UNMC surgery chairman elected to national board

David W. Mercer, M.D.

David W. Mercer, M.D., chairman of the UNMC Department of Surgery, has been elected to serve a six-year term as a director for the American Board of Surgery.

Founded in 1937, the ABS is an independent, non-profit organization that provides certification of surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training and knowledge.

More about Dr. Mercer Degree: M.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1986 Training: Internship and surgical residency, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia. Past positions at University of Texas Medical School at Houston (UTMSH): Assistant professor, 1993-1997; Associate professor, 1997-2003; and professor and vice chairman of surgery, 2003-2009. Memberships: President of the Society of University Surgeons, 2005; Current member of the VA Merit Review Board.

The ABS, which is one of the 24 member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties, certifies surgeons in the following fields: general surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical critical care, hand surgery, hospice and palliative medicine.

“This is a major appointment for Dr. Mercer, which clearly recognizes his stature in the surgery profession,” said John Gollan, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. “It is also great recognition for UNMC and speaks highly for the quality of surgical leadership and physicians we have working here.”

Dr. Mercer came to UNMC last August from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston when he was named professor and chairman of the department of surgery.

As chairman of the department of surgery, Dr. Mercer oversees a staff of about 60 surgeons. His surgical specialties include colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and ulcer disease in addition to general surgery.

An active researcher, Dr. Mercer has been funded continuously for the past 12 years and has received more than $10 million in total support from the National Institutes of Health, mostly to examine the role of the gut in multiple organ failure.