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Education
The Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Fellowship is committed to a comprehensive and integrated experience in trauma, emergency general surgery (in the broadest sense), and surgical critical care. The fellowship is devoted to patient care, with clinical, research, and didactic components. The clinical component includes experience gained by direct patient responsibility under supervision of teaching faculty and independent study on relevant topics. Research may be conducted on a wide variety of critical care projects, and the opportunity to take master’s level classes at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in biostatistics and research methods exists. The didactic component involves taking part in multidisciplinary rounds, teaching rounds, and conferences. Through this educational experience at one of the country’s premier Level-I trauma centers and safety net institutions, as well as a University hospital and affiliated community hospitals, our program provides fellows with the training to become academic leaders in this emerging discipline.
The Surgical Critical Care (SCC) Fellowship at the University of Colorado/Denver Health Medical Center (UCH/DHMC) is the first year of a two-year Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Fellowship program. It is an ACGME/RRC approved training program, whose goal is to educate fellows in the advanced care of critically ill and injured patients. The educational program is designed to provide the SCC Fellow with an education in the principles and practice of state-of-the art surgical critical care by exposing them to a broad array of surgical illnesses; this is accomplished through teaching rounds, primary patient care, educational conferences, and specialized rotations. Didactic components of the program include:
- Multidisciplinary Critical Care Rounds
- Daily Teaching Rounds
- Multidisciplinary Critical Care and Trauma Conferences
- Critical Care Education Blocks
- Trauma/Critical Care Conferences
- Morbidity and Mortality Conferences
- Surgical Grand Rounds
- Wellness Conferences
- Ethics Conferences
- Surgical Research Conferences
- Surgical and Critical Care Teaching Conferences
- Basic Science Conferences
- AAST Education Modules and Meet the Masters Conferences
By the completion of training, the SCC Fellow is expected to demonstrate proficiency in surgical critical care decision making, specific organ system support, evaluation of new technology and treatment techniques, ICU administration, outcomes assessment, research design, and interaction with patients, families, and health care personnel. These clinical goals will be accomplished by providing the fellow with a position dedicated to the intensive care units at UCH/DHMC.
Fellowship training will consist of twelve months with rotational experience in trauma, cardiac, burn, ultrasound, and general surgical critical care. Rotations include:
- 6 months Surgical ICU at Denver Health Medical Center
- 3 months Surgical Trauma ICU at the University of Colorado Hospital
- 2 months Cardiothoracic ICU at the University of Colorado Hospital
- 1 month ultrasound at Denver Health Medical Center and the University of Colorado Hospital
- 1 month Burn ICU at the University of Colorado Hospital
The broad experience gained through a diverse faculty and programmatic elements prepares the Fellow for their board examinations as well as a career in either academic or private practice.
The Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (TACS) Fellowship at the University of Colorado/Denver Health Medical Center (UCH/DHMC) is the second year of a two-year Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Fellowship. UCH/DHMC was approved as an official training site by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) in May 2008. The TACS fellowship curriculum builds upon the concepts and skills obtained during a five-year General Surgery Residency and on the surgical critical care skills learned in the first year of the fellowship.
During the second year of the fellowship, the TACS Fellow acquires a comprehensive knowledge of critical care, trauma, emergency general surgery, advanced operative skills, and procedural techniques in thoracic and vascular surgery. Under the supervision of attending faculty members, the TACS Fellow will be the physician responsible for patient evaluation, care, and intervention of all acutely ill surgical patients. TACS Fellows complete the following rotations:
- 6 months Trauma & Emergency General Surgery at the Denver Health Medical Center
- 2 months Thoracic Surgery at the Medical Center of the Rockies
- 2 months Vascular Surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital
- 2 months Hepatobiliary/Transplant at the University of Colorado Hospital
In these rotations, the TACS fellow acquires advanced operative skills and procedural techniques. Recent graduates have performed over 100 thoracic cases, 75-100 vascular cases, over 200 ICU procedures, and over 500 elective, urgent, and trauma cases.
The TACS Fellow takes call once a week under the supervision of the TACS attending surgeon. Call at Denver Health Medical Center embodies this paradigm of training, as the Fellow evaluates and operates on patients with trauma as well as thoracic, vascular, abdominal, neurologic, and orthopaedic emergencies.
TACS training at the UCH/DHMC is the finest paradigm of training which incorporates Level 1 trauma center care, comprehensive surgical critical care training, and an expanded hands-on training in complex vascular, thoracic, and GI surgery in a setting where the faculty and institution are fully committed to an Acute Care Surgery model of practice.
How to Apply
The Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Fellowship is a two-year program. All applicants for the fellowship should be interested in completing the full two-year training program.
Applicants must successfully complete General Surgery training in one of the following:
- An ACGME accredited program.
- A Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) accredited residency program.
- A program dually accredited by both the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and ACGME.
Applicants must also be American Board of Surgery certified or eligible to apply for our fellowship program through SAFAS.
Two Surgical Critical Care fellows are chosen yearly in the match sponsored by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). All applicants must register with the NRMP match to be considered. After successful completion of the first year of the fellowship, fellows matriculate to Trauma and Acute Care Surgery in their second year.
Applications and all supporting materials should be entered on the SCC and ACS Fellowship Application Service (SAFAS). For questions, refer to the SAFAS applicant instructions.
The following are required for applications:
- Curriculum vitae
- Personal statement
- USMLE transcript
- ABSITE transcripts
- 3 letters of recommendation, one of which must be written by the Program Director of the General Surgery Residency program
For 2023 fellowship applicants, SAFAS will open March 1, 2022, and applications are due July 31, 2022. Match day will be September 7, 2022.
University of Colorado Hospital Faculty
- Paul Bauling, MD
- Jason Brainard, MD
- Clay Cothren Burlew, MD, FACS — Program Director
- Mitchell Cohen, MD, FACS — Trauma Medical Director and Section Chief
- Michael Cripps, MD, MSCS, FACS
- David Fullerton, MD
- Juan Paul Idrovo, MD
- Whitney Jenson, MD
- Robert C. McIntyre, MD, FACS — Division Chief
- Lauren Steward, MD
- Catherine Velopulos, MD, MPH
- Arek Wiktor, MD
- Frank Wright, MD — Associate Program Director
Denver Health Medical Center Faculty
- Denis Bensard, MD, FACS, FAAP
- Eric Campion, MD
- Ryan Lawless, MD — Trauma Medical Director
- Ernest E. Moore, MD, FACS
- Fredric Pieracci, MD, MPH
- K. Barry Platnick, MD — Associate Program Director
- Daniel VanDerPloeg, MD
Surgical Critical Care Fellows
.jpg?sfvrsn=83386dbb_2 "Jennifer Baker, MD")
Jennifer Baker, MD
Dr. Jennifer Baker was born and raised in State College, Pennsylvania where she enjoyed outdoor pursuits of skiing and cycling. She attended Washington & Jefferson College, where she majored in cell & molecular biology. After college, she moved across the state and attended Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. Her interest in medical research and surgery blossomed and participated in College within a College Translational Research Track.
Ultimately, Dr. Baker found herself at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for surgical residency. During her research years, she participated in both translational and clinical research and nurtured her love of trauma and acute care surgery. She won numerous research award and was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha for her academic pursuits.
Outside of the operating room, she enjoys spending time running, hiking, cycling, and skiing. She and her husband are excited for extended hikes with their dogs Roxy and Brooks. In addition to outdoor activities, she enjoys cooking and exploring breweries.
.jpg?sfvrsn=a43a6dbb_2 "Kevin Harrell, MD")
Kevin Harrell, MD
Dr. Kevin Harrell was born and raised just outside of Atlanta, GA. A dual love of science and music led him to undergraduate studies at Emory University in Atlanta with majors in Chemistry and Bassoon Performance. He remained at Emory for medical school and fell in love with surgery from his first day in the anatomy lab and on clinical rotations.
Dr. Harrell completed his General Surgery residency at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga. There he chaired several residency committees including the Social Media and EMR committees. During his research year, he pursued trauma outcomes and process improvement research with numerous presentations and publications. He also led a Western Trauma Association multicenter study on traumatic abdominal wall hernias which solidified his desire to pursue a career in academic surgery.
Dr. Harrell is so thrilled to have matched in Denver for Trauma/Acute Care Surgery Fellowship. Outside of the OR, Dr. Harrell enjoys spending time with his wife, a professional flutist, and two dogs. A passionate reader, traveler, and lifelong outdoor enthusiast, you can find him most weekends on a hiking trail or working in the garden.
Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Fellows
Chelsea Horwood, MD, MPH
Dr. Chelsea Horwood was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the middle daughter of an Orthopaedic surgeon and a surgical nurse. Her love of the operating room started at a very early age while rounding with her father in the hospital and seeing his post-operative patients. From an early age she wanted to pursue a career in surgery and attended college at Saint Louis University, MO. There she obtained a bachelor’s degree, majoring in Biology with a minor in Philosophy. She continued her medical education in Saint Louis, obtaining her medical degree from Saint Louis University. She graduated with multiple accolades including the Outstanding Student in Surgery Award. It was while in Saint Louis she fostered her love of live music and all things food and wine.
Dr. Horwood returned to Ohio for her General Surgery Residency training at The Ohio State University. While in Columbus, she participated in a research year focusing on Human Factors and structural changes for patient safety in the hospital setting, and acute care surgery outcomes in cancer patients. She also obtained a Masters of Public Health in Clinical and Translational Sciences with her thesis focusing on combining data visualization with current alarm technology to improve early detection in patient decompensation. She served on multiple committees focusing on patient safety, including Chair of the Clinical Housestaff safety committee, and obtained multiple awards, including resident of the year.
Outside of the OR, Dr. Horwood enjoys cooking and hosting dinner parties with her new husband, who is an amateur sommelier. She has recently mastered pasta dough and is on a lifelong quest for the perfect Bolognese sauce! In addition to cooking, she loves to travel, visiting multiple countries throughout the world, and actively seeks out live music. Dr. Horwood and her new husband are also excited to welcome a puppy to the family this summer.
Husayn Ladhani, MD
Dr. Husayn Ladhani was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and immigrated to the United States with his family in 2004. After completing high school in Carrollton, TX, he attended the University of Texas in Austin, TX, where he majored in Biochemistry and also obtained a Business Foundations Certification from the McCombs School of Business. From there, he attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. Initially planning to pursue a primary care specialty, Dr. Ladhani enjoyed his time on the surgical services and decided to change course to general surgery.
His pursuit of a rigorous, well-rounded general surgical training program took him to University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, where he developed a strong interest in Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, and Burn Surgery while rotating at Metro Health Medical Center, the oldest level I trauma and burn center in Northeast Ohio. During residency, he was given the opportunity to spend time as the Richard B. Fratianne Research Fellow in the Division of Trauma, Critical Care, Burn, and Acute Care Surgery at Metro Health Medical Center. With no prior experience in clinical outcomes research, Dr. Ladhani thoroughly enjoyed his time as the research fellow and was very productive with numerous publications and national presentations to his name.
After completion of general surgical training, Dr. Ladhani will be joining the University of Colorado/Denver Health Department of Surgery as a Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Fellow. He is very humbled for this opportunity to work alongside and learn from the leaders in the field of trauma and acute care surgery. Outside of work, Dr. Ladhani enjoys travelling, hiking, and sports. He has enjoyed exploring Northeast Ohio during residency and is excited to call Colorado home for the next two years.
Kaitlin Ritter, MD
2020 - 2022 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland (Trauma and Critical Care faculty)
Morgan Sellers, MD
2020 - 2022 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
University of New Mexico (faculty, Division of Acute Care Surgery)
Daniel VanDerPloeg, MD
2020 - 2021 Surgical Critical Care
Denver Health Medical Center
Jonathan Meizoso, MD, MPH
2019 - 2021 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
University of Miami
Cordelie Witt, MD, MPH
2019 - 2021 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
UCHealth, Medical Center of the Rockies
Amy Gore, MD
2018 - 2020 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Alexander Schwed, MD
2018 - 2020 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Nicole Werner, MD, MS
2018 - 2019 Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Denver Health Medical Center
Michal Radomski, MD, MS
2017 - 2019 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Ohio Health
Aaron Richman, MD
2017 - 2018 Surgical Critical Care
Boston University/Boston Medical Center
Gregory Borst, MD
2016 - 2018 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
UCHealth, Memorial Hospital Central
Stephanie Joyce, MD
2016 - 2017 Surgical Critical Care
Yale School of Medicine
Lauren Steward, MD, MPHS, MHSA
2016 - 2017 Surgical Critical Care
University of Colorado
Scott Moore, MD
2015 - 2017 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
WakeMed
Chadrick Evans, MD
2015 - 2016 Surgical Critical Care
University of Illinois, Peoria
Nina Glass, MD
2014 - 2016 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Jennifer Salotto, MD
2014 - 2015 Surgical Critical Care
Queen's Medical Center
Daniel Lollar, MD
2013 - 2015 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Forest Sheppard, MD
2012 - 2013 Surgical Critical Care
Maine Medical Center
Erik Peltz, DO
2011 - 2013 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Logan Health Medical Center
Robert Stovall, MD
2011 - 2012 Surgical Critical Care
Kaiser Permanente
Janeen Jordan, MD
2010 - 2012 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
University of Florida, Gainesville/Envision Health
Carlton Barnett, MD
2010 - 2011 Surgical Critical Care
Rocky Mountain Regional VA
Fredric Pieracci, MD, MPH
2009 - 2011 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
Denver Health Medical Center
Christopher Zaw-Mon, MD
2007 - 2008 Surgical Critical Care
John Cha, MD
2006 - 2008 Surgical Critical Care & Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
University of South Florida
Eric Sarin, MD
2006 - 2007 Surgical Critical Care
Innova Health
Joshua Golderberg, MD
2005 - 2006 Surgical Critical Care
Advent Health
Jeffrey Johnson, MD
2005 - 2006 Surgical Critical Care
Henry Ford Hospital
Clay Cothren Burlew, MD, FACS
2004 - 2005 Surgical Critical Care
Denver Health Medical Center
David Ciesla, MD
2003 - 2004 Surgical Critical Care
UCHealth
Contact
Trina Smidt
Education Manager
Interim Program Coordinator, Burn Fellowship, Surgical Critical Care and TACS Fellowships
Office of Education, Department of Surgery
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
12631 E. 17th Ave., Aurora, CO 80045 | Mail Stop C-291
E: trina.smidt@cuanschutz.edu | O: 303.724.9251 | C: 303.229.5779
Education Manager
Interim Program Coordinator, Burn Fellowship, Surgical Critical Care and TACS Fellowships
Office of Education, Department of Surgery
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
12631 E. 17th Ave., Aurora, CO 80045 | Mail Stop C-291
E: trina.smidt@cuanschutz.edu | O: 303.724.9251 | C: 303.229.5779