Latest Surgery News & Announcements

The Department of Surgery honored its 2025–26 Yale Surgery Citizenship Award recipients during the annual Summer BBQ on June 23 at Harkness Patio. The awards recognize faculty and staff whose dedication, collaboration, and service strengthen the department community. This year’s honorees were recognized for their outstanding contributions with the Extra Mile Award, which honors those who consistently go above and beyond, and the Helping Hand Award, which recognizes exceptional contributions to specific projects, initiatives, or circumstances. View photos from the event and see the full list of award recipients here.

The Department of Surgery congratulates Alfonsina (Allie) Fraschilla, MBA, division director, on completing the competitive Yale EMERGE Program, an eight-month leadership development initiative that includes executive coaching, leadership training, cross-functional collaboration, and a capstone project advancing Yale strategic priorities. Her capstone, “Reimagining the Yale Alumni Magazine,” explored ways to strengthen alumni engagement and lifelong connection through enhanced storytelling and audience engagement across platforms. Fraschilla oversees operations and finances for multiple surgical divisions and serves as interim division director for Transplant Surgery, reflecting her leadership across the department and broader Yale community.

Yale New Haven Hospital and the Department of Surgery at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) have launched an internal search for a surgical director for perioperative services. This key leadership role will partner with nursing, anesthesiology, and administrative leaders to advance quality and safety, operational excellence, patient experience, resource stewardship, and regulatory compliance across the perioperative environment. Open to YSM surgical faculty, the position reports jointly to the chair of surgery and surgeon-in-chief for Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) and the senior vice president of surgical services for YNHHS. Applications, including a CV and letter of interest, are due by July 17, 2026.

Dozens of families came together Sunday (June 14) for an annual event in Bridgeport to reconnect with their care teams from Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Fetal Care Center. Yale faculty leaders spoke with WTNH.

The Department of Surgery held its annual Celebration of Graduates on June 9 in the Rose Garden at Sterling Hall of Medicine, honoring the accomplishments of its 2026 graduating residents and fellows. Faculty, trainees, and guests gathered to recognize years of dedication, clinical excellence, and scholarly achievement. The event celebrated the graduates’ contributions to patient care, research, and education while marking an important milestone as they prepare to begin the next chapter of their surgical and professional careers.

Kelsey Gray, MD, has been named surgical director of the Yale Adult Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program. She succeeds Rita Milewski, MD, who will transition to an educational leadership role within the program after contributing to its growth and national reputation. In her new role, Gray will work alongside a multidisciplinary team to further integrate ECMO, advanced heart failure, and transplantation services and support the care of patients with severe cardiac and respiratory failure.

The Department of Surgery recognizes Kristin R. Ott and Maria M. Marin for their contributions as members of the Yale School of Medicine Pre-Award Team (YPAT), which received the 2026 Yale School of Medicine Staff Appreciation & Recognition Champions (ARC) Award for Collaboration. The team was honored at a ceremony on June 10 for its collaborative support of pre-award activities across the institution. In FY25, Ott and Marin supported more than 100 Department of Surgery proposals, contributing to $1.8 million in awarded funding. “Kristin and Maria exemplify the responsiveness, expertise, and partnership that define the YPAT model,” says Peter Gruber, MD, PhD, vice chair of research.

On WTNH News 8’s Medical Monday, Kelsey Gray, MD, assistant professor of surgery and director of cardiothoracic transplant in the division of Cardiac Surgery, discusses a new robotic approach to coronary artery bypass surgery offered at Yale New Haven Hospital. The minimally invasive procedure uses robotic technology to perform bypass surgery through small chest incisions, helping eligible patients experience reduced pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery. Gray shares her perspective on this innovative advancement in cardiac care.

The Department of Surgery mourns the passing of Harold (“Hal”) Stern, MD, who died on May 24, 2026, at the age of 99. Dr. Stern served as associate professor of surgery at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), where he worked alongside generations of faculty and residents in cardiothoracic surgery. A former president of the medical staff at Yale New Haven Hospital and founding member of the Yale Surgical Society, he was widely respected for his clinical excellence, innovation, and dedication to patients, including the invention of the Stern Chest Tube Passer. Remembered as both a gifted surgeon and influential educator, Dr. Stern leaves a profound legacy in Yale Surgery and the broader New Haven medical community.