September 19, 2003

New chief of Pediatric Surgery selected

Effective Oct. 1, Joseph P. "Jay" Vacanti, MD, will become the new chief of Pediatric Surgery at the MGH, as well as surgeon-in-chief for MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He will succeed Patricia Donahoe, MD, who has served as chief of Pediatric Surgery for the past 12 years.

"The MGH is so fortunate to have had our Pediatric Surgery Department led by such a talented and skilled surgeon as Pat Donahoe," says Ann Prestipino, senior vice president for MGH Surgery, Anesthesia and Cardiac Program. "She has made the department into one of the best in the country, and we will always be grateful for her leadership. We also are fortunate that Jay Vacanti has agreed to continue her legacy with this department and lead Pediatric Surgery at the MGH on into the 21st century."

A renowned pediatric transplant surgeon, Vacanti trained at the MGH, spent many years at Children's Hospital in the Department of Surgery, and returned to the MGH in 1998 to head the hospital's pediatric transplant unit. He also has continued his pioneering research in the new and growing field of tissue engineering, the creation of living tissues in a laboratory for repair or replacement of damaged tissues and organs. In addition to his new role, Vacanti will continue to serve as director of the Organ Fabrication and Tissue Engineering Laboratories.

Donahoe came to the MGH as a fellow in 1970, and following a year's fellowship in England, returned to the hospital in 1973 as staff member in the Pediatric Surgery Division. She led the unit from 1984 to 1991, and in 1991 was named chief when Pediatric Surgery was granted departmental status. Donahoe became one of the first women to hold a chief's role at the MGH. She also is the Marshall K. Bartlett Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School.

After stepping down as chief, Donahoe plans to continue her patient care activities and direct her research lab. For more than 30 years, Donahoe has been nationally recognized for her research and for her surgical treatment of complex congenital urogenital disorders.

"It is hard to imagine that anyone could match Pat Donahoe as a basic scientist and a compassionate pediatric surgeon," says R. Alan Ezekowitz, MBChB, DPhil, chief of Pediatrics for MassGeneral Hospital for Children. "We are fortunate, however, to have Jay Vacanti step into this role — Jay, like Pat, is world class at everything he does."

Andrew Warshaw, MD, MGH surgeon-in-chief, adds: "With leadership and inspiration from Pat Donahoe and Alan Ezekowitz, MassGeneral Hospital for Children has emerged as an outstanding facility for pediatric care and discovery of new clinical and scientific knowledge. The MGH is incredibly fortunate to have Jay Vacanti as Pat's successor. His combined talents should help to maintain MassGeneral Hospital for Children at the forefront of surgery for children."