Leadership Specialty: General Surgery

Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh

Director of Minimal Invasive Surgery, Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh

Stefan Scholz, M.D., is a Double Board Certified Surgeon born in Marburg, Germany and currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Scholz received his M.D. degree in 1997 from Philipps-Universitat Marburg school of Medicine in Marburg, Germany. In 2000, Dr. Scholz received his Dr. Med. Degree in Comparative Endocrinology at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Scholz currently serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery at University of Pittsburgh as well as Director of Minimal Invasive Surgery at Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh. Previous positions held include Clinical Fellow of Surgery at Harvard Medical School (2004-2008), and Clinical Instructor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University (2008-2010). Dr. Scholz is currently licensed to practice medicine in Germany, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

Dr. Scholz has completed extensive post-graduate work from 2000-2011 in the fields of pediatric surgery, endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery, and general surgery at various institutions in Germany, Tennessee, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, and UK.

Dr. Scholz has received numerous certifications as follows: The American Board of Surgery – General Surgery (2009) and Pediatric Surgery (2011); Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (2007); Ultrasound Instructor, American College of Surgeons (2007); Basic Life Support (2006); Advanced Cardiac Life Support (2006); Advanced Trauma Life Support (2011/2015); Pediatric Advanced Life Support (2011); and daVinci Surgical System Console Surgeon (2011).

Since 2008, Dr. Scholz held various hospital administrative positions, committee appointments, and committee leadership roles at the following institutions: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins University (2008-2010), Diana, Princess of Wales Children’s Hospital, University of Birmingham (2010-2011), Magee Women’s Hospital (2011), and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (2011-2016).

Since 1999, Dr. Scholz has been a member of several professional and scientific societies. Special honors include a Teaching Award – Best Resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (2008), and SAGES Service Award Medal (2016).

Dr. Scholz has been extensively published around the world in various articles, reviews, invited papers, abstracts, monographs, books, and book chapters. Professional activities include formal teaching of resident students, grand rounds presentations, and peer teaching. Dr. Scholz has served on numerous national and international committees, panels, and boards.

George David Stewart Professor of Surgery, Chair of the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center

Known for his passion, energy, and skill, Dr. Pachter has perfected a number of life-saving techniques over the years, including a multidisciplinary approach to treating tumors of the adrenal gland. By introducing advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques, Dr. Pachter has played a key role in making NYU Langone’s surgical service one of the finest in the country. Dr. Pachter is also a world-renowned educator, whose mentees have become national leaders at other prestigious medical centers.

Dr. Pachter’s roots to NYU Langone stretch back to his days as a student and chief resident in the early 1970s. After completing his MD, residency, and American Cancer Society Fellowship at NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Pachter has had an unbroken record of outstanding contributions—as director of the Trauma Service at Bellevue Hospitals Center from 1978 to 1998; as executive director from 1999 to 2006; as director of Bellevue’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit from 1978 to 1997; as chairman of the Medical Board of Tisch Hospital; as vice chairman for Faculty Affairs; as division chief of General Surgery; and as author, clinical scientist, master laparoscopic surgeon, and world-class mentor. Additionally, Dr. Pachter was instrumental in garnering significant support from the city council to build the Ranson laboratory at Bellevue Hospital, a site of important cancer research investigations.

The author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters, Dr. Pachter serves on the Editorial Board for the American Journal of Surgery, Annals of Surgery and The Journal of Trauma and Critical Care. He also served on the American Board of Surgery as a consultant for the written boards for 8 years and is currently serving on the membership committee of the American Surgical Association. The American College of Surgeons has also designated him a mentor for young female academic surgeons in the U.S. This year Dr. Pachter was chosen by the Society of Black Academic Surgeons for its 2015 fellowship award for his efforts to diversify his department and his seminal contributions to surgery.

Chief, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, George Washington University, Department of Surgery, Washington, DC

Dr. Obias is an Associate Professor of Surgery at George Washington University and Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery.  Dr. Obias received his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from James Madison University, his Masters degree in Physiology at the Medical College of Virginia, and his Doctorate in Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia.  He performed his internship and general surgery residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA. Dr. Obias next undertook a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. He further specialized in Advanced Laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery by undergoing a fellowship at University Hospitals Case Medical Center the following year. He is board certified in both general surgery and colon and rectal surgery.  Dr. Obias’s specialties include robotic and minimally invasive colon and rectal surgery. His interest include robotic single incision surgery, robotic transanal surgery, and clinical outcomes of robotic colorectal surgery.

Eastern Virginia Medical School

• Henry Ford Professor 
• Edward J. Brickhouse Chairman
• Department of Surgery

L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, D.Sc (Hon), FACS, FCCM, FRCSEng (Hon), FRCSEd (Hon), FWACS (Hon), FRCSI (Hon), FCS(SA) (Hon), FRCS(Glasg) (Hon) is a proud native of Suffolk, Virginia, has strong southern roots and is the product of the public school system. He attended the University of Virginia and was named to the Dean’s List each of the eight semesters. He received his Baccalaureate of Arts with Distinction.

Dr. L. D. Britt, a graduate of Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, is the Brickhouse Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He is the author of more than 220 peer-reviewed publications, more than 50 book chapters and non-peer-reviewed articles, and three books, including a recent edition of the highly touted Acute Care Surgery (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens, Medford, NJ).

He serves on numerous editorial boards, including the Annals of Surgery, Archives of Surgery, World Journal of Surgery, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, the American Journal of Surgery (Associate Editor), the Journal of Trauma, Shock, Journal of Surgical Education, the American Surgeon, and others. In addition, he is a reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Britt, a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, is the recipient of the nation’s highest teaching award in medicine the Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teaching Award, which is given by the AAMC in conjunction with AOA. He was honored by the Association of Surgical Education with its lifetime achievement award the Distinguished Educator Award given annually to one person considered by his peers to be a true master.

More than 180 institutions throughout the world have invited him to be their distinguished visiting professor. Dr. Britt is the past President of the Society of Surgical Chairs and the past Chairman of the ACGME Residency Review Committee for Surgery. Also, he is past Secretary of the Southern Surgical Association, the past Recorder/Program Chair for the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and past President of the Southeastern Surgical Congress, the Halsted Society, and the Southern Surgical Association. Dr. Britt is the past Chairman of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. He is also past President of the American College of Surgeons, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and the American Surgical Association.

At the inaugural presidential ceremony held in Washington, D.C., during the 96th annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Britt was awarded the U.S. Surgeon Generals medallion for his outstanding achievements in medicine. The Honorable Regina Benjamin, MD, the 18th U.S. Surgeon General, presented this award at a formal ceremony. Dr. Britt was also appointed to the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program National Advisory Committee. The National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Medicine (in collaboration with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture) featured Dr. Britt for his contributions to academic surgery. President George W. Bush recognized Dr. Britts leadership role in medicine and nominated him to the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University (confirmed by the United States Senate).

At the end of his tenure, Dr. Britt was awarded the coveted Distinguished Service Medal. The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) also awarded him the Edithe J. Levit Distinguished Service Award.

An active participant in the community, Dr. Britt has received numerous awards for public service. Dr. Britt is the recipient of the 2010 Colgate Darden Citizen of the Year Award and the 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Award. Atlanta Post recently highlighted him as one of the top 21 black doctors in America. Ebony magazine recently listed him as one of the most influential African Americans in the nation.

At the 2012 annual meeting of the American Surgical Association, Dr. Britt became the 132nd President of the organization. He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate by the President of Tuskegee University. Dr. Britt was also elected to the position of Commissioner of the Joint Commission (formerly JACHO). In 2012, he was conferred an Honorary Fellowship in the French Academy of Surgery, and the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.

Having recently been awarded an Honorary Fellowship in the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow, Dr. Britt now has the distinction of receiving the highest honor given by each of the four Royal Colleges in the United Kingdom England, Edinburg, Ireland, and Glasgow.

Dr. Britt, author of the term Acute Care Surgery and one of the principal architects of this emerging specialty, was the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Roswell Park Medal. He was honored for his major contributions to American surgery. At the 2015 annual meeting of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Britt was bestowed the coveted title of Master of Critical Care Medicine (MCCM) by the American College of Critical Care Medicine. Recently, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed Dr. Britt to the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia.