CHRISTOPHER KWOLEK, MD, NAMED CHAIR OF SURGERY AT NEWTON-WELLESLEY HOSPITAL

Christopher Kwolek, MD, has been appointed Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Dr. Kwolek will remain in his role as Chief of Vascular Surgery at NWH, a position he has held since 2005.

A leader in the fields of vascular and endovascular surgery, Dr. Kwolek’s career has focused on improving the minimally invasive treatment of vascular disease. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, New England Society for Vascular Surgery, Society for Vascular Surgery and Boston Surgical Society. He has published broadly in the field of vascular surgery with multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, has been the principal investigator of several pivotal clinical trials and is considered an innovator of new techniques in endovascular surgery. A reviewer for the Journal of Vascular Surgery and Circulation and editorial board member for the Journal of Endovascular Therapy, Dr. Kwolek has been recognized as one of America’s Top Doctors for the past nine years.

“We are so pleased that Dr. Kwolek will remain a member of the Newton-Wellesley family. His clinical excellence, outstanding leadership ability, and dedication to NWH will serve us well,” said Ellen Moloney, Interim President, Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Dr. Kwolek earned his medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School. He completed an internship and residency in general surgery at the New England Deaconess Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He then completed a clinical fellowship in angioscopy and a research fellowship within the Division of Vascular Surgery at New England Deaconess Hospital/Harvard Medical School followed by a clinical and research fellowship in vascular surgery at MGH. He received additional training in endovascular surgery at the Arizona Heart Institute.

Dr. Kwolek had his first faculty position at the University of Kentucky, the Chandler Medical Center, and the Lexington VA Medical Center, where he was Director of Endovascular Surgery and Program Director of the Vascular Surgery Fellowship. Dr. Kwolek was recruited to MGH in 2002, where he has been the Program Director of the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery fellowship and Program Director of the Integrated Vascular Residency program. He is an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School.

In addition to his new role as Chair of Surgery, Dr. Kwolek will be performing high-level interventional vascular procedures at Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s new Elfers Cardiovascular Center and will play a prominent role in its leadership.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital, a member of Partners HealthCare, provides a wide range of services, including medical, surgical, obstetrical, orthopaedic, neonatal, pediatric and psychiatric care. Newton-Wellesley has been serving its community for over a century. The medical staff of the Hospital includes nearly 1,000 physicians practicing a full range of specialties. NWH is a major teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine and also has established post-graduate training programs for Harvard Medical School residents.