Veteran heart surgeon elected STS president
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has elected Joseph F. Sabik III, MD, a veteran cardiac surgeon with the University Hospitals (UH) Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, to be its new president. Sabik officially began his one-year term Sunday, Jan. 26, during STS 2025, the group’s annual meeting.
Sabik has been an active member of the cardiothoracic surgery community for more than three decades. He currently serves as the chair of the department of surgery at UH Cleveland Medical Center, surgeon-in-chief at UH Health System, a professor and chair of the department of surgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and UH’s Sally and Bob Gries Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery.
Sabis is also an established researcher, authoring or co-authoring numerous studies, and he has held several committee positions with STS over the years.
“I am deeply honored to serve as the president of STS and to lead this remarkable organization in 2025,” Sabik said in a statement. “STS has been at the forefront of advancing excellence in cardiothoracic surgery, and I look forward to working alongside our dedicated members to foster innovation, enhance education, and strengthen advocacy efforts that benefit both our profession and the patients we serve.”
Sabik has named several goals for his term. He plans on supporting state-of-the-art clinical research, for example, and giving surgeons access to high-quality training.
Jennifer C. Romano, MD, MS, a congenital heart surgeon with Mott Children’s Hospital and a professor with the University of Michigan Medical School, served as the previous STS president. She spoke to Cardiovascular Business about STS 2025, as well as lessons learned during her time leading the organization, in an exclusive Q&A.
The STS also elected Vinay Badhwar, MD, executive chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute and one of the world’s leading voices in robotic heart surgery, as its first vice president. Vinod Thourani, MD, chair of cardiovascular surgery at the Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta, was elected as the group’s second vice president.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.