John H. Calhoon, M.D., who leads the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, conducts research on many topics including chronic rejection of donor lungs and minimally invasive cardiac surgery.
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Contact: Will Sansom, 210-567-2579

SAN ANTONIO (Nov. 11, 2009) — John H. Calhoon, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon, educator and researcher at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio who has saved thousands of lives, including those of week-old infants, is the new vice chair and chair-elect of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

From 2011 to 2013 he will lead the board, which certifies cardiothoracic surgeons nationwide and protects the public by establishing and maintaining high standards in the field.

Mentored by transplant surgery pioneers
Dr. Calhoon, who joined the UT Health Science Center faculty in 1989, was mentored by South Texas transplant surgery pioneers J. Kent Trinkle, M.D., and Frederick Grover, M.D. Dr. Calhoon was named head of cardiothoracic surgery in 1994, succeeding Dr. Trinkle. He occupies the Calhoon President’s Council Chair for Excellence in Surgery, which was established in his family’s honor by Health Science Center supporters who are members of the President’s Council.

He leads surgical teams performing pediatric and adult heart and lung transplants, congenital heart defect repairs and many other types of operations at the Health Science Center’s affiliated teaching hospitals. These include University Hospital, CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health Care hospitals and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division.

He sees patients at UT Medicine San Antonio, the School of Medicine’s multispecialty physician practice.

Research and education activities
Dr. Calhoon leads a division conducting research of chronic rejection of donor lungs, minimally invasive cardiac surgery and many other topics. The division also trains the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons. Under Dr. Calhoon’s consistent guidance, the mission of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program at the Health Science Center is “to become the best place in the world to train a cardiothoracic surgeon.”

A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Calhoon earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in 1981. He completed residencies in surgery and cardiothoracic surgery — serving as chief resident in both — at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio. In 1988, Dr. Calhoon was chief resident in cardiothoracic surgery at Harvard Medical School. Board certified in surgery and cardiothoracic surgery, he has been listed numerous times in “Best Doctors in America.”

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is one of the leading research institutions in Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $753.4 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $16.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $37 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 26,750 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and other health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, dentistry and many other fields. For more information, visit www.uthscsa.edu.