Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
Leadership - Surgery Residency Program
Dr. Gorham received her medical degree from the University of Texas School of Medicine in San Antonio after obtaining a Bachelor of the Arts in Chemistry and International Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her general surgery training at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, WA, the oldest surgical residency program in the Pacific Northwest. She pursued fellowship training in Minimally Invasive Surgery, with a focus on Bariatric surgery and benign upper gastrointestinal disease, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. She was Associate Program director from AYs 2020-2023 and has transitioned to Program Director as of July 1, 2023.
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Dr. Conor Coogan is a surgeon at Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans.
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Dr. Fuhrman has been actively involved in Surgical Education for his entire 24 year
career. He has been President of The Association of Program Directors in Surgery and is a current member of
the Surgery Residency Review Committee. Nearly half of Dr. Fuhrman's 90 peer reviewed published manuscripts
include residents as the first author reflecting a passion for promoting surgical house staff scholarly
activity. Dr. Fuhrman takes frequent General Surgery calls in order to have an opportunity to work with the
residents that are not assigned to his service during the academic year.
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Dr Bolton is the senior surgeon on the Upper GI Surgical Oncology service. This is a
high
volume, complex service with
no post-graduate fellows, so it is a key rotation, both for the PGY1 resident who is focused on
perioperative
management
of complex patients, and for the senior resident who serves as a junior partner on the service and gains
extensive
operative experience and experience with complex decision making for difficult surgical problems. It is an
intense, fun,
and in many ways a formative experience for our general surgery residents and a source of tremendous
satisfaction for
Dr. Bolton to be a part of. In addition, he is the Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Surgery and former
Program
Director for the surgical residency program. Dr. Bolton conducts the weekly Patient Safety and Grand Rounds
Conferences
on Wednesday morning, as well as a Chief Resident Clinical Conference each spring designed to sharpen the
chief
residents' decision-making ability as they prepare for practice and their Oral Board exams. There are
typically one or
two clinical research projects in progress and one or more presentations at national meetings each year.
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Dr. Parrino is the Section Head for the Cardiothoracic Section. Residents rotate in the
section of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery as second years (cardiac) and as third or fourth years
(thoracic). During the
cardiac surgical rotation,
there are twice-daily rounds which are brief but allow adjustments to patient care on a less than every 24
hours
basis. Residents participate in discussions covering the hemodynamic management of patients after
conventional
cardiac surgery
(valves, bypass) as well as mechanical assist devices (LVADs, total artificial heart).
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Dr. Whitlow earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas and completed his
internship and residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. He completed his colon
and
rectal surgery
fellowship at Ochsner. Dr.
Whitlow is board certified in general surgery and colon and rectal surgery and has been on staff at Ochsner
since the Summer of 2002. Dr. Whitlow is listed in Best Doctors in America. He serves as Program Director of
the
Colon and Rectal
Surgery training program. His particular areas of professional interest include Transanal excision of large
benign rectal tumors, sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer, surgical treatment of inflammatory
bowel
disease, laparoscopic
and robotic colon and rectal surgery, surgery for rectal prolapse, and treatment of anorectal fistulas.
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After leaving fellowship training in New Orleans, Dr. Vargas gained extensive clinical
experience in both private practice and academic surgery all the while remaining involved in medical
education
and post-graduate
surgery resident
training. He has been active in local, regional, and national professional organizations and has held
positions
of leadership. He has authored book chapters in major surgical textbooks as well as multiple scientific
articles
published in
peer-reviewed
surgical journals. While Dr. Vargas’ clinical practice encompasses the breadth of Colon Rectal Surgery, in
particular he has gained recognition for minimally invasive or laparoscopic colorectal surgery resulting in
his
recruitment in 2007
to
the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Medicine as Chief of Colon Rectal Surgery in the Department of
Surgery.
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Dr. Sternbergh’s educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Brown
University and a MD from Duke University School of Medicine. He performed his general surgical training at
the
Medical College of
Virginia and his vascular
fellowship at Emory University. Dr Sternbergh has been on staff at Ochsner since 1996. He is nationally
recognized for his expertise in Vascular Surgery, and is the author of more than 100 scientific publications
and
book chapters
pertaining
to vascular disease. Dr. Sternbergh literally "wrote the book" on the endovascular treatment of abdominal
and
thoracic aortic aneurysm.
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Section Head of General Surgery. Dr. Richardson is a general surgeon primarily
interested
in minimally invasive surgery, bariatrics and robotics. During rotations on his service residents will be
taught
the workup,
treatment and procedures
for abdominal conditions including hernia, gallbladder diseases, adrenal diseases, splenic diseases, reflux
disease, hiatal hernias, achalasia and morbid obesity. Residents are required to become proficient in
laparoscopic techniques in our
dry
lab. Dr. Richardson is an academic surgeon and there is plenty of opportunity for residents to get exposure,
assist or run clinically based research projects.
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Dr. Jessie earned his undergraduate degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. He subsequently completed his general surgery residency at the then National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and his fellowship in Trauma/Surgical Critical Care at the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Prior to joining the faculty at Ochsner, he was an Associate Program Director for nine years at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was also the Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. There he won multiple awards for resident education both in and outside of the operating room. He retired in 2023 after 21 years of active-duty service in the Navy. He has special interest in abdominal wall reconstruction, the use of robotics in Acute Care Surgery, and resident and medical student education.
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Dr. Vincent Adolph specializes in pediatric general surgery at Ochsner Health. He earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University and served as an intern and resident at New Orleans Charity Hospital. He completed an extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) fellowship in pediatric surgery at Ochsner and finished his surgical residency at the Medical College of Virginia where he served as chief resident. He completed a research fellowship at Pennsylvania State University and a pediatric general surgery fellowship at Montreal Children's Hospital. Dr. Adolph is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics (Surgery Section) and a member of the American Pediatric Surgical Association and the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. He has been on staff at Ochsner since 1994. Dr. Adolph is board certified in surgery and holds a certificate of special competence in pediatric surgery. His expertise includes congenital diaphragmatic hernia, extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and pediatric thoracic surgery. He is the chief medical officer at Ochsner Children's Hospital, section head of pediatric general surgery and Ochsner regional medical director for North Louisiana and Lake Charles. He has served on the Ochsner Health Board of Directors since 2016.
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Dr. Russell Brown earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center School of Medicine located in Houston, TX. He then completed a General Surgery Residency at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation. Dr. Brown went on to complete a Surgical Oncology Fellowship at the University of Louisville. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery.
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Dr. Parrino is the Section Head for the Cardiothoracic Section. Residents rotate in the
section of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery as second years (cardiac) and as third or fourth years
(thoracic). During the
cardiac surgical rotation,
there are twice-daily rounds which are brief but allow adjustments to patient care on a less than every 24
hours
basis. Residents participate in discussions covering the hemodynamic management of patients after
conventional
cardiac surgery
(valves, bypass) as well as mechanical assist devices (LVADs, total artificial heart).
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Dr. Ari J. Cohen is a general surgeon with subsequent fellowship training in abdominal
transplantation. He is the section head of Abdominal Transplant Surgery and Director of the transplant
research
laboratory. He is a
Professor of Surgery
with the University of Queensland School of Medicine, Ochsner Clinical School and the president of the
governing
board at the Louisiana Organ Procurement Association. He has mentored trainees from first year medical
school to
final
year residency. He is involved in the medical school curriculum as well as the abdominal transplant
fellowship
program. His areas of interests include organ allocation, liver, kidney and pancreas transplantation.
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Dr. Vincent Adolph specializes in pediatric general surgery at Ochsner Health. He earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University and served as an intern and resident at New Orleans Charity Hospital. He completed an extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) fellowship in pediatric surgery at Ochsner and finished his surgical residency at the Medical College of Virginia where he served as chief resident. He completed a research fellowship at Pennsylvania State University and a pediatric general surgery fellowship at Montreal Children's Hospital. Dr. Adolph is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics (Surgery Section) and a member of the American Pediatric Surgical Association and the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. He has been on staff at Ochsner since 1994. Dr. Adolph is board certified in surgery and holds a certificate of special competence in pediatric surgery. His expertise includes congenital diaphragmatic hernia, extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and pediatric thoracic surgery. He is the chief medical officer at Ochsner Children's Hospital, section head of pediatric general surgery and Ochsner regional medical director for North Louisiana and Lake Charles. He has served on the Ochsner Health Board of Directors since 2016.
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Dr. Aditya Bansal is a Senior Staff Surgeon and Surgical Director of Mechanical
Circulatory Support and Adult ECMO here
at Ochsner Medical Center. Dr. Bansal was born and raised in India. He completed his General Surgery
training at Henry
Ford Hospital in Detroit and then his Cardiothoracic Surgery residency and Thoracic Transplant and
Mechanical
Circulatory Support fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Subsequently, he joined
University of
Pittsburgh as an Assistant Professor of Surgery before joining Ochsner Medical Center.
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Dr. Michael Friel serves as the Surgical Director of Ochsner’s Cleft
Palate-Craniofacial
Program. Dr. Friel is a double-fellowship trained, triple-board certified surgeon (American Board of
Surgery,
American Board of
Plastic Surgery and
American Board of Plastic Surgery Hand Subspecialty). He serves as a section editor for Annals of Plastic
Surgery and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. He is reviewer for Plastic
and
Reconstructive
Surgery,
the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, and Microsurgery.
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Dr. Kann received a Doctor of Medicine degree from Medical College of
Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a General Surgery Residency at Cooper
Hospital/University Medical Center in
Camden, NJ followed by a
Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, LA. Dr. Kann is a member of
the
following professional organizations: American College of Surgeons, American Society of Colon & Rectal
Surgeons
and the
Association of Program Directors for Colon & Rectal Surgery.
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Section Head of General Surgery. Dr. Richardson is a general surgeon primarily
interested
in minimally invasive surgery, bariatrics and robotics. During rotations on his service residents will be
taught
the workup,
treatment and procedures
for abdominal conditions including hernia, gallbladder diseases, adrenal diseases, splenic diseases, reflux
disease, hiatal hernias, achalasia and morbid obesity. Residents are required to become proficient in
laparoscopic techniques in our
dry
lab. Dr. Richardson is an academic surgeon and there is plenty of opportunity for residents to get exposure,
assist or run clinically based research projects.
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Dr. Wooldridge is a native of Memphis, TN and attended The University of Tennessee in
Knoxville where he received his undergraduate degree in Biology. He went to medical school at The University
of
Tennessee Health
Science Center in Memphis
and then did his general surgery residency at The University of Missouri in Columbia. Upon graduation, he
moved
on to complete a fellowship in laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at The University of California at Irvine.
Since joining the
Ochsner Medical Staff in 2009, he has continued to increase his clinical practice focusing on bariatric,
foregut, hernia, and general surgery. He has recently been involved with organizing the Ochsner Swallowing
Center, a multi disciplinary
team focused on total care for Upper GI disorders. He is also on the University of Queensland Ochsner
Clinical
School Education Committee for General Surgery, helping shape the general surgery rotation for our Ochsner
Clinical School
students.
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Dr. Ari J. Cohen is a general surgeon with subsequent fellowship training in abdominal
transplantation. He is the section head of Abdominal Transplant Surgery and Director of the transplant
research
laboratory. He is a
Professor of Surgery
with the University of Queensland School of Medicine, Ochsner Clinical School and the president of the
governing
board at the Louisiana Organ Procurement Association. He has mentored trainees from first year medical
school to
final
year residency. He is involved in the medical school curriculum as well as the abdominal transplant
fellowship
program. His areas of interests include organ allocation, liver, kidney and pancreas transplantation.
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Dr. Whitlow earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas and completed his
internship and residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. He completed his colon
and
rectal surgery
fellowship at Ochsner. Dr.
Whitlow is board certified in general surgery and colon and rectal surgery and has been on staff at Ochsner
since the Summer of 2002. Dr. Whitlow is listed in Best Doctors in America. He serves as Program Director of
the
Colon and Rectal
Surgery training program. His particular areas of professional interest include Transanal excision of large
benign rectal tumors, sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer, surgical treatment of inflammatory
bowel
disease, laparoscopic
and robotic colon and rectal surgery, surgery for rectal prolapse, and treatment of anorectal fistulas.
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Hernan Bazan, MD FACS is a Professor, Section of Vascular/Endovascular Surgery, Dept.
of Surgery and a Program Director,
Vascular Surgery 5+2 year fellowship program. Dr Bazan has a busy clinical practice and is devoted to
medical student
and resident teaching. He has received numerous teaching awards in the past, including medical student
teaching awards
from the Ochsner/University of Queensland School of Medicine and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and the
prestigious
Arthur Auufses, Jr. Award at Mt. Sinai for mentoring of junior residents.
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Dr Johnston joined the Ochsner staff in 2017. He completed his General Surgery residency at the University of Virginia and a proceeded to train in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the Lahey Clinic. His interests are colon and rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, anorectal disorders, and abdominal wall reconstruction. Dr. Johnston is committed to fostering the residents’ exposure and interest in all aspects of Colon and Rectal surgery. He is also interested in working with the residents on any research projects to help develop critical thinking and appropriate project development.
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Why Choose Ochsner?
