AHN Appoints Dr. Stephen Bailey to Department Chair of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Pittsburgh, Pa – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced that it has selected one of the region’s and nation’s foremost cardiac surgeons to serve as System Chair of the Network’s Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Stephen H. Bailey, MD, currently Director of Cardiac Surgery at AHN and a leading specialist in heart transplantation, heart valve disease and mechanical heart assistance, is the first recipient of the Magovern Chair at AHN, recognizing his many accomplishments and innovations in advancing the field of cardiac surgery.

In his new role, Dr. Bailey will direct all cardiovascular and thoracic related surgical services across AHN, leading day-to-day operations, overseeing programmatic growth, and facilitating clinical research efforts that bring innovative, state-of-the-art care to cardiac patients.

A graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts, Dr. Bailey received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University, and completed residencies at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital in cardiothoracic surgery and the University of Utah in general surgery.

“Dr. Bailey is an exceptional clinical leader and a visionary pioneer in the surgical treatment of complex cardiovascular diseases. Our Cardiovascular Institute and the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery will be well-served by his expanded leadership role with our organization,” said Donald Whiting, MD, AHN’s Chief Medical Officer.

During his tenure at AHN, Dr. Bailey has risen to distinction as one of the nations’ leading heart surgeons in the areas of minimally invasive heart valve surgery, heart transplantation, mechanical heart assistance technologies and other complex surgical interventions.

In addition to serving as Director of Cardiac Surgery at AHN, Dr. Bailey, Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, has also served as surgical director of both AHN’s Cardiac Transplantation/Ventricular Assist Device Program and its Structural Heart Program. His research has been widely published, focusing broadly on optimizing clinical, technological and economic outcomes of complex cardiac surgical procedures.

“Under Dr. Bailey’s leadership, the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Allegheny General Hospital has flourished, providing nationally recognized, high-quality care and leading the region in the development of new and innovative surgical options for complex diseases of the heart and vascular system,” said Dr. Whiting. “His leadership has helped further elevate our longstanding reputation as a premiere referral center for advanced cardiovascular care.”

AGH’s VAD program was the first in the region to receive Joint Commission Certification. The hospital is also routinely ranked among the nation’s top medical centers for three-year survival rates among heart transplant patients. In 2019, the heart transplantation program had the best three-year survival rate in Pennsylvania and seventh-best in the U.S.  Most recently, Healthgrades listed AGH as one of the country’s top hospitals for overall cardiac care and cardiac surgery, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons recognized AGH as a 3 Star TAVR program.

Dr. Bailey succeeds George Magovern Jr., MD who recently stepped down as Chair.  Dr. Magovern, however, will continue to have a role with the Cardiovascular Institute.  The Magovern name has been synonymous with pioneering heart surgery and cardiovascular research at AGH for decades.

“It’s been an honor to work alongside some of the world’s foremost medical and surgical leaders in this field and caregivers who truly exemplify what it means to practice innovative, compassionate and patient-centered medicine. I’m thrilled to work with everyone in this new capacity to further expand the reach of our program’s expertise across the many communities AHN serves,” said Dr. Bailey. “It’s also been a particularly rewarding experience to work with and learn from Dr. Magovern. We look forward to him being a continuing source of knowledge, guidance and inspiration to our team and the future generations of cardiovascular clinicians who train within our programs.”

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