We are delighted to announce that Rosemary Kelly, MD, has been appointed Executive Vice-Chair of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery. Dr. Kelly's new role became effective on Monday, July 11, 2022. In her new position, Dr. Kelly will bring leadership and operational expertise to create a unified team focused on cardiothoracic and vascular innovations, academic excellence, strategic growth and improved quality outcomes. She will also partner closely with the Division Chiefs (Pediatric Cardiac, Cardiothoracic, Vascular, and Thoracic) to leverage existing resources and support the acquisition of new resources to support these focused efforts. As care delivery becomes more complex, it has become increasingly important to envision a structure that promotes mentorship and development to accomplish this work. Dr. Kelly will partner with relevant service lines, domains, and the M Health Fairview quality leadership team to drive these efforts.  

Dr. Kelly is the C. Walton and Richard C. Lillehei professor and past chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Dr. Kelly completed medical school at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine and General Surgery training at Los Angeles County, University of Southern California Medical Center. She completed a Thoracic Surgery Residency at the University of Minnesota and immediately joined the Cardiothoracic Surgery Division. During her time here, she has led the Lung Transplant Program at the University of Minnesota and the Cardiothoracic Surgery Program at the Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VAHCS). Since 2018, she has been the program director of Thoracic Surgery Residency at the U of M and Vice-Chair of Clinical Faculty Development in our department. She is also the Chief of the Heart and Vascular Service Line for M Health Fairview.

As professor with tenure, Dr. Kelly has been successful in all academic areas, including clinical expertise, research contributions and education. Her basic science work uses in vitro and in vivo models of chronically ischemic myocardium to study molecular and physiologic recovery following revascularization and in response to cell-based reparative therapies. She has published extensively in both basic and translational arenas with intramural and extramural funding support since 2003. Dr. Kelly has co-authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications primarily in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion and lung transplantation. She regularly presents to national and international audiences and is Secretary of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. 

In her recent role as Division Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr. Kelly made significant contributions by cultivating nine Cardiothoracic Surgeons and 16 Advanced Practice Providers. They perform over 1,600 open heart procedures covering five hospitals in the metro with outstanding clinical outcomes. The residency program remains one of the top programs in the country with the successful recruitment of outstanding candidates. With an increased emphasis on academic engagement, the national reputation of the Division has experienced significant recognition for its important contributions.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kelly on this new leadership role!

 
Sincerely,
Sayeed Ikramuddin, MD, MHA
Chair, Department of Surgery
Jay Phillips Professor