New Vice Chairman Department of Surgery

Winthrop-University Hospital is pleased to announce the appointment of John McNelis, MD, FACS, to the position of Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery, and Director of Surgical Critical Care and Trauma.

With more than 18 years of surgical experience and a strong commitment to patient safety, Dr. McNelis is a welcome addition to Winthrop's team of expert surgeons. In addition to his responsibilities as Vice Chairman of the Hospital's well respected Department of Surgery, Dr. McNelis will work with members of the Hospital's critical care and trauma teams to provide the high quality emergency intervention that the community has come to expect from Winthrop and to expand the scope of services offered to patients.

"I look forward to working with members of the Winthrop team to meet the needs of the community for many years to come," said Dr. McNelis.

Dr. McNelis comes to Winthrop from Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center, where he most recently served as Chief of the Division of Surgical Critical Care and Trauma.

An ardent supporter of the importance of patient safety within the clinical setting, Dr. McNelis is a member of the steering committee of Greater New York Hospital Association's Critical Care Leadership Network. The committee, which includes members from various speciality areas, has surveyed the variability of care within Intensive Care Units throughout New York to provide recommendations and improve safety. Dr. McNelis has also served as a Physician Reviewer for the Island Peer Review Organization (IPRO). Dr. McNelis is also the Immediate Past President of the Celtic Medical Society of New York and multiple medical committees including the New York State Department of Health Hospital Services Acquired Infection Reporting Workgroup.

Active also in clinical research, Dr. McNelis has published more than 30 articles and abstracts and has given dozens of lectures and presentations. Dr. McNelis received his medical degree from SUNY Buffalo and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Health Care Management from Harvard University. His post-graduate training includes an internship and residency culminating in a Chief Residency at New York Medical College. Dr. McNelis also completed a fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery/Critical Care at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

Dr. McNelis is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and was recently named a Fellow of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. He will be honored for his outstanding service to critical care at the society's symposium in Hawaii in February 2008.

Dr. McNelis' vast experience in general surgery, trauma and critical care, combined with his active leadership in quality assurance and infection control make him a valuable asset to the Winthrop team.

A regional healthcare resource committed to the dignity and well being of every patient, Winthrop-University Hospital been providing high quality, comprehensive healthcare services to the community for more than a century. Winthrop has received prestigious accreditations including designations as a NYS-designated Regional Trauma Center, NYS Department of Health-designated Stroke Center and NYS Regional Perinatal Center.

For additional information about Winthrop and its programs and services, please call 1-866-WINTHROP