Guest Lecture Series

Dr. Lyssa Ochoa is a board-certified vascular surgeon and founder of the San Antonio Vascular and Endovascular Clinic (The SAVE Clinic) in South San Antonio. The mission of The SAVE Clinic is to reduce the number of diabetes-related amputations in San Antonio, which occur at rates up to 3 times the already-poor statewide rate in some of the city’s most underserved and socioeconomically challenged zip codes. Dr. Ochoa was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, along the Texas-Mexico border, and attended medical school, general surgery residency, and vascular surgery residency at the prestigious Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. She has been practicing vascular surgery in San Antonio since completing her training 2011.

Upon Dr Ochoa’s founding of The SAVE Clinic in 2018, she immediately amplified her focus on addressing the Social Determinants of Health barriers faced by her patients by engaging extensively in community activities, including collaboration in a wide array of grant applications with local universities, educating students ranging from high school to medical residency, serving in non-profit organizations, and raising awareness regarding both the problems we face and potential solutions for a healthier community in every circle and every venue.

Dr Ochoa has been an avid supporter and participant in local community-focused initiatives including Healthy Corner Stores, Diabetes Management Programs, Siclovia, The Fit Family Challenge, Health Confianza, SA Ready To Work, the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women, and innumerable health and wellness events throughout the community. Dr Ochoa’s tenacious support of our southside community bolstered the realization of the southside Covid-19 mass vaccination site in 2020.

At the statewide level, Dr Ochoa has been selected as a Director of the Texas Lyceum and a Member of the Texas Surgical Society. Nationally, Dr Ochoa has been invited to present her work on SDoH in amputation prevention at professional conferences including the Society for Vascular Surgery Annual Meeting, the International Diabetic Foot Conference, the Houston Aortic Symposium, and The American Diabetes Association Annual Scientific Sessions.

Dr. Ochoa’s continuing work aims to create a sustainable model of vascular care emphasizing social determinants of health for underserved communities in Bexar County as a template for national adoption.

Commander Erin Koelling, a highly accomplished surgeon, specializes in general and vascular surgery. Graduating cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 2003 and obtaining her Medical Doctorate from the Uniformed Services University in 2007, she completed her internship and residency at the National Naval Medical Center in 2012. She served as a ship's surgeon on USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) and excelled in various critical roles within the medical training team.

In 2013, Commander Koelling pursued a vascular surgery fellowship at the Greenville Health System, earning a promotion to Lieutenant Commander. Joining Walter Reed Bethesda in 2015 as an attending vascular surgeon, she showcased exceptional skills and commitment during deployments on the USNS Mercy (TAH-19) and in Bahrain, providing crucial surgical care, educating local surgeons, and supporting amphibious landing exercises.

In 2019, she became the chief of the division of Vascular Surgery at Walter Reed Bethesda and was promoted to Commander. She coordinates a vascular surgery consulting service at the National Institutes of Health and contributes to the vascular surgery fellowship program as core faculty. Commander Koelling is widely recognized for her expertise, with board certifications, numerous publications, and fellowships with prestigious organizations. She has been honored with awards such as the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Navy Commendation Medal.

Gretchen Schwarze MD, MPP is the Morgridge Professor of Vascular Surgery and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Medical History and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin. She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and master’s degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. She completed residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Her fellowship training in vascular surgery and clinical ethics was at the University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics. She is a practicing vascular surgeon and health services researcher who also directs the hospital ethics committee and the ethics curriculum for the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Her research interests focus on high-stakes decisions and end-of-life care for older patients with complex illnesses. She is an alumna of the Greenwall Faculty Scholar and the Cambia Foundation Sojourns Scholar programs.  She is currently funded by the National Institute on Aging with two R01s and a K24. She lives in Madison, WI with her husband who is a transplant surgeon and has two daughters, ages 15 and 17.

Dr. Safi attended medical school at the University of Baghdad College of Medicine and completed his general surgery training at Medical City Teaching Hospital in Baghdad and St. James Hospital in London, England. He then completed his general surgery training, followed by his cardiothoracic residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, studying under Dr. Michael DeBakey. 

Dr. Safi serves as professor and founding chair of the department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston and chief of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute. 

Dr. Safi is a pioneer of vascular surgery. He is not only known for his surgical training around the world, but also for his infectious personality.

Dr. Dawn Coleman is deeply committed to delivering comprehensive vascular care to patients with arterial disease. With a specific focus on open and endovascular surgical reconstruction of complex aorto-mesenteric diseases, including thoracoabdominal and visceral/renal aneurysms and narrrowings, she possesses a wealth of experience in this field. Dr. Coleman also specializes in caring for children with developmental and acquired vascular disease, particularly those with renovascular hypertension – a rare form of high blood pressure caused by aortic and renal artery narrowings.

As a distinguished professional. Dr. Coleman hold the position of professor of surgery and serves as the division chief of vascular and endovascular surgery at Duke University Medical Center. Her expertise and leadership play a pivotal role in advancing the field and providing exceptional patient care. 

Dr. Steven Abramowitz will be presenting on Deep Venous Recanalization: Organized Thrombus to Post-Thrombotic Disease. He is a vascular surgeon and assistant professor of Surgery at the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. 

Dr. Kristofer Charlton-Ouw will be presenting on Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms on January 27, 2021. He is a vascular surgeon and associate professor with the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at McGovern Medical School, UT Health Science Center, Houston.

Dr. Christopher Bibbio, Head of Foot and Ankle Surgery and the Assistant Director of the Foot and Ankle Deformity Correction and Orthoplastics Fellowship at the International Center for Limb Lengthening presented a lecture on how wound care and soft tissue reconstruction is often overlooked and can lead to unnecessary early amputation. He also delved into his expertise in muscle flaps and foot and ankle orthoplastics.

Dr. David Armstrong presented a lecture on creating a limb preservation program from a podiatry perspective. Dr. Armstrong is Professor of Clinical Surgery at the University of Southern California, has produced more than 510 peer-reviewed research papers in dozens of scholarly medical journals, and is widely known for his work in amputation prevention, the diabetic foot, and wound healing. 

Dr. Joseph L. Mills, Sr. is Professor and Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at the Baylor College of Medicine. In this lecture Dr. Mills discusses the use of SVS Lower Extremity Threatened Limb Classification System (CLTI) to evaluate and reduce amputation risk among at-risk patients as well as how to create a limb salvage program. 

Jill Sommerset is a vascular technologist at PeaceHealth Thoracic and Vascular Surgery in Vancouver, WA. Her lecture outlines a technique for measuring pedal artery flow by measuring the pedal acceleration time (PAT) and defines its utility in determining limb salvage. 

Dr. Matthew Smeds, Associate Professor, Chief of Vascular Surgery,
Program Director - St. Louis University

“How to Identify and Manage Physician Burnout”

Dr. Karen Woo, Associate Professor
University of California, Los Angeles

“The Vascular Low Frequency Disease Consortium”  

Dr. Max Wohlauer, Assistant Professor- University of Colorado 

“Vascular Surgery Covid Collaboration- International Registry on Vascular Complications Related to Covid”

Dr. Robert Cuff,  Program Director,
Spectrum Health - Michigan State University

“Vascular Surgery Covid Collaboration- International Registry on Vascular Complications Related to Covid”