USA Surgeons to Oversee First Colon and Rectal Fellowship in Tennessee
USA's Richard A. Moore, PhD, MD to serve as program director.

Chattanooga, Tenn. (October 20, 2010) - R. Phillip Burns, MD, chairman of the board of directors for University Surgical Associates (USA) and chair for the Department of Surgery, UT College of Medicine, Chattanooga and David C. Seaberg, MD, dean for the UT College of Medicine, Chattanooga announced the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (CGME) and its Residency Review Committee approved accreditation for the first Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship in the state of Tennessee at the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga. The one year fellowship program will train one board certified general surgeon or board eligible general surgeon each year in the specialty area of Colon and Rectal Surgery. The first fellow is being recruited to begin training in July 2011.

The Department of Surgery is the core sponsor for the program, and the primary affiliated training site will be Erlanger Health System.  Funding will be provided from the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga and Erlanger.

USA board certified colon and rectal surgeons Richard A. Moore, PhD, MD (program director), J. Daniel Stanley, MD (associate program director) and Shauna Lorenzo-Rivero, MD will provide teaching and supervision for the program. These physicians hold faculty appointments in the Department of Surgery in Chattanooga.

According to Dr. Moore, "Surgical sub-specialization has been shown to improve outcomes in several ways.  It has led to increased lymph node harvest in oncologic resection, decreased recurrence of rectal cancer with total mesorectal excision, decreased operative time in both open and laparoscopic cases, and decreased length of stay due to decreased ileus." 

Dr. Stanley added, "Surgery and surgical training are moving toward sub-specialization. An improved academic environment will enhance the development of quality centers, including research and innovation, data bases, improved care in the area of colon and rectal cancer, and incontinence and pelvic floor disorders."

For further information about the Colon and Rectal Surgery Program, contact Richard Moore, MD, PhD, or J. Daniel Stanley, MD, at (423) 778-7695. Also visit www.utcomchatt.org for more information about UT residency and fellowship programs.

University Surgical Associates is the region’s largest surgical specialty practice. Its 29 surgeons are faculty of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, practicing in the Erlanger, Memorial and Parkridge hospital systems. For additional information, please visit us on the Web at www.universitysurgical.com or call (423) 267-0466.

The University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga is part of the statewide academic health system, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center.  The Chattanooga campus is separately accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to sponsor residency and fellowship programs in a variety of specialties.  The primary clinical affiliated institution is Erlanger Health System.