San Antonio (October 20, 2003) – A family that has produced five outstanding surgeons – including John H. Calhoon, M.D., the current head of cardiothoracic surgery at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSC) – was recognized with the creation of an endowed chair of excellence Oct. 16 at the Health Science Center.
Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., UTHSC president, announced the Calhoon President’s Council Chair for Excellence in Surgery. The first holder is Dr. John Calhoon, who joined the faculty in 1989 and has performed more than a thousand lifesaving surgeries to repair congenital heart defects and other abnormalities in South Texas children.
“Today the President’s Council honors you for your lifetime of exemplary service and for consistently going above and beyond the call of duty in your role as skilled surgeon and caring physician,” Dr. Cigarroa said to Dr. Calhoon. Among his many historic achievements, Dr. Calhoon and a surgical team in 1993 corrected a defective aortic valve in a 2-day-old boy.
The announcement came at a luncheon meeting of the UTHSC President’s Council, a group of more than 300 community leaders who support the Health Science Center. President’s Council co-chairs Luis de la Garza and Tullos Wells announced the Council was awarding $180,000 to support critical projects in UTHSC’s School of Medicine, School of Nursing, Dental School, School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences and School of Allied Health Sciences. This includes $50,000 for education of physician-scientists and dentist-scientists.