Cedars-Sinai Forms Orthopedics Department

Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has established a full orthopedics department to fulfill clinical demand.

            The department had previously kept orthopedic services within the surgical department, but broke it out due to what the hospital said in a statement was “record clinical and academic growth over the past several years.”

            The first chairperson of the department is Mark Vrahas, M.D. He previously served as vice chair of the population health and orthopedic operations at Massachusetts General Hospital's orthopaedic surgery department and as chief of the orthopedic trauma program at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Vrahas also had an academic appointment at Harvard Medical School.

            Vrahas completed medical school and his residency at the University of Pittsburgh. He later completed fellowships in biomechanics research at the University of Iowa and in orthopedic trauma and reconstruction at the University of Toronto.

            "This important leadership appointment reflects Dr. Vrahas' reputation for outstanding patient care, clinical excellence and his strong record of building and leading highly effective orthopedic trauma programs," said Shlomo Melmed, M.D., Cedars-Sinai's executive vice president of academic affairs and dean of the medical faculty.