The Duke Department of Surgery is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher R. Mantyh, MD, FACS, FASCRS, as the department’s new Vice Chair of Clinical Operations, effective May 1, 2023.
Dr. Mantyh is a Professor of Surgery with tenure in the Division of Surgical Oncology and the Section of Colorectal Surgery, and a member of the Duke Cancer Institute.
"Dr. Mantyh is the perfect choice for this important departmental role,” says Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Surgery. “He has been a busy, clinically active surgeon since his residency training here and has a clear understanding of the strengths and challenges of our clinical operations. Most importantly, he is a national leader in surgical quality and has led the Department of Surgery to top decile performance year over year, building a robust surgical quality program across the entire health system. I am confident he will lead our clinical mission from its current strong position to even new heights.”
Dr. Mantyh has served as the Chief of Quality for the Department of Surgery since 2014 and has been instrumental in introducing and advancing quality of care initiatives in this role. Under his leadership, Duke University Hospital has been recognized for six consecutive years for achieving meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP).
Dr. Mantyh’s commitment to using data to analyze surgical care outcomes and identify opportunities for improvement has also been reflected in his driving influence in the integration of OR Black Box technology into Duke operating rooms.
As Vice Chair of Clinical Operations, Dr. Mantyh will be responsible for maintaining the daily operations of the Duke Surgery clinical facilities, and driving initiatives to evaluate and enhance operational efficiency. One of his first tasks will be to appoint a Chief of Ambulatory Surgery.
“I am honored to be offered the role of Vice Chair of Clinical Operations for the Department of Surgery,” says Dr. Mantyh. “In this role, improved coordination and implementation of our clinical mission at all of our surgical facilities is goal number one. I look forward to working with all the faculty, house staff, and nursing staff to deliver outstanding care.”
Michael Lipkin, MD, Cary N. Robertson Associate Professor of Surgery, has held the role of Vice Chair of Clinical Operations for the Department of Surgery since 2020. As a urologic surgeon, Dr. Lipkin will be joining the Division of Urology in its elevation to department status in July 2023.
“I’d like to thank Mike Lipkin for his superb leadership over the past several years,” says Dr. Kirk. “Mike has been invaluable as a partner, navigating the tough pandemic times, significant growth of our ambulatory programs, and challenges related to practice alignment. I know he will continue to be an effective leader as he moves into the new Department of Urology. He is a great asset to our institution.”
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Mantyh and expressing gratitude to Dr. Lipkin for his service to the department.