Thomas K. Varghese Jr.

Dr. Thomas K. Varghese Jr. is the Associate Chief Medical Quality Officer and Chief Value Officer at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and Chief of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery at the University of Utah. He serves as a Tenure-Track Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. Dr. Varghese is nationally recognized as a leader in minimally invasive thoracic surgery and surgical quality improvement, with a focus on optimizing patient outcomes through evidence-based practices and value-driven care models.

Dr. Varghese's educational background includes:

• Executive MBA from the University of Utah
• Administrative Chief Resident and Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship from the University of Michigan
• General Surgery Chief Residency from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Master of Science in Clinical Investigation from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Medical Doctorate from Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram/University of Kerala

Dr. Varghese's research program bridges Health Services Research and Educational Research with a focus on optimizing performance at patient, surgeon, and system levels. He created the Strong for Surgery program, now a formal Quality Improvement program of the American College of Surgeons active at 331 clinical sites nationwide. His current work includes an NCI R01-funded pragmatic randomized trial examining Prescription Exercise Prescription (PEP) for lung cancer surgical patients. His publications demonstrate leadership in surgical outcomes research, quality improvement, and innovative approaches to thoracic surgery, with significant contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic through consensus guidance for thoracic surgery.

Dr. Varghese's scholarly output reveals consistent focus on value-based care, surgical complications prevention, and preoperative optimization. His work spans clinical studies on lung cancer treatment, surgical outcomes measurement, and innovative approaches to surgical education and dissemination. A recurring theme is the optimization of patient care through evidence-based practices and quality improvement initiatives that enhance surgical outcomes while controlling costs.

Dr. Varghese's notable recognitions include:

• Named one of America's "Top Docs" by Castle Connolly
• Ranked in the top 10% of the nation by Press Ganey for patient satisfaction
• Elected to the inaugural class of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators (2018)
• Recognition for building a national lung cancer surgery center of excellence by US News and World Report and Vizient

Dr. Varghese has actively mentored medical students, residents, fellows, PhD candidates, and junior faculty. His grant portfolio includes current R01 funding from the National Cancer Institute with Co-PIs Dr. Neli Ulrich and Dr. Paul LaStayo. He also serves as co-PI of an American College of Surgeons Board of Regents Innovative DEI and Anti-Racism grant that led to the development of the SUS-AAS JUMPSTART program. Dr. Varghese was named President-Elect of the Society of University Surgeons in 2023, with his term as President beginning in February 2024.

Dr. Varghese leads the Thoracic Surgery Center of Excellence at the University of Utah/Huntsman Cancer Institute, which actively participates in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Database and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Surgical Quality Improvement Program. He serves as the first Chair of the Thoracic Surgery Outcomes Research Network (ThORN), a collaborative spanning 29 institutions across the nation. At the University of Utah, he is a member of an active collaborative of Chief Value Officers, Education Leaders, and Health Services Researchers focused on the Triple Aim of outstanding patient-centered care, improving population health, and reducing healthcare costs.