University Medical School (1962)
MILITARY SERVICE
Medical officer, Greek Navy (1962-65)
DOCTORAL THESIS
Athens University Medical School
ACADEMIC AFFILIATION
Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Patras, Greece (1998)
PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS
CERTIFICATIONS
MEMBERSHIP
TRAINING IN CARDIOTHORACIC TRANSPLANTATION
01/07/80-30/06/81 Research Associate in Cardiac Transplantation, Medical College of Virginia.
(Richard R. Lower, M.D.)
15/08/82-16/03/84 Clinical Assistant, Cardiac Transplantation Service, Harefield Hospital, Harefield, England.
(Sir Magdi H. Yacoub, F.R.S.)
TRAINING IN CONGENITAL HEART SURGERY
01/07/81-30/06/82 Senior Registrar, The Hospital for Sick Children Great Ormond Street, London, England.
(Mr. J. Stark, F.R.C.S.)
TRAINING IN CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
01/07/70-30/06/71 Fellow in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
(D.E. Harken, M.D.)
01/07/72-30/06/73 Fellow in Cardiovascular Surgery, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
(B.F. Mitchell M.D.)
01/07/78-30/06/80 Resident in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical College of Virginia.
(Richard R. Lower, M.D.)
TRAINING IN GENERAL SURGERY
15/05/65-30/09/69Resident in General Surgery at University Hospitals.
(Athens University)
01/12/69-31/05/70 Senior House Officer in General Surgery, Hammersmith Hospital, London, England.
(R.B. Welbourn, F.R.C.S.)
01/07/71-30/06/72 Fellow in General Surgery, Lahey Clinic, Boston, Massachusetts.
(K.W. Warren, M.D.)
01/07/75-30/06/78 Resident in General Surgery, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
(L.F. Williams, M.D.)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
a. Working at Harefield Hospital, under Professor Sir M.H. Yacoub, introduced to the Transplant Program the principles of team work and subspecialty utilization during its formative years (1982-1984). Subsequently, the Program became the worldwide leader with over 2.500 heart and lung transplants.
b. Founder and Director of Cardiothoracic Transplantation at Baylor University Medical Center. Both Programs (heart and lung) received the coveted Medicare endorsement. A total of 233 transplants ( 177 heart, 4 heart/lung and 52 lung) were performed including such combinations as the “Domino” (heart/lung-heart) and the heart-kidney, as well as the first single and first double lung transplants in N. Texas.
c. At the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, the First Division performed under his direction over 6.500 cases covering the hole gamut of cardiac surgery. He founded and directed the Transplantation Program which performed 74 heart and 6 lung transplants. At the end of his appointment the Program’s survival exceeded the international standards by 10% in the first year (94%) and by 20% at ten years (70%).
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
a. As President of the Board at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center (2010-2011) he decreased hospital expenses by 18%. He achieved substantial reductions by substituting generic medications for brand names and by eliminating the purchase of overpriced medical devices. An effort to address the outrageous hospital deficit (35 million euros annually) by trimming salaries and benefits brought the Ministry of Health on the side of the Unions and sent the Board to the exit door.
b. As President of the Quality Assurance Committee (1996-2008) he supervised the application of Manuals and Procedures for all Departments. Based on these, the ISO-9001 certification was obtained.
c. As Chief of Staff (1997-1998 and 2000-2004), he supervised the day by day functions of the medical personnel. He introduced and enforced the essential Mortality/Morbidity conference and helped a similar effort in establising the all-important Cardiology/Cardiac Surgery conference. He singlehandedly achieved the composition and implementation of a Regulations Manual for the medical staff (2001).
d. He was a member of the Committee which wrote the law (1999) regulating Organ Donation and Transplantation in Greece and served on the Board of the National Organization supervising all transplant activities. He gave numerous talks to doctors and nurses, but also to the lay public, concerning the importance of Organ Donation.