Mission
As the nonprofit philanthropic arm of University Surgical Associates (USA), the Chattanooga Surgical Foundation (CSF) works to educate and empower the next generation of surgeons as they train at the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine in Chattanooga. Some Chattanoogans may not be aware of this surgical training program, but it is one of the premier destinations for such education, according to Jason Skinner, director of the foundation and director of marketing and provider relations for USA. So premier, in fact, that in a given year 1,000 applicants vie for one of the few slots in the program, he said. Training to become a surgeon is a costly endeavor, so the foundation, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, works to supplement costs associated with attending conferences, acquiring equipment and anything else an aspiring surgeon needs to be successful.
History
The foundation launched in 1976, the same year USA got its start. Skinner said the doctors with USA understood there was a gap in funding for surgical training and wanted to help support the educational program. Because the surgeons at USA are also on the faculty of the UT College of Medicine, they have a great deal of involvement in training the next generation of surgeons. For 50 years, USA and the CSF have worked to advance the practice of surgery in Chattanooga and beyond. “We do see trainees go on to serve world-renowned health care institutions, hospitals, health systems, as well as rural communities,” Skinner said. “So, it really touches patients literally all over the world.”
Scope
USA and the trainees assisted by the CSF serve patients in a 150-mile radius of the city, and the program is the only one of its kind in the region that provides 24/7, 365-day care, Skinner said. The organization’s service area has an estimated population of 700,000 people, and it is providing care for over 1,000 underinsured or uninsured patients through a charity clinic at Erlanger Hospital. Trainees are learning how to be general surgeons as well as learning specialities like pediatrics, trauma and more. By having USA in Chattanooga, Skinner said the community continues to receive world-class surgical care in their hometown.
Drawing Board
The future looks much like the past 50 years, Skinner said. USA and the CCSF aim to continue the legacy that has made Chattanooga a premier destination for surgical training. A report by the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of 13,500-86,000 physicians by 2036. With that in mind, the foundation endeavors to help maintain the level of excellence that exists here so that aspiring surgeons continue to train in Chattanooga. After all, Skinner added, a healthy training program is a healthy Chattanooga.
By the Numbers
* 5: Trainees annually that go through the educational program
* 13-15: Average years to become a general surgeon
* 150: General surgeon graduates since 1976
* 20K: Procedures conducted by residents in a year
* 300K-500K: Average cost for someone to become a surgeon
* 1.5M: Estimated cost for an institution to train a surgeon
Learn more at universitysurgical.com/chattanooga-surgical-foundation.