Duke University Health System (DUHS) Surgeon-in-Chief Alison P. Toth, MD announced on Aug. 24 that Sabino Zani, MD, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery, has been appointed as Surgical Medical Director for Duke University Hospital. Read the full announcement below:
We are pleased to announce that Sabino Zani, MD, FACS from the Department of Surgery has been selected for the position of Surgeon Medical Director for Duke University Hospital (DUH). In this important leadership role, Dr. Zani will work collaboratively with surgeons, perioperative leaders, anesthesiology, nursing, and hospital administration to advance operational excellence, quality, safety, innovation, and the overall surgical experience for both patients and care teams.
Dr. Zani brings an exceptional combination of clinical expertise, educational leadership, research accomplishment, and operational experience to this position. He earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before receiving his Doctor of Medicine degree from Albany Medical College. He completed his general surgery training and postdoctoral research at the University of Connecticut and subsequently pursued fellowship training in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery at Duke University.
Since joining Duke, Dr. Zani has built a distinguished academic career, serving as a faculty member in the Division of Surgical Oncology and advancing to Associate Professor of Surgery. He also holds an appointment in Duke’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, reflecting his commitment to innovation and the application of technology to improve surgical care and education.
Throughout his tenure at Duke, Dr. Zani has demonstrated a sustained commitment to leadership and program development. He currently serves as Director of the HPB Oncology Fellowship Program, Director of the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Multidisciplinary Conference, Medical Director of the 2100 Unit, Chair of the DUH Robotic Committee, and Co-Director of the Surgical Education and Activities Lab (SEAL). These roles have positioned him at the forefront of surgeon engagement, quality improvement, education, and innovation across the health system.
Dr. Zani is nationally recognized for his contributions to minimally invasive and robotic surgery, surgical oncology, and surgical education. His achievements include the Duke Master Clinician/Teaching Award and the Thomas Lord Educational Innovation Grant, as well as recognition by Intuitive Surgical for surpassing 1,000 robotic surgical cases. His extensive scholarly portfolio includes numerous peer-reviewed publications, national presentations, educational initiatives, and funded research programs focused on surgical outcomes, technology, simulation, and robotic surgery.
Equally important, Dr. Zani has established a remarkable record of mentorship, helping train and develop medical students, residents, fellows, faculty, and engineering trainees. His dedication to fostering the next generation of surgical leaders reflects his longstanding commitment to Duke’s academic and clinical missions.
We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Melissa Erickson, MD for her outstanding service as DUH Surgeon Medical Director. Dr. Erickson's leadership, partnership at Duke University Hospital have strengthened perioperative operations, elevated clinical excellence, and enhanced collaboration across disciplines.
In addition to his new responsibilities as Surgeon Medical Director, Dr. Zani will serve as the DUHS Lead for Robotic Surgery, helping guide the strategic growth, innovation, quality, education, and multidisciplinary collaboration that have made Duke a national leader in robotic care. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Anthony Visco, MD for his decade of visionary leadership of robotic surgery at Duke. Dr. Visco's dedication, advocacy, and leadership have been instrumental in building one of the world’s premier robotic surgery programs, creating a strong foundation for continued growth and innovation across the health system.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Zani on these well-deserved appointments.
Special thanks to the other members of the selection committee for their time and commitment: Jonathan Bae, Amelia Fiore, Taylor Grabow, Dhanesh Gupta, Jordan Komisarow, Gavin Martin, Mary Martin, Sylvia McCauley, Galen Murphy, Tyler Pidgeon, Tina Thomas, William Trofi, Jennifer Vieau, Tara Walczak-Daege, Wendy Webster.
Alison P. Toth, MD
DUHS Surgeon-in-Chief