Andrew L. Warshaw

Andrew L. Warshaw
MD, FACS, FRCSEd (h)

Andrew L. Warshaw

MD, FACS, FRCSEd (h)

Dr. Warshaw is a general surgeon who served as Chief of Surgical Services and Surgeon-in-Chief at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for 14 years. Notable achievements during his tenure at MGH included doubling clinical revenues, growing the MGH staff by 70% to 112 surgeons, and doubling the number of female surgeons. Under Dr. Warshaw’s leadership, MGH’s Department of Surgery was among the first private sector institutions to become a member of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP). His role as Chief included chairing both the Surgical Coordinating Committee, which manages policy and operations, and the OR Executive Committee, comprising representation from surgery, anesthesia, nursing and administration.

Dr. Warshaw founded the Codman Center for Clinical Effectiveness in Surgery (named for Ernest Amory Codman, the MGH surgeon whose “end results” idea presaged the concept of outcomes research) to raise standards by measuring quality and safety of surgical practices. The Codman Center has become a proving ground where young surgeons study clinical outcomes, access to care and interdisciplinary communication.

Dr. Warshaw has held numerous top leadership positions in national organizations, and has served as President of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), travelling the country to meet with surgeons, learning about practices and problems, and as Chairman of the American Board of Surgery (ABS). He has also served on the Surgical Practice in Hospitals Committee of the ACS and chaired the Socioeconomic Issues Committee of both the ACS and ABS.

The author of nearly 800 medical and scientific publications and 13 books, Dr. Warshaw is a founding member of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and is the eponymic first recipient of the Andrew L. Warshaw Master Educator Award of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. Harvard Medical School established the Andrew L. Warshaw, MD Chair in Surgery. He directed the ACS course Surgeons as Leaders from Operating Room to Boardroom from 2016 to 2022.

Since stepping down as Chief of Surgery in 2011, Dr. Warshaw has served as Senior Consultant for International and Regional Clinical Relations and as Physician Director for Network Development and Integration at MGH, where he seeks to optimize clinical interactions between community hospitals and the academic center of the healthcare system. Dr. Warshaw’s responsibilities include quality of outcomes, expansion of capabilities and programs in the community, and direction of patients to the appropriate providers. Dr. Warshaw has been a member of the Board of Trustees at two community hospitals in the MGH system, as well as at MGH and Partners.

Dr. Warshaw lives in Boston with his wife Brenda, surrounded by their six children and 13 grandchildren. When he can, he escapes to Martha’s Vineyard to play mediocre golf. He continues to teach, listen and mentor at MGH.