Rawn Salenger

Rawn Salenger, MD, serves as Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Chief of Cardiac Surgery at UM St. Joseph Medical Center. He is a national expert on Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERAS) protocols, executive board member of the national ERAS Cardiac Society, co-chair of the Maryland Healthcare Commission Cardiac Services Advisory Committee, and past chair of the Maryland Cardiac Surgery Quality Initiative.

His educational background includes:

• Medical School: Albany Medical College (1995)
• Residency: Albert Einstein Medical Center (2001), UMass Memorial Medical Center (2004), University of New Mexico Hospitals (1996)
• Fellowship: Mount Sinai Hospital (2005)

Dr. Salenger specializes in minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve repair, arterial bypass grafting, and blood conservation techniques. He pioneered ERAS protocol implementation at UM St. Joseph, contributing to the program's three-star Society of Thoracic Surgeons rating through reduced complications and accelerated patient recovery. His clinical innovations focus on optimizing surgical outcomes via evidence-based recovery pathways and advanced valve repair methodologies.

His scientific honors include:

• Phi Beta Kappa

As leader of UM St. Joseph's cardiac surgery team, Dr. Salenger directs the Heart Institute—a University of Maryland Medical System Center of Excellence—while advancing statewide cardiac quality initiatives through committee leadership. His administrative roles encompass strategic development of surgical programs and national standardization of cardiac recovery protocols.