The excellence our faculty, staff, residents and fellows demonstrated this past year has been truly extraordinary. Their dedication and achievements have set a new benchmark for our department, and this year’s annual report is a celebration of their remarkable contributions.
I’m deeply proud of their unwavering commitment to our patients and to each other. Every day, our team delivers outstanding surgical care and advances groundbreaking research, setting new standards for what’s possible in medicine.
The Ohio State Department of Surgery’s success is built on a foundation of innovation, collaboration and a relentless pursuit of improvement. Over the past year, we’ve celebrated significant wins, including our General Surgery Residency Program moving from No. 8 to No. 6 in the nation, according to Doximity’s 2025-2026 Residency Navigator. Our transplant team performed a history-making 10-way transplant surgery – one of the largest single-institution transplant chains ever performed in the United States.
And it doesn’t stop there. We’re building our ‘(lab) bench’ with eight new research faculty joining our department: four in fiscal year 2025 and four more in fiscal year 2026. Clinically, we’ve added 14 surgery faculty, including a new director of the Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Burn. We look forward to welcoming even more faculty in fiscal year 2026. Our skin cancer surgical program has seen remarkable growth, and three of our faculty were awarded with some of the highest honors in medicine – nationally and internationally. You’ll find these examples of distinction in the pages ahead.
As much as I’m reflecting on this past year, I’m eagerly anticipating the year ahead. A year that will bring the opening of the new University Hospital at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. The new University Hospital is the largest single-facility construction project in Ohio State’s history, and the largest inpatient hospital opening in the nation in 2026. This new hospital represents the future of health care at Ohio State, with 24 state-of-the-art operating rooms, 820 private rooms and spaces designed to elevate both patient and team member experiences. The quality our team demonstrates each day is the model for the work that will continue in the new University Hospital.
As an integral part of our department’s journey, you’re invited to read through the pages and experience our remarkable achievements and unwavering commitment to excellence.
Sincerely,
Timothy Pawlik, MD, PhD, MPH
Chair, Department of Surgery
The Urban F. Meyer III and Shelley M. Meyer Chair for Cancer Research
Surgeon in Chief