Newswise — Steve C. Chen, M.D., associate director of Pediatric General Surgery and director of Pediatric Trauma, has become the first holder of the Walter and Shirley Wang Chair in Pediatric Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Dr. Chen is praised by families for his gentle manner with frightened young patients as well as for his extraordinary surgical skills. It is not uncommon for him to hold and quietly reassure a child before an operation, and because Dr. Chen specializes in the latest minimally invasive techniques, many procedures can be accomplished in a fraction of the time required for traditional, open surgery. Incisions, blood loss and scarring are minimized and patients are able to resume their normal activities more quickly, with fewer risks of complications.
"The joy of helping children is the best reward of my work," Dr. Chen has said.
Walter and Shirley Wang, prominent members of the Asian-American community, are distinguished international philanthropists. In fact, the Wang family has a rich tradition of philanthropy and in caring for those in need.
Walter Wang serves on the executive board of the Formosa Plastics Group, is president/CEO of J-M Manufacturing Company, and is a board member of the Chinese-American Advocacy Committee of 100. Shirley Wang is founder and president of Plastpro, an innovator in maintenance-free millwork products. She also is president of Nan Tech, Inc., and she serves on the boards of ABS Pipe, Inc., and Management One.
The Walter and Shirley Wang Chair will support Dr. Chen's ongoing research in minimally invasive pediatric surgery, the search for new ways to correct birth defects, the exchange of information with surgeons worldwide, and the provision of crucial surgery for children whose families cannot afford it.
A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Chen received his medical degree from the University of Southern California School of Medicine and completed residencies in general surgery and surgical critical care at Cedars-Sinai. Prior to joining the medical center as a full-time faculty member, he trained in pediatric surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Dr. Chen, who specializes in all advanced pediatric laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures, is board-certified in pediatric surgery, general surgery, and surgical critical care. He has extensive research experience, particularly in the Liver Support Unit at Cedars-Sinai. He served as clinical coordinator for the bioartificial liver clinical trial while spending two years as a research fellow in the Liver Support Research Laboratory.
During his residency training at Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Chen received the Paul Rubenstein, M.D., Prize for Excellence in Resident Research, the Leo G. Rigler, M.D., Award for Academic Achievement, the Leon Morgenstern, M.D., Award for Outstanding Achievement in Surgical Research, and other awards and honors.
Cedars-Sinai is one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the Western United States. For the fifth straight two-year period, it has been named Southern California's gold standard in health care in an independent survey. Cedars-Sinai is internationally renowned for its diagnostic and treatment capabilities and its broad spectrum of programs and services, as well as breakthroughs in biomedical research and superlative medical education. Named one of the 100 "Most Wired" hospitals, the Medical Center ranks among the top 10 non-university hospitals in the nation for its research activities.
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