Lifespan Announces New Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery
(posted December 2, 2008)
Lifespan, a not-for-profit health care system based in Providence, announces that Frank W. Sellke, MD, FACS, is the new chief of the division of cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Sellke heads a newly structured academic/clinical Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, which will provide services to Lifespan-affiliated hospitals. Dr. Sellke assumed his duties on December 1, 2008.
Dr. Sellke is a nationally and internationally acclaimed cardiothoracic surgeon recognized for his superior clinical skills, commitment to excellence in patient care, and seminal and cutting-edge National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported cardiovascular research. He most recently was the Johnson and Johnson endowed professor at Harvard Medical School and a senior cardiovascular surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). He also was chief of cardiothoracic surgery and chief of cardiothoracic research at BIDMC.
Lifespan president and CEO George Vecchione said, “The recruitment of Dr. Sellke represents a significant milestone for Lifespan and our hospitals in our mission to attract nationally recognized academic and clinical leadership and talent to our health care system and community.”
Sellke’s research primarily focuses on two areas: microcirculation of the heart, lung, brain and other organs as it relates to blood vessel expansion, contraction and permeability; and angiogenesis (promoting the growth of new blood vessels) to increase blood flow in a heart whose vessels are severely narrowed by coronary disease, which helps patients who cannot undergo standard coronary bypass surgery. He will bring three NIH grants to Rhode Island to support his research dealing with collateral vessel formation in response to myocardial ischemia and inflammatory changes in blood vessels during the time of heart surgery.
“Dr. Sellke’s clinical skills and research interests strongly complement clinicians and researchers at Lifespan and Brown University who are already contributing significantly to our health care enterprise,” added Arthur Klein, MD, senior vice president and chief physician officer at Lifespan and Brown’s associate dean for strategic and special projects.
Sellke says “I am extremely excited to join the doctors and scientists at Lifespan. The leadership and I are in complete alignment with our goal to make this one of the best programs both clinically and in research in cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology in the Northeast.”
Sellke received his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, where he also completed a surgical internship. He completed several surgical residencies, and was chief resident of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, while simultaneously holding a research fellowship in vascular physiology at the university’s college of medicine. He is a fellow in the American College of Surgeons for cardiothoracic surgery.
Sellke serves as chairman of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s data and safety monitoring board for the cardiothoracic surgical network, which is part of the NIH. Along with being a sought-after speaker and prolific author, he is active in many civic and professional organizations. Dr. Sellke is vice-chair of the American Heart Association’s council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia and is the current president of the Massachusetts Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Dr. Sellke and his wife, Amy, have four children. They have purchased a home in Providence. In his free time, Dr. Sellke enjoys travel, sports, music and good food and wine.