Kenric Murayama, an alumnus of the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), will be joining the school’s Department of Surgery and will be appointed chair upon his arrival in mid-year.
Murayama, a native of Hawaiʻi, did his undergraduate studies at the University of Washington and obtained his medical degree at JABSOM. He completed his surgery training at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine during which time he did a two-year research fellowship in pancreatic physiology.
Murayama’s clinical interest is minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery with a focus on laparoscopic treatment for benign esophageal disorders, abdominal wall hernias and morbid obesity and its metabolic consequences.
He has a longstanding commitment to surgical education and leadership development in surgery. Murayama served as residency director at Abington Memorial Hospital and developed the Quality, Outcomes and Performance Improvement Committee to engage residents and emphasize the importance of patient safety and quality improvement in their journey of lifelong learning. As medical director of the operating rooms, he led the initiative to create a corporate model for the department of surgery across two institutions. Murayama was actively involved in operational and strategic planning and implementation with specific goals of improving efficiencies, cost containment and program development.
“On behalf of JABSOM, I wish to thank all who assisted in this selection, especially the search committee,” said Jerris Hedges, JABSOM dean. “This committee spent untold hours and effort in recruiting, searching and deliberating on the best candidate for the position.”
The dean extended a special mahalo to Sue Steinemann, who served as interim chair during the period of the search. “We are grateful for the dedication of the surgery faculty and staff for all their assistance,” said Hedges.
Read the John A. Burns School of Medicine news release for more on Murayama.
