Our Physicians

All of the highly skilled surgeons at Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons are board certified in their area of specialty and keep their knowledge and skills current with continuing medical education. Many of our doctors have added skills in various areas of specialization. From our founding in 1958, our physicians together with the clinical team of physician extenders, nurses and technicians have shared a commitment to people and their health as well as to the community. Outside of medicine, our physicians have various interests and are involved in numerous civic and community organizations.

A fully trained surgeon is a physician who, after medical school, has gone through years of training in an accredited residency program to learn the specialized skills of a surgeon. One good sign of a surgeon’s competence is a certification by a national surgical board approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties. All board certified surgeons have satisfactorily completed an approved residency training program and have passed a rigorous board examination. When a physician is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, F.A.C.S, it is a further indication of his/her qualifications. Surgeons who become Fellows of the College have passed a comprehensive evaluation of their surgical training and skills. They also have demonstrated their commitment to high standards of ethical conduct. This evaluation is conducted according to national standards that were established to ensure patients receive the best possible surgical care. **All Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons physicians are board certified and approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

CTVS employs Physician Extenders to participate in a wide array of clinical duties. Physician Extenders are medical professionals licensed by the state of Texas to practice medicine with physician supervision. They receive post graduate education in intensive medical programs accredited by The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) and are certified by The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Our experienced Physician Extenders are credentialed at each hospital and work closely with the surgeons to assist with pre-operative consults, post-operative hospital care, surgical assisting, minor procedures and office follow-up, with a focus on patient education. They are a vital liaison in the medical team to ensure comprehensive care for all of our patients.