Herbert Chen, M.D., the Fay Fletcher Endowed Chair of the UAB Department of Surgery, gave the 2026 State of the Department presentation earlier this week. In addition to spotlighting achievements from the past year, Chen also reflected on the history of the Department of Surgery in celebration of its 80th anniversary as a department within the Marnix E. Heersink UAB School of Medicine.
The event brought together department faculty, staff and trainees, as well as leadership from across UAB including Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of UAB’s Heersink School of Medicine, and Dawn Bulgarella, MSHA, CPA, CEO of UAB Health System.
Reviewing the past year, Chen featured departmental successes in research, clinical care, educational and professional growth, including the fast facts below.
The UAB Department of Surgery:
By the Numbers
- 161 faculty members, including 18 who joined UAB in 2025
- 42 faculty members with extramural research funding
- 42 providers (physicians and CRNPs) who had outstanding care satisfaction scores in 2025
- 3 surgical pipeline programs, 5 residencies, and 11 fellowships
- 26k+ surgical cases a year
- The 4th busiest trauma center in the country
- The 4th largest cardiac surgery program in the country
- In the top 15% of surgery departments worldwide (U.S. News & World Report)
- 40% of current faculty members completed some or all of their training at UAB
Two faculty members were presented with prestigious, annual departmental awards: Professor Robert Dabal, M.D., received the Champ Lyons Outstanding Clinician Award and Assistant Professor Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, received the John Kirklin Award.
Woven throughout the presentation was a theme of the oak tree, a symbol of 80 years. Chen spoke about how the oak’s meaning of dedication, endurance, strength and wisdom reflects the growth of the department, which was established in 1945. Historical highlights included a review of previous chairs and how they built the foundations of the department, as well as timelines of clinical achievements from each of the department’s nine divisions.
“Our annual State of the Department is a moment to take pride in what we’ve accomplished while looking forward to where we are headed,” Chen said. “This year, it was especially meaningful to celebrate recent wins in the context of our 80 years of steady and intentional growth.”
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Anupam Agarwal, M.D., Herbert Chen, M.D., and Dawn Bulgarella, MSHA, CPAo commemorate the milestone, Chen also premiered “Surgery Shorts,” a video series featuring movie and TV show parodies created by each division and the General Surgery Residency Program. Examples include a remake of the “Golden Girls” intro by the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, called “Golden Guts,” and a remake of the “Parks and Recreation” intro by the Division of Plastic Surgery, called “Plastic and Reconstruction.”
Attendees voted on their favorite video, with the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery winning for their “Lord of the Rings” parody. Agarwal and Bulgarella also presented an award for their favorite video, which was the General Surgery Residency Program’s remake of the “Friends” intro.
“The videos were a reminder that we not only have a departmental culture of excellence, but of fun,” Chen said. “The people who make our department great genuinely enjoy working together.”
About the UAB Department of Surgery
Founded in 1945, the UAB Department of Surgery has grown to become one of the leading surgical programs in the United States with a reputation for blending advanced medicine, cutting edge research, and comprehensive education. The department employs over 160 faculty members in 9 divisions, educates trainees in 19 programs, and provides care at 14 practice locations across Alabama.