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Monmouth Medical Center Names Mark K. Hirko, M.D., as Chairman of the Department of Surgery

Monmouth Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, recently announced that board-certified vascular surgeon Mark K Hirko, M.D. has joined the hospital’s medical staff as Chairman of the Department of Surgery.

As Chairman, Dr. Hirko will lead a department that is the region’s leader in surgical services, earning a statewide reputation for excellence. Throughout its history, Monmouth’s highly skilled team of surgeons has quickly adopted the latest surgical innovations – a pioneering spirit that has set the stage for bringing the most-advanced minimally invasive procedures to the region, including robotic surgery, laparoscopic GI/colorectal procedures, and endovascular aneurysm repair.  Today the department boasts the highest surgical survival rate of all academic medical centers in New Jersey, with fewer surgical complications and infections than the national average and a minimally invasive surgery program that ranks among the nation’s most experienced. 

Dr. Hirko joins Monmouth Medical Center from Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he served as Chief of the division of Vascular Surgery and Associate Medical Director of the Heart and Vascular Program. Additionally, Dr. Hirko served as Director of Baystate Vascular Services, Medical Director of the Vascular Lab, and Associate Professor of Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.

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Dr. Hirko brings to Monmouth expertise in the combined use of endovascular and open surgical techniques in treating patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms, carotid arterial disease, mesenteric disease, peripheral vascular insufficiency (PAD), dialysis access and venous insufficiency (DVT, varicose veins).  He has fostered a multidisciplinary approach to health care, combining the best skills from many other medical and surgical specialties, streamlining the process for these patients, improving efficiency, patient satisfaction, and more importantly, patient care outcomes. Examples include the multimodal care for the diabetic patient, wound healing protocols and programs, limb salvage initiatives and care for the patient with cardiovascular disease.

Widely published in professional peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Hirko has also authored a host of textbook chapters and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Vascular Surgery and Current Surgery.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is affiliated with numerous professional organizations, including the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), Eastern Vascular Surgery Society, Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS), Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society (PVSS), International Society for Endovascular Surgery, Association of Surgical Education (ASE), Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS).  Additionally, Dr. Hirko serves on the Public and Professional Outcomes Committee of the Society for Vascular Surgery and on the Eastern Vascular Surgery Society Bylaws Committee.

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Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Hirko also has a Certificate of Added Qualifications in General Vascular Surgery.  He earned his medical degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.  He trained in general surgery at Akron City Hospital, Summa Health Systems, in Akron Ohio and completed his clinical and research fellowship in vascular surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill.

Dr. Hirko resides in Long Branch, N.J.  

To learn more about the Department of Surgery at Monmouth Medical Center, call 732 923-6770 or visit www.barnabashealth.org/monmouth.

About Monmouth Medical Center

Located in Long Branch, N.J., Monmouth Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, along with The Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, is one of New Jersey's largest academic medical centers and has been a teaching affiliate of Philadelphia’s Drexel University College of Medicine for more than 40 years. From its earliest days, Monmouth Medical Center has been a leader in surgical advancement and has introduced many technological firsts to the region, including robotic surgery and other minimally invasive techniques. The hospital is routinely recognized by HealthGrades, the nation’s largest premier independent health care quality company, for excellence in both emergency medicine and maternity care. U.S. News & World Report has recognized Monmouth as a regional leader in cancer, geriatrics, gynecology, neurology and neurosurgery. For more information on Monmouth Medical Center, visit www.barnabashealth.org

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