FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Communications and Marketing

Sheila Champlin – (901) 448-4957

 

 

Christopher J. Knott-Craig, MD, Named

Chief, Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery

in the College of Medicine, Memphis, at

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and

Co-Director, Pediatric Cardiovascular Institute at

Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center

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Memphis, Tenn. (August 13, 2008) – Timothy C. Fabian, MD, chair, Department of Surgery, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Steve J. Schwab, MD, executive dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine, and Meri Armour, MSN, MBA, president and chief executive officer for Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, announced the appointment of Christopher J. Knott-Craig, MD, as chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at UTHSC and co-director of the Pediatric Cardiovascular Institute at Le Bonheur.

Dr. Knott-Craig is an internationally known pediatric cardiovascular surgeon who currently serves as chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery and professor of Surgery at the University of Alabama Medical Center at Birmingham.  Dr. Knott-Craig received his medical degree in 1977 and completed his surgical training in 1978 from the University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa.  He will assume his new responsibilities in Memphis by October 1.  

The national search for this position was conducted by Millican Solutions, Inc., and was ably led by Thomas Chin, MD, FAAP, FACC, professor of pediatric cardiology and co-director of the Pediatric Cardiovascular Institute at Le Bonheur.

“Dr. Knott-Craig has developed a reputation as one of the foremost congenital heart surgeons in the country, and in fact, in the world,” noted Dr. Chin.  “We are excited about the improved care and the new techniques he will help provide for children and adults in the Mid-South with congenital heart disease.  I look forward to working with Dr. Knott-Craig as co-directors of the Pediatric Heart Institute, and welcome him to Memphis,” Dr. Chin stated.

A recognized authority in pediatric surgery, Dr. Knott-Craig has authored more than 80 publications, books, abstracts, chapters and manuscripts.

“We are excited by the addition of Dr. Knott-Craig to our emerging Pediatric Heart Institute,” said Executive Dean Schwab.  “He brings UTHSC and Le Bonheur a new level of pediatric heart surgery and complements our outstanding group of pediatric cardiologists.”

“Dr. Knott-Craig is an innovative surgeon with a passion for giving hope to children with congenital heart defects,” Armour observed.  “Under his leadership, Le Bonheur’s Heart Institute will implement cutting-edge techniques while continuing to make contributions to the field of pediatric health care.”

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is focused on a four-tier mission of education, research, clinical care and public service, all in support of a single goal: to improve the health of Tennesseans.  Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.  UTHSC has additional College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy campuses in Knoxville, and a College of Medicine campus in Chattanooga.  For more information, visit www.utmem.edu.

Founded in 1952, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center is the Mid-South’s first and only comprehensive pediatric medical facility.  Every year Le Bonheur treats almost 140,000 children from 47 states and many countries.  Le Bonheur is home to one of the nation’s 10 busiest pediatric emergency departments and hosts one of the largest pediatric surgical brain tumor programs.

            Le Bonheur is currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign to build a new state-of-the-art hospital.  The $327-million facility is scheduled to open in 2010 and will double the space for patient care, research and teaching.  For more information, please call (901) 287-6030 or visit www.lebonheur.org.

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