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STSA 70th Annual Meeting
Save the Date for the STSA 70th Annual Meeting! November 2-5, 2023 at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando Resort™.

Listen to Dr. Brent Keeling, STSA Membership Committee Chair, discuss the benefits of becoming a member of the STSA.
Listen to Dr. Brent Keeling, STSA Membership Committee Chair, discuss the benefits of becoming a member of the STSA. Learn more about each member category and download an application
STSA is currently accepting Active, Associate, and Candidate Member applications for membership beginning in January 2023. The deadline for consideration of applications is September 1.
New Annual Meeting Exhibitor and Industry Support Platform!
STSA is pleased to announce the launch of our new Annual Meeting Exhibitor and Industry Support platform! We are excited to offer over 20 unique sponsorship opportunities, providing an excellent opportunity to not only showcase your products and services, but also position your brand to experience premium exposure to all meeting attendees. Visit https://bit.ly/3Perz5E to learn more about exhibiting at and supporting the STSA 69th Annual Meeting, taking place November 9-12, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Exhibitors can click the Booth Reservation tab to purchase a booth; other sponsorship opportunities are listed in the Sponsorship Gallery.

STSA 69th Annual Meeting Abstracts – Deadline Extended by 1 Week!
The Southern Thoracic Surgical Association abstract submission deadline has been extended by one week to Monday, April 11, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Please consider submitting an abstract for the 2022 meeting. The STSA 69th Annual Meeting will be held November 9-12, 2022 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
If you started an abstract in the submission website and it is currently in draft mode, please complete and submit your abstract before the deadline. Abstracts in draft mode will not be considered.
The deadline to submit abstracts has been extended to Monday, April 11, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Compete for the 2022 Hawley H. Seiler Residents Award
Call for Abstracts & Hawley H. Seiler Residents Award Competition
stsa.org/abstracts | April 4, 2022
The Southern Thoracic Surgical Association is currently accepting abstracts for its upcoming 69th Annual Meeting, which will be held November 9-12 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Cardiothoracic and general surgery residents are invited to submit abstracts to be considered for the 2022 Hawley H. Seiler Residents Award Competition.
Named for STSA Past President and Founder, Hawley H. Seiler, MD, this award is presented annually to the resident who most excels in their manuscript and oral presentation at the STSA Annual Meeting. The 2022 Hawley H. Seiler Residents Award recipient will receive $500, a personalized plaque, and their name will be engraved on a permanent plaque to be displayed at future STSA Annual Meetings. The recipient will be announced at the 2022 Dinner Gala. Residents participating in the competition are eligible for reduced-price tickets to attend this event.
- Learn about the Hawley H. Seiler Residents Award and see a list of past recipients.
- Access the 69th Annual Meeting Abstract submission site.
To enter the competition, you must select yes or no if you would like this abstract to qualify for the Hawley H. Seiler Residents Competition Award which is found under the Awards Section of your abstract submission.
You may review the STSA 69th Annual Meeting abstract submission guidelines at the beginning of the submission process and prior to selecting your submission type.
The collegiality, fun, and scientific value of the STSA Annual Meeting are unmatched, and the Southern is an exceptional forum for disseminating your work. Oral abstract presentations are to be submitted for publication consideration in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, which has a circulation of more than 8,000 subscribers. Should your abstract be selected for presentation, details outlining instructions for submitting your manuscript to the Annals of Thoracic Surgery will be provided at a later date.
The deadline to submit abstracts is April 4, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Please direct any support questions regarding abstract submissions and account login credentials to STSA at stsa@stsa.org or call (312) 202-5892.
2022 Self-Nomination Process Now Open
STSA is currently accepting self-nominations from Active members interested in volunteering to serve on an STSA leadership committee. The deadline to submit self-nominations is Thursday, December 9, 2021. Selected nominees will begin their term on January 1, 2022. Members interested in nominating themselves to be considered for more than one position should complete the appropriate Committee questionnaire for each position of interest.
The following leadership positions are available. Please note that for each appointment, the selected nominee will become Committee Chair or Co-Chair in the final year of their term. Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs are required to attend STSA Council Meetings, which are held twice annually, in April/May and again in October before the STSA Annual Meeting. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed.
Finance Committee
- One position
- Three-year term
- The Finance Committee is responsible for the financial oversight of STSA ensuring its long-term financial viability. The Committee will meet in April/May and in October prior to STSA Annual Meeting. Additional meetings by conference call will be arranged as needed.
- Nominate Yourself for the Finance Committee
Membership Committee
- One position
- Four-year term
- The Membership Committee is responsible for recruiting new members and retaining current members, reviewing new member application documents, and making acceptance recommendations to STSA Council and members. The membership application deadline is September 15.
- Nominate Yourself for the Membership Committee
Postgraduate Committee
- Two positions
- Three-year term
- The Postgraduate Committee is responsible for planning the Postgraduate Program held in conjunction with the STSA Annual Meeting. A Committee meeting takes place each January Additional meetings will be arranged in order to finalize a program and speakers by early spring.
- Nominate Yourself for the Postgraduate Committee
Program Committee
- Two positions
- Three-year term
- The Program Committee is responsible for planning the scientific educational content of the STSA Annual Meeting. Committee members review abstract submissions in late-April through early-May. A Committee meeting takes place spring to finalize the Annual Meeting program.
- Nominate Yourself for the Program Committee
Scholarship Committee
- One position
- Four-year term
- The Scholarship Committee is responsible for reviewing applications for all STSA sponsored scholarship programs and, after consideration of the applicants, may propose scholarship recipients and finalists to the Council for approval.
- Nominate Yourself for the Scholarship Committee
If you have any questions about the STSA governance structure and the self-nomination process, or wish to check on the status of your STSA membership, please contact STSA Headquarters at stsa@stsa.org or 312-202-5892. For detailed descriptions of each Committee, please review Article IX of the Association’s Bylaws.
STSA 68th Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts
STSA 68th Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts
stsa.org/abstracts | April 5 Deadline
The Southern Thoracic Surgical Association is pleased to announce that abstracts are now being accepted for the STSA 68th Annual Meeting. The STSA 68th Annual Meeting will be held November 3-6, 2021 at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, GA. The deadline to submit abstracts is Sunday, April 5, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Oral, video, history (oral), oral/poster, and poster only abstract submissions are being accepted. The submission categories include adult cardiac, congenital, and general thoracic, as well as surgical education, simulation and team-based learning, patient safety, and lessons learned from intraoperative complications.
Access the STSA 68th Annual Meeting abstract submission website.
You may review the STSA 68th Annual Meeting abstract submission guidelines at the beginning of the submission process and prior to selecting your submission type. Of important note, STSA requires that all abstract authors (primary and co-authors) submit their commercial and financial disclosure information by the abstract submission deadline of April 5, 2021. Co-authors may login and complete their personal commercial relationship form. Only one form is required per author for the meeting.
The 2021 abstract submission website is hosted by the same company STSA used last year. You may use the login credentials you set up during your abstract submission in 2020. It is also the same provider STSA uses for CME evaluations and the mobile application. If you have attended a STSA Annual Meeting in the past five years and claimed CME credits, you may already have an account within the system. If you do not retain your account information, please use the reset password link first to assist with the prevention of creating duplicate accounts. If your e-mail address is found within the system, an e-mail will be sent to you with further instructions. If not, please create a new account.
If you have attended a STSA meeting in the past, you understand why attendees return year after year. The collegiality, fun, and scientific value of the STSA Annual Meeting are unmatched. The STSA Annual Meeting continues to be an exceptional forum for disseminating your work to the entire field of cardiothoracic surgery.
Abstracts accepted to the Annual Meeting for oral presentation are required to submit a manuscript for publication consideration in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, which has a circulation of more than 8,000 subscribers. During the abstract submission process, authors may indicate if they wish to request a waiver from submitting their manuscript to The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Requests will be reviewed during the STSA Program Committee Meeting in May. Subsequent requests will not be considered.
Please direct any support questions regarding abstract submissions and account login credentials to STSA at stsa@stsa.org or call (312) 202-5892.
Spring 2017 Issue of STSA News Published
The Spring 2017 issue of STSA News is now available. This issue features:
- A letter from STSA President, David R. Jones, MD;
- STSA membership recruitment information;
- Highlights from the STSA 63rd Annual Meeting;
- Program changes to the upcoming STSA 64th Annual Meeting, including updates from the Program and Postgraduate Committees;
- 2017 awards and scholarship opportunities; and
- 2017 Schedule of Events.
View additional updates from STSA and past issues of STSA News at www.stsa.org/whats-new.
Please contact STSA Headquarters with questions or suggestions regarding STSA News at stsa@stsa.org.
Residents Invited to Compete for 2017 Hawley Seiler Award

J. Trent Magruder, MD (left) accepted his 2016 Hawley Seiler Residents Award at the November 2016 STSA Annual Meeting in Naples.
Residents are invited to submit abstracts for the STSA 64th Annual Meeting and participate in the 2017 Hawley Seiler Residents Award Competition.
Named for STSA Past President and Founder, Hawley H. Seiler, MD, this award is presented annually to the resident who most excels in their manuscript and oral presentation at the STSA Annual Meeting.
The 2017 Hawley Seiler Residents Award winner will receive $500, a personalized plaque, and their name will be engraved on a permanent plaque to be displayed at future STSA Annual Meetings. The winner will be announced at the 2017 Annual Awards Dinner & Dance. Residents participating in the competition are eligible for reduced-price tickets to attend this event.
- Learn about the Hawley Seiler Residents Award and view a list of past recipients.
- Review the 2017 STSA 64th Annual Meeting Abstract and Surgical Video Submission Guidelines.
- Access the STSA 64th Annual Meeting abstract submission site. To enter the competition, accept the decision to participate in the awards program in Step 3.
The deadline to submit abstracts is Friday April 7, 2017, 11:59 pm, ET. For technical questions regarding submissions, e-mail Technical Support at ts.acsupport@thomson.com or call (434) 964-4100. Technical Support is available Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., ET. For non-technical questions regarding submissions, e-mail STSA at stsa@stsa.org or call (312) 202-5892.
STSA Welcomes 56 New Members
STSA membership voted to confirm the applications for 56 new Active, Associate, Candidate and Pre-Candidate members during the November 11, 2016 Annual Business Meeting. STSA gratefully acknowledges the Membership Committee’s work in recruiting and reviewing applications over the past year. Chaired by James Robert Headrick, MD, 2016 Membership Committee Members also included Edward Chen, MD; Andrew Lodge, MD; and Edward Savage, MD.
The deadline to submit application materials for consideration at the November 2017 Business Meeting is September 15, 2017.
Learn more about STSA member categories and download an application:
- Active Membership (Board-certified surgeons who are currently practicing, or completed training, in the Southern region).
- Associate Membership (interdisciplinary care providers practicing in the Southern region).
- Resident Membership (cardiothoracic surgery residents training at an institution in the Southern region).
- Student Membership (general surgery residents and medical students training at an institution in the Southern region)
Active Members
- Raed M. Alnajjar, MD
- Brett Beecher, MD
- Donnell K. Bowen, DO
- Stephen R. Broderick, MD
- Lisa M. Brown, MD, MAS
- Errol L. Bush, MD
- Wilson Monroe Clements, MD
- David C. Cleveland, MD, MBA
- William C. Conner, MD
- Matthew R. Danter, MD, FRCSC
- David A. Fullerton, MD
- Dawn L. Hui, MD
- Robert J. Keenan, MD
- TK Susheel Kumar, MD
- Lawrence Lee, MD
- Virginia Litle, MD
- Jenifer L. Marks, MD
- HelenMari Merritt Genore, DO
- Raghav Murthy, MD
- Alykhan S. Nagji, MD
- Soumya R. Neravetla, MD
- Brian L. Pettiford, MD
- J. Matthew Reinersman, MD
- Sameh Said, MD
- Gary S. Schwartz, MD
- John H. Storey, MD
- Benjamin Wei, MD
- Derek E. Williams, MD
- Leora T. Yarboro, MD
Associate Members
- Michael Lapp, PA-C
- Michael Loga, MSN-FNP
- Nathan Woody, FNP-C
Candidate Members
- Michael Archer, DO
- Gautam Bhatia, MD
- Alejandro Bribriesco, MD
- Nels Carrol, MD
- Tessa Cartwright, MD, MPH
- Julie Doberne, MD, PhD
- John Evans, MD
- Meredith Harrison, MD
- Matt Johnston, MD
- Christopher Lawrance, MD
- Bradley Lenoir, MD, MBA
- Giovanni Piovesana, MD
- Joshua Rosenblum, MD, PhD
- Raina Sinha, MD, MPH
- William Smith, DO
- John Stringham, MD
- Luis Velazco, MD
- Brittany Zwischenberger, MD
Pre-Candidate Members
- Hasina Maredia
- Adishesh Narahari
- Joshua Parreco
- Benjamin Smood
- Stanley Wolfe
- Sara-Catherine Zingg
Congratulations and welcome to all of STSA’s newest members! Contact STSA Headquarters with questions about membership at stsa@stsa.org or 312.202.5892.