Surgical Director, MGH Lung Transplant Program

Surgical Director Of The Massachusetts General Hospital Lung Transplant Program

The Surgical Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Lung Transplant Program provides clinical and programmatic leadership for lung transplantation on the MGH campus. This role is responsible for the surgical clinical care of patients within the lung transplant program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in collaboration with the MGB system, including Brigham and Women's Hospital. The expectation is that the Director will provide expertise and care in a partnered, unified approach in strategy, standards, quality, operations, and culture - although unique expertise and specialization may reside at each academic site.

Lung transplant services currently occur at the two academic medical center sites, with MGH increasing year-over-year to nearly 90 lung transplant operations last year, including complex and multi-organ transplants. As a system, MGB averages 110-140 Lung Transplants per year, with strong expertise in EVLP and mechanical circulatory support. MGH is one of the world's leading centers for complex tracheal surgery, also adding an important facet to thoracic and transplant surgical care and expertise. The MGH and BWH Surgical Directors are accountable for ensuring excellent surgical care and clinical operations that occur at their specific site. In all functional respects, lung transplantation operates as a collaborative MGB program with shared governance between the sites, creation of aligned clinical pathways, common quality metrics, coordinated regulatory oversight, and a unified and coordinated vision for growth and discovery.

The MGH Surgical Director serves as a practicing lung transplant physician/surgeon and provides hands-on clinical care, both pre- and post-transplant, regulatory compliance, quality and safety, clinical performance, and strategic development. The role works in close partnership with the Medical Director of MGH Lung Transplantation, Chief of the MGB Transplant Center, the Division Chiefs of both MGB Thoracic Surgery and Pulmonary Medicine, as well as BWH-based Surgical and Medical Lung Transplant Directors as needed. Collaborative working relationships will be critical with physicians from cross-disciplines, hospital leadership, transplant administration, and system leaders to advance high-quality, compliant, and patient-centered lung transplant care across MGB.

The Surgical Director reports to the Division Chief of Thoracic Surgery while also indirectly reporting to the MGB Transplant Center. They also work in partnership with the MGH Medical Director of Lung Transplant, administrative leadership, and the BWH-Surgical Director in a coordinated fashion. The Surgical Director ensures alignment with MGB-wide transplant strategy, policies, and regulatory requirements.

Principal Duties And Responsibilities

• Serves as the physician leader for lung transplantation within MGH in coordination with BWH Surgical Site Director, providing clinical direction and strategic leadership for the lung transplant programs across the MGB system.
• Leverages current governance and operations at the MGH site to establish a combined governance structure for system activities, with a focus on shared standards of care, common policies and procedures, and aligned quality and performance expectations across both sites.
• Partners with hospital and system leadership to define and advance the long-term vision for lung transplantation at MGH, including program growth, innovation, sustainability in tandem with the program at BWH.
• Ensures consistent patient access, experience, and outcomes across sites, regardless of location of care
• Partner with MGH Medical Director and administrative leadership on:
• Program growth strategy and volume optimization
• Resource allocation and capacity planning (ICU, OR, step-down, clinic)
• Donor utilization and organ acceptance practices
• Serves as a visible internal and external ambassador for the MGB Transplant Program, representing the MGH campus.

• Serves as an active lung transplant clinician, participating in the full scope of lung transplant care, including evaluation, transplantation, and post-transplant management, consistent with specialty and site expectations.
• Serve as the lead thoracic transplant surgeon for MGH performing complex lung transplant procedures including:
• Bilateral and single lung transplantation
• Re-transplantation
• ECMO-bridged and high-acuity recipients
• Supports clinical excellence and performance against established outcome, quality, and safety benchmarks.
• Reviews and guides adoption of new surgical techniques, technologies, therapies, and clinical innovations related to lung transplantation, including the development of ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) and donor optimization strategies.
• Reinforces expectations for professional conduct, multidisciplinary collaboration, and adherence to applicable medical staff and institutional policies.
• Provides clinical leadership in addressing complex ethical issues related to lung transplantation, including candidate selection, organ allocation, and re-transplantation.

• Ensures ongoing compliance with OPTN/UNOS, CMS, and other applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements for lung transplantation at both AMCs.
• Oversees coordinated responses to regulatory inquiries, site visits, and corrective action plans in collaboration with program and administrative leadership.
• Monitors key clinical outcomes, including patient and graft survival, complications, readmissions, and waitlist performance.
• Leads or supports lung transplant-specific Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) activities.
• Partners with hospital and system quality leadership to foster a culture of safety, transparency, and continuous improvement.

• Partners with administrative leadership to assess program capacity, staffing models, and resource needs across sites.
• Provides clinical input into budgeting, FTE planning, and operational decision-making for the lung transplant program.
• Collaborates with system partners on site-of-care decisions, throughput optimization, and length-of-stay initiatives.
• Works with payer contracting and finance teams to provide clinical insight into cost structures and reimbursement considerations for lung transplantation.

• Develops distinct mentorship plans, leadership opportunities, with focused national sponsorship of members of each hospital-based team, specifically including site-specific directors, transplant surgeons and fellows.
• Supports education and training of fellows, residents, medical students, and advanced practice providers involved in lung transplant care.
• Promotes mentorship, professional development, and clinician well-being within the lung transplant team, with particular attention to staff practicing across multiple sites.
• Promote innovation in:
• Donor lung preservation and utilization
• Surgical therapies for end-stage lung disease or acute lung injury
• ECMO and bridge-to-transplant strategies
• Post-transplant outcomes and chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD)
• Contributes to succession planning and development of future clinical and programmatic leaders within lung transplantation.

• Supports and encourages lung transplant-related clinical and translational research in collaboration with academic and research leadership.
• Ensures that research activities meet all applicable regulatory, compliance, and ethical requirements.
• Promotes collaboration and integration of research and innovation between MGH and BWH-based programs into clinical practice and standards of MGB Lung Transplant Program where appropriate.
• Publish in high-impact journals and present at national/international meetings (e.g., International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation etc.)

• Maintains strong working relationships with organ procurement organizations and external partners relevant to lung transplantation.
• Supports organ donation advocacy, education, and public awareness initiatives aligned with MGB values.
• Represents the MGH location of the MGB Lung Transplant Program in regional/national forums.

Qualifications

• MD or equivalent degree with appropriate board certification and licensure.
• Assistant or Associate Professor qualifications or equivalent at current institution
• Leadership experience as a Surgical Director of Lung Transplantation or equivalent
• Demonstrated clinical expertise and leadership experience in lung transplantation, including lung-multiorgan transplant, and the surgical management of lung failure.
• Demonstration of ability to build a high acuity transplant program with excellent clinical outcomes with high volumes and short wait times
• Strong working knowledge of OPTN/UNOS, CMS, and other regulatory requirements governing lung transplantation.
• Proven ability to lead in a highly matrixed, multi-site academic health system.
• Experience partnering with administrative leaders on operational, quality, and financial initiatives.
• Demonstrated commitment to ethical practice, equity, transparency, and patient-centered care.
• Excellent communication,