About us

George J. Magovern, Jr., MD, is Emeritus Chair of the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cardiovascular Institute, System Chairman of the AHN Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and Professor of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine. He currently serves as the CVI Chief Academic Officer and is an Associate Program Director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency Program.

Dr. Magovern graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1978 and secured a much sought-after internship in surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Magovern began his practice at Allegheny General in 1985. He has an outstanding record of clinical, academic and administrative leadership and achievements. Under his leadership the first UNOS approved heart transplant was performed at Allegheny General Hospital in 1987 as well as the initiation of a mechanical cardiac assist program. In 1992, he performed Allegheny's first single lung transplant.

In 1998, Dr. Magovern formed one of the first departments of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in the United States. Recognizing the need to train thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons in minimally invasive techniques and catheter based endovascular procedures, Dr. Magovern worked with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the Thoracic Surgery Residency Review Committee (RRC), and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) in developing a new residency paradigm integrating surgical training in vascular and cardiothoracic surgery.

In 2012, Dr. Magovern was appointed to the Board of Directors for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS). Additionally, he served as a certifying examiner for the ABTS and member of the ABTS Cardiac Consultant Subcommittee. Recent recognition and/or awards received by Dr. Magovern include: Best/Top Doctor by Pittsburgh Magazine (2002-2021), the American Heart Association Peter A. Safer Pulse of Pittsburgh Award (2015), the Pittsburgh Business Times Lifetime Achievement Award (2017) and the Allegheny County Medical Society Ralph C. Wilde Leadership Award (2018).

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