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Congratulations to our vascular surgeon, Dr. Linda Harris, on being named the new Chief of Surgery for Kaleida Health! A Message from Kaleida Health: Linda Harris, MD, FACS, DFSVS, has been named chief of surgery for Kaleida Health. She assumes the role from the late Carroll “Mac” Harmon, MD, PhD, who sadly passed away this past February. A special thank you to Steven Schwaitzberg MD, FACS, who has supported this role on an interim basis since Dr. Harmon’s passing. As a vascular surgeon, Dr. Harris treats and manages conditions of the circulatory system, including diseases of the arteries, veins and lymph vessels and blood disorders that affect circulation using the most advanced treatment options available. In fact, Dr. Harris, along with Brittany Montross, MD, performed Kaleida Health and Western New York’s first FDA-approved GORE® EXCLUDER® Thoracoabdominal Branch Endoprosthesis (TAMBE) procedure in October 2024 – a cutting-edge, minimally invasive treatment for complex aortic disease. She has decades of experience both treating and researching venous disease, cerebrovascular disease, aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and thoracic outlet syndrome. A professor of surgery in the Division of Vascular Surgery at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo, Dr. Harris has a national reputation for her work in the field of education. She has served on the ACGME Surgery Review Committee, the Vascular Surgery Milestone Project and is the past president for the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery and Eastern Vascular Society. She is also a full member of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, a select group of internationally recognized surgeon educators. As a long standing program director for both the vascular surgery residency and fellowship, Dr. Harris trains the next generation of vascular surgeons.  She has also co-directed and led symposia for the Gates Vascular Institute and Western New York Vascular Society conferences, enabling discussion about updates in cardiac, vascular and neuroendovascular care. She is an advisor for the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Interest Group, which provides faculty mentoring and support to medical students considering surgical fields. In addition, Dr. Harris is a certified educator through the Royal College of Physicians. She is the founder and past president of the International Society for Women Vascular Surgeons, and she is president-elect of the Society for Vascular Surgery. Dr. Harris received her Bachelor of Science from Kent State University and her Doctor of Medicine from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. She completed her internship/residency in general surgery at University of Michigan Medical Center, and her residency and vascular fellowship at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is board certified in surgery and vascular surgery.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month—a time to shine a light on a disease that affects millions of people worldwide, yet is often preventable with the right knowledge and action. Why Colorectal Cancer Awareness Matters Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide , accounting for approximately 10% of all cancer cases . It is also the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally , making it a major public health concern. While it predominantly affects individuals aged 50 and older , there is a growing and concerning rise in cases among adults ages 30–50  in some populations. This shift highlights the importance of awareness across all age groups, not just those traditionally considered at risk. Understanding Your Risk Several factors can increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer. These include: Lifestyle factors: Diets high in processed and red meats and low in fruits and vegetables Physical inactivity Overweight and obesity Tobacco use Alcohol consumption Family history and genetics: A family history of colorectal cancer Inherited conditions such as Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) Personal history: Previous colorectal cancer Certain types of colon polyps Age: Risk increases significantly after age 50, though it can occur earlier Know the Signs and Symptoms In its early stages, colorectal cancer often has no symptoms or only mild ones , which is why screening is so critical. When symptoms do appear, they may include: Changes in bowel habits, such as Diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool Blood in the stool (bright red or dark, tar-like) Persistent abdominal cramps, pain, or bloating Unexplained weight loss Ongoing fatigue Iron deficiency anemia caused by chronic bleeding If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to talk with a healthcare provider. While these signs don’t always indicate cancer, they should never be ignored. Screening is especially important because it can identify precancerous polyps before they develop into cancer—or catch cancer early when treatment is most effective. Take Action This March—and Beyond Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is more than a reminder- it’s a call to action. Whether it’s scheduling a screening, making healthier lifestyle choices, or encouraging a loved one to get checked, small steps can have a life-saving impact. Colorectal cancer is common, but it doesn’t have to be deadly. With awareness, prevention, and early detection, we have the power to change the story. Call to schedule a screening: (716) 636-9004

"This is everyone’s problem. This is not just the problem of the disenfranchised and the disadvantaged." Andrea Hayes-Dixon, MD Dean, Howard University College of Medicine Keynote Speaker: Andrea A. Hayes-Dixon, MD, FACS, FAAP Dean of the Howard University College of Medicine and Member of the National Academy of Medicine Panel: Moderated by Claudine Ewing , Channel 2 News anchor Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Andrea Hayes-Dixon, MD Thomas J. Ward Jr., PhD , dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Farmingdale State College Jamal B. Williams, PhD , assistant professor of psychiatry at the Jacobs School Rhonda Wilson , founder and president of Buffalo Black Nurses.   When a young man in his early 30s arrived in Andrea Hayes-Dixon’s clinic, he had already heard what he believed was the end of his story. The African American patient had abdominal cancer and had been told by other physicians that it was stage 4 and incurable. Hospice care, they said, was the only realistic option. But when Andrea Hayes-Dixon reviewed his records, she saw something different. His cancer was stage 2 - serious, but treatable. She began outlining a plan that included surgery and chemotherapy. The patient was stunned. A treatment plan? He had been preparing to die. Hayes-Dixon was equally taken aback. It wasn’t the first time she had encountered a case like this — patients, often uninsured or covered by Medicaid or Medicare, told they wouldn’t survive treatment and should simply “go home.” These patterns, she has said, reflect deep inequities in the health care system — inequities she believes must be dismantled. Hayes-Dixon, now dean of the College of Medicine at Howard University College of Medicine, delivered the keynote address at this year’s Beyond the Knife lecture on Feb. 5 at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Her career is marked by firsts. In 2022, she became the first Black woman to serve as dean of the College of Medicine in Howard University’s 154-year history. Nearly two decades earlier, in 2004, she became the first African American woman in the United States to earn board certification in pediatric surgery. Now in its sixth year, the Beyond the Knife endowed lecture — organized by the Jacobs School’s Department of Surgery — focuses on confronting systemic racism and structural inequality in medicine. Steven D. Schwaitzberg, MD, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and chair of surgery, opened the evening before a full audience at the M&T Auditorium. He reflected on the persistence of inequity, noting that changing terminology or policies alone cannot resolve deeper issues of fairness and justice. Among those attending was U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy, who highlighted Buffalo’s long-standing leadership in advancing health equity — efforts that contributed to the creation of the UB Community Health Equity Research Institute. He emphasized that equitable access to health care is foundational to saving lives. Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, described inequity as the result of systemic decisions and structures. She underscored the institution’s commitment to addressing those disparities and strengthening the health of Western New York. The lecture, she noted, is meant to provoke honest conversations about uncomfortable but necessary truths. At the start of her remarks, Hayes-Dixon offered her definition of health equity: ensuring that a person’s ZIP code, race, ethnicity, gender, or religious beliefs do not determine their health outcomes. Drawing from more than 20 years in academic medicine, she shared examples of unequal care, including the young man whose cancer stage had been misrepresented. She stressed that health equity is not solely a concern for the uninsured or underinsured. Hospital closures, workforce shortages, and resource gaps ultimately affect entire communities. Health professionals, she argued, play a critical role in advancing equity because they are the ones directly interacting with patients. Research also shows that trust in physicians can increase when providers reflect the communities they serve. Hayes-Dixon also turned her focus to physician training. As a historically Black institution, Howard University has long been instrumental in educating Black physicians. Still, she emphasized that responsibility for diversifying the workforce cannot rest solely on historically Black colleges and universities. She cited data indicating that Black residents are dismissed from training programs at significantly higher rates than their white peers — Black surgical trainees six times more likely, and Black anesthesiology residents ten times more likely. Such disparities, she said, undermine years of investment and effort. Strengthening the pipeline must begin even earlier. Hayes-Dixon described outreach initiatives at Howard that introduce elementary school students to medicine and science, with the goal of nurturing interest long before college. Even so, she acknowledged that measurable progress will require clearer metrics and sustained effort. Significant challenges remain. Prior to the lecture, Hayes-Dixon met with medical students to discuss her surgical career and her work treating desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCT), an aggressive and rare abdominal cancer that disproportionately affects African Americans. She spoke candidly about resistance she faced while developing new surgical approaches. As a Black woman proposing novel techniques, she said, her ideas were not immediately embraced. Over time, however, she pioneered methods that allow surgeons to remove hundreds — sometimes thousands — of tumors from the abdomen and pelvis without sacrificing vital organs. Combined with heated chemotherapy delivered during surgery, these strategies have improved survival outcomes for patients with DSRCT. Following her keynote, a panel discussion explored topics including leadership pathways, retention strategies, integrating community voices, and the historical roots of health disparities. The conversation was moderated by Claudine Ewing and featured Brashear; Hayes-Dixon; Thomas J. Ward Jr., PhD, dean of arts and sciences at Farmingdale State College; Jamal B. Williams, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Jacobs School; and Rhonda Wilson, founder and president of Buffalo Black Nurses. Together, the evening’s speakers underscored a shared message: achieving equity in health care requires sustained commitment, structural change, and collective responsibility.

Dr. Christina Sanders and Dr. Joe Mills join Marlee Tuskes on WIVB's Evening Dish. Dr. Sanders goes in depth on a new bariatric surgery of which she was the first female surgeon in the U.S. to perform. Followed by Dr. Mills diving into all things colorectal cancer, discussing the importance of screenings and symptoms look out for.

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our friend and colleague, Dr. Carroll (Mac) Harmon. "Mac was an internationally recognized leader in the minimally invasive treatment of surgical problems in children. He was a very early adopter of these techniques in a world where most tools were designed to treat adults and were often too large. He taught a generation pediatric surgery fellows many of which are master surgeons today. He was a NIH funded researcher, but moreover a consummate educator whose face would light up when talking about his trainees." -Dr. Steven Schwaitzberg, UBMD Surgery President and UB Department of Surgery Chair Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and all those who worked with him. We know his legacy will live on in the hundreds of people he helped train. Read more about Dr. Harmon's life and legacy here.

Dr. Christina Sanders, DO, MBA, CAQ-MBS, DABOM has achieved a historic milestone in metabolic and bariatric surgery by becoming the first female surgeon in the United States to perform the Magnetic Duodenal Ileostomy (MagDI™) procedure. Dr. Sanders successfully performed the first MagDI™ procedures in October 2025 at Erie County Medical Center, marking a significant advancement in minimally invasive weight-loss treatment. The MagDI™ procedure represents a next-generation approach to bariatric intervention, utilizing FDA approved magnetic compression technology to create a controlled gastrointestinal anastomosis without the need for traditional surgical stapling or suturing. The procedure is performed by having the patient swallow a specialized magnet, which is then guided to a specific location with the gastrointestinal tract and joined with another magnet inserted via an endoscope. The paired magnets gradually approximate tissue, allowing a natural anastomosis to form overtime with reduced operative trauma. This innovative technique allows for a less invasive procedure with the potential for improved safety, faster recovery, and durable metabolic outcomes. This milestone underscores the shared mission of the University at Buffalo and Erie County Medical Center to advance healthcare through innovation, education, and research, while expanding access to state-of-the-art treatments for obesity and metabolic disease. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Sanders, please call 716) 565-3990.

We’re proud to share that several UBMD Surgery physicians have been named to Buffalo Spree Magazine’s 2026 Top Doctors of Western New York  list 🎉—an honor that reflects the respect and confidence of their peers across the region. Buffalo Spree’s Top Doctors list is researched and produced by Professional Research Services (PRS) , a nationally recognized firm based in Troy, Michigan. Physicians included on the list are nominated and selected solely through peer voting . Certified doctors in Erie and Niagara counties were invited to participate in a comprehensive survey, casting votes across 75 medical specialties. Hundreds of responses were collected, and the physicians receiving the highest number of votes in each specialty were independently fact-checked with New York State and their respective practices. Importantly, doctors cannot pay to be selected or profiled—recognition is based entirely on professional reputation and peer endorsement. The following UBMD Surgery physicians were included on the 2026 list: Timothy M. Adams, MD Steven M. Barone, MD Jeffrey W. Berndtson, MD Raphael Blochle, MD John L. Butsch, MD Mark A. Falvo, MD P. Ben Ham, III, MD Linda M. Harris, MD Sikandar Z. Khan, MD Thom R. Loree, MD Jessica L. Martinolich, MD Brittany, Montross, MD Joseph D. Mills, MD Molly E. Moore, MD Ajay N. Panchal, MD Alan R. Posner, MD Stuti J. Tambar, MD Jeffrey J. Visco, MD Congratulations to our physicians on this well-deserved recognition. Their inclusion highlights the exceptional surgical care, expertise, and dedication they provide to patients throughout Western New York.

Who should get screened for lung cancer? The American Cancer Society  recommends lung cancer screening for individuals who: Are current or former smokers Are between 50 and 79 years old Have a 20 pack-year or greater smoking history Join us for our Lung Cancer Screening Event  this Saturday, November 8, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at these Kaleida Health locations:   Buffalo General Medical Center 100 High Street, Buffalo, NY 14203  716-859-2840   Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital 1540 Maple Road, Williamsville, NY 14221  716-568-6400  Olean Medical Group 535 Main Street, Olean, NY 14760  716-376-2242   Please note: A doctor’s order and insurance card are required. Financial assistance may be available—call for details. Take charge of your health—schedule your screening today!

Stuti Tambar, MD, breast surgeon for UBMD Surgery and Roseanne Berger, MD, physician for UBMD Primary Care, recently appeared on Daytime Buffalo for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The two talked about the process and impact of mammograms in the hopes of dispelling misconceptions and fears and to encourage women to schedule their screenings. Women should start mammogram screenings on a yearly basis starting at the age of 40. Those with a family history of breast cancer or genetic mutations that predispose them to cancer should start their screenings earlier at age 30. To schedule an appointment with breast surgeon, Dr. Stuti Tambar, please call 716-859-1168. Watch the whole interview below-

Thousands of New Yorkers waiting for an organ transplant now have a greater chance at receiving a lifesaving match thanks to new legislation signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. The Helping Equal Access to Registration for Transplants (HEART) Act (S.7151-A) , which takes effect immediately, repeals the state’s prohibition on patients enrolling with multiple transplant programs. Previously, patients were restricted to joining a single transplant center’s waiting list - a limitation that often reduced their odds of finding a suitable donor organ. With the HEART Act now in place, New Yorkers can register with multiple programs, significantly improving their access to potential matches. According to Donate Life New York State , the new law could reduce mortality rates among those waiting for transplants by as much as 20 percent . A driving force behind this historic change was Dr. Liise Kayler , transplant surgeon and passionate advocate for equity in organ transplantation. Dr. Kayler first raised awareness of the issue during a statewide meeting of all New York transplant centers, where she spoke about the unfairness of the state’s ban preventing patients from registering with multiple centers. She highlighted how the policy created a disparity- patients with private insurance could travel out of state and join additional waitlists, while those on Medicaid could not. Her advocacy caught the attention of Aisha Tator , Executive Director of Donate Life New York State, and together they partnered with Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes  to craft and champion the HEART Act. After meeting with lawmakers in Albany, the bill passed both chambers of the legislature and went on to the desk of Governor Kathy Hochul  to be officially signed into law. For Assembly Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes , the cause was also deeply personal, her late daughter was a transplant recipient. “The thousands of New Yorkers in need of a life-saving organ transplant deserve every opportunity to find a match,” said Peoples-Stokes. “The HEART Act will reduce wait times, establish a more just and equitable transplant system, and make it easier to save the lives of our family members, friends, and neighbors.” The need for donors remains urgent. In 2021 alone, approximately 450 New Yorkers died waiting for a transplant , and the state continues to rank third highest in the nation  for organ donor need. With the HEART Act now law, advocates, physicians, and families alike are hopeful that more lives will be saved through greater access, fairness, and opportunity in New York’s organ transplant system.

Buffalo, NY — October 2025  — The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo recently hosted the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Flexible Endoscopy Course for Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellows , bringing together 60 surgical trainees from across the country for a focused, hands-on educational experience in gastrointestinal endoscopy. The course, part of SAGES’ ongoing national training series, is designed to strengthen fellows’ technical skills in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy while reinforcing the organization’s mission to innovate, educate, and collaborate to improve patient care . Over the course of the program, fellows participated in didactic sessions, simulation-based learning, and mentored skills labs  led by experienced faculty. Through a combination of lecture and practice, participants gained confidence and competency in core endoscopic procedures such as upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, and polypectomy. Hosting the course at the Jacobs School aligned closely with the goals of the school’s new Comprehensive Flexible Endoscopy Fellowship , which emphasizes a high volume of endoscopic procedures and innovative surgical techniques. The collaboration with SAGES provided fellows with access to state-of-the-art training facilities, expert mentorship, and a curriculum that integrates seamlessly into their clinical education. “Courses like this are invaluable for preparing the next generation of surgeons,” said Eleanor Fung, MD, Endoscopy Fellowship Program Director, “The hands-on, focused approach allows fellows to develop skills they can apply immediately in patient care.” SAGES’ Flexible Endoscopy Course continues to play a key role in preparing surgical fellows nationwide to incorporate endoscopic techniques into their practices—enhancing patient outcomes and advancing the field of minimally invasive surgery. For more information about SAGES and its educational initiatives, visit www.sages.org .

The summer heat couldn't keep our incredible team away from an afternoon of fun, food, and friendly competition at our recent surgical practice summer party! This year, we celebrated our hard work and dedication at the newly renovated Transit Lanes, and what a fantastic time it was! It was wonderful to see our operating room and hospital staff, alongside our dedicated administrative team, all come together outside of the usual clinical setting. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as everyone arrived, ready to relax and enjoy some well-deserved downtime. Forget scalpels and schedules for a few hours – the focus shifted to bowling balls and strikes! Lanes were filled with laughter and cheers (and maybe a few good-natured groans at gutter balls!), as colleagues from different departments teamed up and went head-to-head in the spirit of fun. The newly renovated Transit Lanes provided the perfect backdrop for our gathering. The modern and inviting space added to the festive atmosphere, making it an even more enjoyable experience for everyone. More than just an afternoon of bowling and food, this summer party was a chance to celebrate the incredible teamwork and dedication that defines our surgical practice. It's the collaboration between our OR staff, hospital team, and administrative professionals that allows us to provide the best possible care for our patients here in Buffalo and beyond. A huge thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us and made the party such a success! We're already looking forward to the next opportunity to connect and celebrate our amazing team.